Coulee Recollections

Ten Years Ago

The bald eagle became the focus of hundreds of tourists last weekend as they flocked to the Grand Coulee Dam area to look at the national bird during the “Balde” Eagle Festival. “We doubled what we had last year,” said Grand Coulee Dam Area Chamber of Commerce Pres. Tim Alling. The festival was “very much a success in that manner.”

Several indicators of tourism show that people returned to the area last year after a very bad 2001 tourism season, but they are spending less than in 2000. Figures from the state Dept. of Revenue indicate tourists spent $776,350 to stay in the area last year, a 13 percent increase from 2001’s $687,600.

A federal agency can’t afford the cost of following federal rules, the Coulee Dam Town Council heard last week. As a result, the National Park Service will allow some of its lawn to go brown next summer due to the new, higher water rates in Coulee Dam. The new rates were recently adopted to pay off a $1.35 million loan to pay for the town’s water filtration plant, required by the federal government to comply with the federal Surface Water Treatment Rule.

Donkey basketball returned to Lake Roosevelt High School last Wednesday. Winner of the game was the Raider track team, who also sponsored the event.

Twenty Years Ago

USBR officials are looking for ways to plug a $2.75 million dollar hole in this year’s Grand Coulee Dam Project budget. Several possibilities exist, including not contracting work on facilities, cutting back on supplies and laying off or transferring workers.

The owner of a Coulee Dam service station wants to treat gasoline contaminated soil on-site, but city officials would prefer he use another, less unsightly option to solve his problem. Jim Dale Ray, co-owner of the Coulee Express Mini Mart, attempting to start the clean up last Wednesday but Mayor Rod Hartman halted the work.

The entire Grand Coulee Dam area could be included in a Grant County regional mass transit system now under discussion.

Planet Earth Players are off and running for their spring musical comedy, Cole Porter’s “Anything Goes.”

Junior Mike Murray is Lake Roosevelt’s lone entry to Mat Classic V this weekend. The 122-pounder earned a regional title, contrasting with his six teammate’s fortunes.

Lake Roosevelt High School students earned a 4.0 GPA for the second quarter included: Emily King, Sara Romero, Jamie White, Laura Day, Elizabeth Avey, Sara Lockenvitz, Greg Evans, Jeremy Hansen and Shane Moore.

Coulee Community Hospital’s nursing home passed and unexpected annual state survey with flying colors, hospital officials said this week.

Thirty Years Ago

Parents are joining hands with their children, Wright School and the rest of the nation in an effort to save the Statue of Liberty.

The Nespelem Grade School will be having a dedication March 6. Everyone is cordially invited to the open house for new solar-heated Nespelem Grade School. There will be at the new facility, a potluck dinner, a chance to meet the school’s staff and a Indian War Dance will be held.

The longest session in history for the Raider boys’ basketball team came to a close when the final week of league competition was completed. The Raider varsity netters failed to alter their perfect winless record. The team was defeated by Omak.

The Lady Raiders traveled to Omak last week and seized a win from the Pioneers by t he score of 62 to 35. Shaunee Haugen was high scorer with 287 points.

Airman Bobb J. Burnside, son of Wade R. and M. Burnside of Grand Coulee, has completed Air Force basic training at Lackland Air Force Base, Tex. The airman is a 1982 graduate of Lake Roosevelt High School.

The Grand Coulee Dam area is proudly represented by a group of fourth, fifth and sixth graders going by the name of POPEYE, which stands for Preserve Our Physical Education for Youth Everywhere.

Forty Years Ago

Sharon Olson, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Henry Olson of Coulee Dam, was a judge in the 1973 Betty Crocker Homemaker of Tomorrow. She was selected by a score in a written knowledge and aptitude examination taken by both senior boys and girls on Dec. 5. Sharon will receive a specially designed award from General Mills.

Boy Scout Troop #107 of Grand Coulee, sponsored by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, spent Friday night and Saturday at Summit Lake. Scouts present were Kevin Bateman, Wayne Jesse, Mark Schmidt, Mike English, Jim Rice, Rick Treim, David and Fred Stuker, Dale and David Thornton, Charles Baxter, Eric Durfee and Jeff Ervin.

Fifty Years Ago

The Grand Coulee PTA met with a full and interesting program. Denise Perkins spoke on “Lets Go Shopping.” Bill Trefry chose the subject “Ten Little Autos” and Jim Hickery spoke on “How to be Miserable.”

Sixty Years Ago

Norman Larson Q/M, UNS, son of Mr. and Mrs. John Larson of Grand Coulee, has been assigned to Bainbridge, Maryland, to attend school of electronics engineering for four months. Norman traveled from Pearl Harbor to Bainbridge by airplane.

On Feb. 1, Mr. and Mrs. Evan Jensen of Grand Coulee entertained with a dinner in honor of the 35th wedding anniversary of her parents Mr. and Mrs. R.W. Whyatt of Nespelem.