Coulee Recollections

Ten Years Ago

A bill in the state senate would tax camper and motorhome owners to support state parks, and have the effect of canceling a recent parking fee imposed throughout the state. The parking fee, $5 a day or $50 a year, has been criticized as double taxation by those who think state government should run its parks without the parking income.

A diverse group of people recently took a motorized tour of a stretch of land where a pipe could someday transfer water from Electric City to Grand Coulee. The group included Electric City Mayor Ray Halsey and two council members, two people from the engineering firm of Gray and Osborne, two or three people from the Grant County Public Utility District, three private property owners and Mayor Tammara Byers and City Supervisor Dennis Francis from Grand Coulee.

Wes Davidson an excellent percussionist in the Lake Roosevelt High School band was recently chosen as music student of the month. Davidson was selected because of his dedication and talent and his class leadership. He always comes to class prepared, knows his music and also enjoys participation in parades.

Mat Classic XV became the most successful state tournament trip ever by Lake Roosevelt wrestlers as they returned with a third-place team trophy, a state champion and three other high individual placers.

Twenty Years Ago

Studies on the effects of possible consolidation of the area towns will be presented at a meeting of volunteers on Saturday.

An agreement is pending between the Colville Tribes and the USBR for final closure of a site determined to be a hazardous waste dump above Coulee Dam.

A weekend storm deposited a fresh foot of snow in the Grand Coulee Dam area, giving convincing evidence that winter is going to stick around for a while longer.

A wider boat launch ramp will be in service at Spring Canyon this summer, following a construction project set to begin March 1.

Kristen Shields, a fifth grade student at the Grand Coulee Dam Middle School learned that an essay she wrote on the Pledge of allegiance won a statewide award.

Thirty Years Ago

A bit of history disappeared on Grand Coulee’s Main Street yesterday with the razing of the old Browne’s Store building. The structure, which in early days housed the Russell Drug and some say prior to that it was the city jail, was last used by Browne’s before selling their business to Schnabel family who changed the name to Apparel Plus, moving to Midway Avenue.

In a historic decision last week the Colville Confederated Tribes Business Council has decided to hold a primary election this year. The action was brought on by the number of candidates appearing on the former General Election ballot.

A surprise birthday presentation was given to Randy Spotts during a break between last week’s volleyball games. Randy turned the big 30. (What does that make him now?)

The Raider girls’ basketball team kept its State hopes alive as it beat Omak 60 to 47 in District playoffs.

Quadruplet lambs were born last Wednesday on the farm of Mr. and Mrs. Donald Jackson in the Rex-Delrio area. Three lambs weighed in at eight pounds each with one weighing just under five pounds.

Forty Years Ago

The Lake Roosevelt Raiders were in high spirits Saturday night as they handily defeated Tonasket which placed them in the finals this weekend.

The Grand Coulee Dam Pagent will be held March 24 with eight girls vying for the titlem. They include Judy Steffens, Linda Thiel, Ellen Hullett, Connie Palmer, Mary Baxter, Teri Gerard, Jodi Sharr and Cherri Biggers.

A large rock slide covered a 60 foot long section of highway 155 about 10 miles south of Electric City along Banks Lake 1 p.m. Monday. Police estimated the slide to be about 20 to 30 feet deep near the coulee wall side of the road.

Pre-bid information for three generators costing about $49 million for Grand Coulee Dam was asked Thursday by Amtorg, the Soviet Union trading corporation.

Fifty Years Ago

Those receiving all A’s at Grand Coulee High School for the second semester were: Marvin Palanuk, Rick McClain and Ron Kosloski.

Jeff Palin, administrator for the Grand Coulee Dam Hospital has expressed pleasure that more than 1,800 people came to the hospital’s open house on Feb. 17.

Larry French an 8th grader at the Center School emerged as the winner of the 1963 Grand Coulee Junior High Chess tournament. Taking second was Rocky Flowers.

Sixty Years Ago

The main item of business at the meeting of the Coulee Dam advisory council held Monday evening at the community building was the matter of rent increase and the report of the special rent rate committee of real estate experts.

The long-awaited telecasting from KXLY-TV, Spokane, hit the airwaves Sunday and reception at Grand Coulee, Delano and Electric City is reported to be excellent.

Browne’s Department Store is having a closeout on men’s sport shoes beginning at $4.95.

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.