Coulee Recollections

Ten Years Ago

Singing, fireworks and the dedication of Coulee Dam’s Douglas Park have all been planned this weekend for the ceremonial end of summer. The Labor Day weekend activities include 14-year-old singer Jared Wagner at the Grand Gallery theater Saturday, the Spokane band “Sidetracked” followed by the laser light show and fireworks on Sunday and the dedication of Douglas Park Monday.

Boat Races - Saturday and Sunday Sept. 6-7 at Sunbanks Resort, Osborne Bay.

Morgan’s Musings: Sam Halvorsen has a point. A very good point, as a matter of fact. Why isn’t there a place in the Grand Coulee Dam area for a kid to legally use a skateboard? Just to refresh your memory, Halvorsen is the young man who wrote a letter to The Star last week regarding the use of skateboards in Grand Coulee and Coulee Dam. He said he was told by three business owners, the USBR, local churches and a cop on the beat that he and his friends cannot skate in front of the businesses, on federal property, city streets or the hallowed pavement in front of churches.

Twenty Years Ago

Adam Bradley, son of Dave and Sandy Bradley of Coulee Dam, recently completed the necessary community-service work to earn the title of Eagle Scout. Bradley worked on a landscaping project at the Coulee Dam City Hall.

Winners of the Over the Dam 10K run were Shelley James of Anchorage and Adam Leahy of Kennewick.

Friday night’s storm washed a huge crevice in the bank along highway 155 just above Coulee Playland exposing utility lines.

Jason Miller, a senior at Lake Roosevelt High School, earned a top 10 award at a cross country camp this summer.

Thirty Years Ago

Even though the weather during the middle of the summer was atrocious, at times the tour count has shown a dramatic increase. At the Visitor Arrival Center, an increase was shown from 102,118 in July of 1982 to a total of 215,756 this year.

Three runners that have been participating in every Over the Dam Run since the beginning include Mike Muller, Orville Sharbach and Hilary Brown.

According to a federal court order issued in Spokane last week all those still occupying spaces at Earl’s Trailer Park in Coulee Dam are summoned to appear and show cause for their continued occupancy there.

Doris Cobb of Coulee Dam caught a 9-pound walleye pike last Wednesday evening downriver. She said she had been fishing only 10 minutes when she felt the fish bite.

Forty Years Ago

Five prospective bidders took part in seeking the job for the construction of a new Grant County Public Utility District Office building.

A tribal lawman was shot to death and his suspected assailant critically wounded in a gun battle Monday morning at a remote farm house on Owhi Flats near Nespelem. Slain was Roy Bradshaw of Omak. Suspect Larry Lemery of Inchelium was listed in satisfactory condition in Mid-Valley Hospital in Omak today where he underwent surgery for gunshot wounds in the chest.

Mayor L. F. Carlson and the Grand Coulee City Council accepted the resignation of Police Chief Gaylen Dice. Dice has accepted the post of chief criminal deputy for the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office.

Belinda Morger, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Bill Morger of Elmer City returned home last Monday from a month’s visit in Japan.

Fifty Years Ago

Federal and local officials will gather at Elmer City Sunday for dedication of a public boat launching and recreation area on the Columbia River two miles below Grand Coulee Dam.

Bonnie Stallman, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Eric Stallman, will be presented in her senior piano recital Thursday, Sept. 5 in the Masonic Temple in Coulee Dam.

Sixty Years Ago

Due to the unsettled weather conditions the water carnival and water ballet, scheduled for Saturday was called off.

The fourth Lions Club carnival has closed with another success credited to the club.

A good start has been made on the building of approximately two miles of new road leading to Spring Canyon.

L-5 one of the generators in the left powerhouse, which was out of service for 12 days, went back on the line Sunday.