Coulee Recollections

Ten Years Ago

The man who threatened to blow up Grand Coulee Dam was released last week from Spokane County Jail. Richard Vialpando was released after five months in jail.

Laura Dick, of Nespelem,  won a statewide contest on anti-drugs at the Washington State Substance Abuse Prevention Summit in Yakima. Laura’s motto was “Show the world that we can be drug free.”

A team of four freshman isfinding out that academics can be cool. James Harrington, Sam Rise, Wade Roberts and Steve Henke qualified for the state math finals this week. Supervising the team is teacher Ralph Rise.

Twenty Years Ago

What are you thankful for? That was the question students at Wright Elementary were asked this week and here are some of their answers: Aaron Schoning, 3rd grade, “Muffins”, Jennalee Eaton, 3rd grade, “Barbies”, Abby Winzer , 2nd Grade, “My family, they take care of me”, Wesley Davidson, 2nd Grade, “My Family”, Casey Adian, 2nd grade, “ Candy” and Kaylyne Grunlose, kindergarten, “Christmas”.

Jason Jackson achieved his goal of earning “Rookie of the Year” honors on the Columbia River Pro Rodeo Circuit. The Nespelem cowboy earned second in the All-Around cowboy standings, second in bareback, and sixth in bull riding on the 41 rodeos circuit.  

Leon Johnson, head of transportation of Grand Coulee School District, recommended placing cameras in the school district buses and at bus stops to help with behavioral problems that have recently become a serious problem for many students and their parents. The district asked Johnson to set up a trial run on the cameras and see what happens. 

Thirty Years Ago

Lake Roosevelt High School fall sports awards were presented; Volleyball, presented by Mr. Curtis were: Most Valuable - Brenda Boyd (Jr.), Most Improved Varsity - Annabelle Speck (Jr), Most Improved JV - Grace Samuels (Fr), Most Inspirational - Nancy Kuiper (So). In Football Mr. Adkins presented awards to: Most Valuable - Rob Bower (Jr), Most Improved - Shannon Sanderson (Sr), Most Inspirational - Scott Foster (So); Biggest Animal - Jon Oliver (Sr); Rookie of the Year - Chuck Salois (Fr); Coach Gary Darnold presented Cross Country awards to: Most Improved - Kevin Sheehy (Fr), Captains’ Awards - Julie Castrodale (Sr), Mike Deasutel (Sr) and Ken Gonzalas (Sr).

Traffic was held up for 30 minutes Tuesday when a tractor trailer hauling a excavator, hit the side of the bridge in Coulee Dam. No damage was reported to the bridge, trailer or excavator. 

Forty Years Ago  

Local Cub Scouts held their annual turkey shoot with week. 1st place went to Jimmy Minor, 2nd place Wade Jane; there was a three-way tie for third with Denny McFarlin, Joe Shambaugh and Mark Babler. 

Robert E. Jacobs of Grand Coulee, brought home a trophy elk from Easton Washington this week. The elk was a 6x6, 400 pounder. Its horns measured 32’’ from base to tip.

Fifty Years Ago

The Grand Coulee Tigers announced the Varsity Basketball team this week. The announcement was made by coach Jim Crieghton. Players that made the team: Bob Grosso, Kerry Perkins, Wally Adams, Milton Snyder, Jim Flowers, Jim Crawford, Bob Nolan, Larry Thomas, Terry Weitzel, Rick McClain, Fred Manzer, Dick Behrens and Landy Harrell.

Sixty Years Ago

Much of the work on the Spring Canyon Project, which is being developed by the National Park Service on a tract of land donated by Mr. and Mrs. Ray Johnson of Almira, will be ready for completion by early spring. The roads are in and the grounds have been graded. Plans for a bath house are now being drawn up in San Francisco, the water system and power are currently  installed, several fire places/pits are here and ready to be installed, several thousand yards of topsoil and sand have been hauled in, and trees will be planted in early spring along with the grass. The picnic area will be ready to go by tourist season.