Coulee Recollections

10 years ago

The Douglas County PUD commission is expecting to take final action on three resolutions at its Nov. 1 meeting in East Wenatchee, authorizing a multi-million dollar settlement with the Colville Tribes and implementing a power sales contract and a power sales service agreement with them that will bring to an end a legal battle over what the Tribes lost with the building of Wells Dam.

The Grand Coulee city council voting at its Oct. 19 meeting, approved a 10-12 percent increase in each section of the city’s ambulance service ordinance, that also including a wage increase for EMTs. Fire Chief Rick Paris said at the meeting that Grand Coulee is charging less that the Medicare minimums and the ambulance service is breaking even or even making money.

20 years ago

Fire leveled Seaton’s Grove Greenhouse Friday night, Oct. 21, possibly starting by a faulty heating unit in the main building where flame spread rapidly along the fiberglass roof, engulfing the storefront, connecting buildings and the home of owner John Francis, who narrowly escaped injury. With no fire hydrants at or near the blazer site, 10 pumper trucks filled at a hydrant in Elmer City and from a neighbor, Lance Tinker, who with other neighbors, were using their garden hoses to wet down their own property and nearby weed-filled vacant lots. Francis, with 20 years in the floral business, is planning to rebuild and reopen.

Comments were heard from 25 attendees for a half hour at the Oct. 25 Electric City town meeting about contracting police protection, followed by a 4-0 vote (with councilman Jerry St. Martin out sick), approving a $46,325 contract with Grand Coulee for 24-hours-a-day police protection,including answering police calls, traffic control with radar, nighttime business building checks, prowl car patrols, criminal investigations, and civic functions, an increase of $1,085 from 1994. Turned down was a contract proposed by Coulee Dam, offering the same courage with $2,159 savings and animal control thrown in. EC Mayor Ray Halsey said that in the proposal from Coulee Dam, Electric City would be required to use it’s own truck to haul any captured animals down to the pen located behind the CD town hall.

30 years ago

Banks Lake Golf and Country Club president Phil Haegen gave an overview of the area’s new golf course at the Wildlife Restaurant, Wednesday, Oct. 17, explaining that the tees, greens and fairways have all been seeded and thanking the many volunteers, those who signed under writings and pledged memberships for the project.. He discussed the seeding of rough areas which was underway and that during the winter, planning would start on a clubhouse, pro shop, storage/repair buildings and the pumping/electrical system. Memberships are set at: family, $350; individual, $275; junior (weekdays), $95; and social (clubhouse only), $50.

The Crescent Bay Development Project was the topic of the GCD Lions Club meeting held at the Sage Inn on Monday, Oct. 15. with local National Park Service Supt. Gary Kuiper as the featured speaker. He said the NPS had awarded a lease contract for a $10 million development at Crescent Bay to Dixion-Carter and Associates of Granby, CO. He indicated that the NPS would be the landlord for the project which includes a convention center with a 300-person capacity.