To the residents of the Grand Coulee Dam Area: Time for a little soul searching

I have lived here for 65 years and I have never seen such quarrelsomeness among the entire community. In the past we have had our shares of disagreements between the towns and between the people of the towns. But now we seem to have reached a state where it seems like we can make no progress going forward, only backward.

For example, Coulee Dam cannot go forward with their waste-water treatment plan until Elmer City decides whether or not it will join in a communal plan.

Electric City is faced with a lack of police protection until it can decide whether to accept Grand Coulee’s new offer or go with Coulee Dam’s bid. If it chooses Coulee Dam, then the officers will have the problem of crossing boundaries to answer calls. The roster of firefighters and EMTs for Coulee Dam has dwindled until we no longer have a viable fire service or ambulance service. It is true that our neighboring towns have offered to take up the slack, but valuable time is being lost while another town is found that can answer the needs of Coulee Dam.

We have quarreled among ourselves, but managed to come together and build a new beautiful new school system. We came together when we realized our new hospital needed public community support to get it back to proper management.

It is Christmas time, a time when perhaps we all need to do a little soul searching. Are we treating our neighbors as we would wish to be treated? Are we willing to share a little of what we have to make life safer for those around us? Are we willing to listen to our neighbors with respect and consider our answer before we speak? Are we willing to reconsider some of our pet ideas and grant that our neighbor may have some right on their side? Are we willing to turn off the TV and go to a meeting that may be very boring or very uncomfortable?

If we are not willing to do these things, then we only have ourselves to blame if the community continues to deteriorate.

So, PLEASE, think over where our duties to or community lie and where our personal responsibility for a great life in the Coulee begins.

Carol Netzel

Coulee Dam