Coulee Recollections

10 years ago

The Bureau of Reclamation’s law enforcement contract with the city of Grand Coulee increased by nearly $100,000 for union modifications on time-and-material rates, boosting the government contracts to a total of $1.5 million dollars.

The GCD Chamber of Commerce held its 2005 installation and awards luncheon at Pepper Jack’s with 40 people at the first daytime version of the annual event. Dennis King, of The Frame King in Coulee Dam, is the Achiever of the Year and newly named to the board of directors. Sunbanks Resort is the area’s Business of the Year with resort on-site manager/owner George Hitzler accepting the award for himself and partner Pat Welton.

Okanogan County Fire District 2 Chief John Aumick said an afternoon fire, caused by an electric plug-in underneath a diesel truck, burned up everything stored in a shop/garage at the home of Frank and Charlotte Broers of Lone Pine, including the truck and a travel trailer. Mrs. Broers spotted the fire under the truck and got her car out of the garage but nothing else was saved. Fire crews from the USBR, GC, CD and Elmer City responded.

20 years ago

A basketball team of mostly middle-aged law enforcement officers and one school principal, called the Deputy DARE Dogs, included coach Larry Hall, Coulee Dam Police and his team of 10; Jim Saunders-Rich Jaeger, Wash. State Patrol, Jerry Stanford, Grand Coulee Police, Pat Collins, Coulee Dam Police, John Adkins, Wright Elementary School principal, Steve Clark, Mark Arsenault, NPS, Kelly Hembach, Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office, and Kelly Watkins-Chip Hunt, Odessa City Police will challenge the Harlem Crowns, a professional traveling team, in a DARE fund-raising event on Sunday. The two teams will play a regulation four-quarter game in the LRHS gym, where the Crowns will put on a show of laugh-a-minute routines. Admission is $5 at the door.

Block Party volleyball champs Desautel Connection, with co-ed members Billy-Carla Desautel, Carl Barry, Cheryl Barnaby, Lisa-Jeff Loe, stomped the Beach Bums, Amy-Wade Alling, Billy Joe Bandy, Shane Moore, Shad Logue,and Trilby Hirst, twice; the semi and final, after opening wins against the Rez Rats and Burkes Electric/Stucks Tavern teams.

Winners in the Slammin’ at the Dam ’95 three-on-three mens/boys basketball tournament, held at LRHS included: Men’s first place, Kenny Kuiper, Johnny Reyes, Chan Gross and Cec Wilson; second, Vince Peasley, Jason Olson, Norm Senator and Brian Goggles; High School Boys first, Scott Zlateff, Roy Ordway, Brian-Steve Darnold; second, Jesse Goodwin, Charles Nanamkin, Robert Bleason and Bo Tonasket. The inaugural tourney also featured games for grade and middle school players.

30 years ago

Pvt. Steven M. English, son of Frank and Ileta English of Coulee Dam has completed the basic field artillery cannoneer course under the one station unit training (OSUT) at Fort Sill, Okla. English is a 1976 graduate of LRHS.

40 years ago

Twelve Grand Coulee volunteer firemen spent last Thursday evening locating and inspecting doors, entrances, basements and electrical panels in the town’s business district, for a leg up on fire detection. Posed for a photo after the inspection in The Star’s office on Main Street were firemen: Russ Hoke, Rod Ludwig, Del Gobin, Terry Seiker, Archie Price, Andy Seresun, Jerry Anderson, Walt Alying, Bill Winegarden, Joe Thomas, George Kobout and Alan Webley.

Chief Frank Parker, of Grand Coulee Police Services, asks homerowners, in a bulletin to the public, to display house numbers where they can be seen by emergency responders, stating many homes are without numbers or numbers that are not easily seen from the streets. He refers to a case on Thanksgiving Day when the fire ambulance responded to a resident’s call for help, picked up the injured and delivered the person to the local hospital in seven minutes. “This, I feel, is excellent,” he says. Fire Chief Evan Jensen concurs, stating, “your cooperation means your safety.”