Kiosk officially dedicated

It was constructed nearly three years ago, but people behind putting up an informative kiosk at North Dam Park, delayed by circumstances, decided to hold a ceremony to officially open it last Saturday.

The kiosk tells historical information about the area, and gives overviews of some of its features.

Washington State Parks' Coulee Corridor Area Manager Dennis Felton and board member Birdie Hensley were joined by longtime corridor president Tim Alling, who cut the ribbon on the basalt column-supported signage feature at the south end of the park just after 1 p.m.

The Coulee Corridor Consortium originally applied for a National Scenic Byways Grant with the Washington State Park and Recreation Commission in 2005.

The grant included the kiosk, "trail blazer" signs, an interpretive plan for future CCC projects, story panels, plus a vault toilet and interpretive signs at the Lake Lenore Caves, Felton said.

Felton said the effort relied on work from volunteers, companies and agencies over the years since it started, including the Grand Coulee Dam Area Chamber of Commerce, the Bureau of Reclamation, Coulee City, Soap Lake, Warden, Othello, the state Department of Transportation's Paul Mahre and Greg Boatright, mayors and city clerks, Gray and Osborn Engineer Larry Julius, Conservation by Design graphic designer Melanie Pierson, Ridge to River Construction's Dave Molitor, and many CCC board directors and members.

The total project was awarded $165,000, Felton said, with local match required at 20%, some of which came in cash and some in volunteer time.