Coulee Recollections

10 years ago

Front page photo shows a crane lowering the cap into place on the elementary school portion of the new K through 12 school building project on Monday.

Brazen thieves made off with Banks Lake Pub’s 500-gallon propane tank sometime during the night on August 19. Staff arrived in the morning and when they tried to get the kitchen ready for business, no propane.

Electric City has received its $985,715 landfill closure check from Grand Coulee. The fund check covers the 30-year cost for the closure of the Delano Landfill. Electric City took over the closure operation and the management on January 1, 2012 and has been waiting for the closure fund money since.

20 years ago

A woodpecker stuck its beak where it didn’t belong yesterday and set off a fire that brought several fire departments out to put down the blaze.

A canoe more than a century old became the latest addition to the Colville Tribal Museum Sunday as it made its trip from Winthrop to Coulee Dam.

30 years ago

For the month of July, it has been an unseasonably wet summer. The area’s 30-year average for the month is only .57 inches. This year the total amount has been 2.95 inches.

40 years ago

The Grand Coulee Volunteer Fire Department received delivery of a new ambulance. This marks the beginning of a new period in the emergency services offered by the Grand Coulee volunteers.

Taking the checkered flag for a second place in the street stock main on Republics Eagle Trac Raceway was Ted Dittmer of Grand Coulee driving Bud Sharr’s yellow Torino.

50 years ago

Construction work on the third powerhouse here was virtually shut down by the contractors because 160 iron workers walked off the job due to failure of their union to reach a contract agreement covering the northwest.

60 years ago

Selected as rodeo royalty for the Grand Coulee Dam championship rodeo included Janelle Thurston and Tony McGuinness.

Local students graduating from Eastern Washington State College include John Jordan a master’s in education and Elizabeth Glick a Bachelor of Arts degree in education.

70 years ago

Increased hours and pay for uniformed personnel of the State Patrol was announced. The increase will raise the base pay for patrolman from $315 to $365 a month.

Five new names were added to complete the teaching staff at the Coulee Dam school system. Newcomers will be Royce Nesbitt 5th grade, Esther Burns 4th and 5th grades, Fran Pierce 7th grade, and Gary Hendrick and Gilbert Jordan high school English, band, and chorus.