The Star - News, views and advertising of the Grand Coulee Dam Area

Ten Years Ago

A statewide foundation bestowed honors on a man with extensive local history last week. At the Washington Health Foundation’s Heroes, a Health Care Awards Banquet in Seattle May 23, the group awarded Mel Tonasket its third annual Leadership Award.

Lake Roosevelt High School filled with friends and family of the latest class of seniors to honor them for their achievements in school and the community last Saturday at graduation. Salutatorian Sarah Davidson said the class had worked toward taking what poet Robert Frost called in his poem “‘The road less traveled,’ And succeeded in some cases.”

Navy Fireman Jason L. McPherson, son of Lynda L. and Kenneth R. Dexter of Electric City, recently began the Cooperation Afloat Readiness and Training Exercise in Brunei while assigned to the guided missile cruiser USS Vincennes, homeported in Yokosuka, Japan.

Twenty Years Ago

This Friday Alisa Zustra of Yugoslavia will flip the tassel of her graduation cap along with the rest of the Lake Roosevelt High School Class of 1992. When she leaves the school’s gym that night, however she will step into an uncertain future complicated by accelerating global events. When Zustra came to the United States late last summer, she expected to return home to Yugoslavia after completing an exciting year abroad as a foreign exchange student. Now, all that has changed. The Yugoslavia that Zustra knew no longer exists. In the10 months she has been gone, republic after republic in her homeland has declared independence, changing forever the complexion of the one-time eight-republic communist country. On the heels of the cry for freedom has come war.

Competing against 226 other top-notch spellers from around the country, 13-year-old Melanie Avey of Electric City last week exceeded her own personal goal and bested about 200 other spellers in the Scripps-Howard National Spelling Bee.

Thirty Years Ago

On Sunday, May 23, Grand Coulee Dam Area Girl Scouts held a court of awards ceremony. Inland Empire Girl Scout Council President Donna Greenough of Spokane awarded Virginia Berthron the “Thanks Badge”. The “Thanks Badge” is the highest service award given by Girl Scouts.

Center Elementary students Dawn Bjorkland and Casey Thomas are regional winners of the Keep Washington Green poster contest. Dawn received second and Casey third. Their posters will be forwarded on for statewide judging.

Forty Years Ago

Mr. and Mrs. Edwin Borovee of Elmer City have received word that their son Ronald is back in the good old USA after his overseas duty. He will be going to New Jersey after a planned visit home.

Tait David Everett, son of Mr. and Mrs. David Everett, was baptized May 28, 1972, at the Coulee Dam Community Church. He was born Oct. 13, 1971. Maternal grandparents are Mr. and Mrs. Don McClure, Nespelem, and paternal grandparents are Dr. and Mrs. J.G. Everett, Coulee Dam. Tait’s grandmother is Mrs. Meryle McClure, Nespelem.

Fifty Years Ago

Kenneth R. Hanson, Petty Officer on the USS Tussing (DD764) has completed a tour of the Far East, where he spent some time in Australia, Philippine Islands, Hawaiian Islands, China, Hong Kong and Japan. He is the son of Mr. and Mrs. Earl Hanson of Electric City, is a graduate of Grand Coulee High School and attended one year at Washington Valley College.

David Link, son of Mr. and Mrs. Alfred Link of Elmer City, left Sunday for San Diego, Calif., where he will start his boot training for the Navy.

Sixty Years Ago

Fred Reynolds of Buffalo Lake reports that fishing has been good at the lake this past week. Limits of silvers, rainbows and good size perch are being caught.

Another new building going up in Grand Coulee Dam Area is the 12 unit Sky Deck Motel near Electric City. This will be an addition to the original Sky Deck Motel which consisted of 15 units with six being equipped with electric kitchen. The new building also faces the equaling reservoir, with the back on the main highway leading south of Grand Coulee. A.V. Kusel, owner and builder, says he expects to have six units ready for the opening on June 1.