Coulee Recollections

A look at the past....

 

Last updated 12/10/2014 at 10:10am

Seventy-Five Years Ago A battery of cranes placing concrete in the spillway section of the dam. – November 14, 1939

10 years ago

The preliminary 2005 budget has been released for the town of Coulee Dam with expenditures at $1.26 million with over $777,000 for police operations including revenue of $540,000 in USBR security contracts. Removed from the budget were roof repairs on the town hall and community building, two new patrol cars and paving for parking lots. Also removed from the budget were plans to match a grant from the Okanogan County Economic Alliance for improvements to Mason City Park. As the budget is written now, the $90,000 grant will be returned and the plans will be stalled. The tourism advertising budget is at $12,725 for 2005, down from $41,000 in 2003. A final budget hearing is planned for the town council meeting tonight, Dec. 8.

Three years after 9-11 brought droves of security forces to protect Grand Coulee Dam with no time to train them first, explained Craig Sprankle, USBR Public Affairs Officer. At first, temporary guards were hired and others borrowed from government agencies such as Washington State Patrol troopers but now the USBR is dropping the temporary guards and replacing them with permanent, trained personnel, required to complete a six-week security officer at the national training center in New Mexico, then a three-week security tactics course, and finally on-site training as armed security guards. Sprankle said the security guard force are not police so there is a need for police services. In 2003, the USBR had contracts with both Grand Coulee and Coulee Dam. Monthly costs for state troopers in 2003, as reported by The Star, ranged from $52,000 to $152,000 at time and a half pay, mileage and administrative fees.

The sky was bright above a building under construction in the USBR industrial area for a short time after the wind blew some plastic covering newly poured concrete down, landing on wood forms and a propane heater left on to help cure the concrete. A security guard spotted the fire and fire fighters from the Bureau and the Grand Coulee and Coulee Dam fire departments responded, shutting the flames that were shooting into the night sky down quickly. The fire created a chimney effect in a space between the new building and another about 5 feet away. Damage was kept to a minimum, thanks to fast acting fire crews.

20 years ago

Benny Bennett will celebrate his 80th birthday with family and friends at the Moose Lodge in Grand Coulee this coming Saturday. No gifts please.

Virginia Berthron, director of the Grand Coulee Dam Area Seniors, was recently awarded a special certificate by the Columbia River Area Agency on Aging for successfully pioneering volunteer privately-owned vehicle transportation in the Grand Coulee Dam area.

Coulee Community Hospital surgeon Gene Gross and his wife Maureen arrive in New Guinea this week to begin a three-week assignment to a medical mission there. They will return before the end of the year. Gross will assume surgery duties at Kudjip Nazarene Hospital near Mt. Hagen, New Guinea, located about 200 miles from Port Moresby. This is Dr. and Mrs. Gross third foreign assignment, having served in Haiti and Kenya on similar medical missions.

Ray and Alta Wheeler of Grand Coulee celebrated their 65th wedding anniversary on Sunday, Nov. 20, 1994 at a potluck dinner at the Alkaziah Rebekal Lodge. They were married on Nov. 20, 1929, in Springfield, Colo. The couple have four sons, 14 grandchildren and ten-great grandchildren.

30 years ago

Airman Joseph W. Lauseng, son of Mr. and Mrs. Arley Lauseng of Grand Coulee has graduated from the U.S. Air Force turboprop aircraft maintenance course at Sheppard AF Base, Texas. He earned credits toward an associate degree from the Air Force Community College. Lauseng is scheduled to serve with the 340th Consolidated Aircraft Maintenance Squadron at Altus Air Force Base, Okla. He is a 1984 LRHS graduate.

Lake Roosevelt High School's honor roll for the first quarter included: GPA 4.0, seniors Cassandra Banick, Dean Pachosa, Debbie Peterson, Gary Rice, Kelly Snow; juniors Kim Almond, Scott Foster, Theresa Meyer, Damon Stoddard; sophomores Carolyn Bock, Tamara DePew, Kathy Marcolin, Troy Reit. At the Grand Coulee Dam Junior High School, four pointers were: 9th grade Lee Antiono, Debra Bailey, Todd Young; 8th grade Shani Ayling, Lori King, Kim Lyngholm; 7th grade Holly Cambell, Greg Ethredge, Colene Hefseth, Maria May, Keith Peason, Deanna Peterson, Dina Taylor, Lori White.

 

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