News, views and advertising of the Grand Coulee Dam Area
News, views and advertising of the Grand Coulee Dam Area
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We are all frontline workers, a local doctor says, and we need to be creative in our lives. Dr. Sam Hsieh, a general surgeon and chief of staff at Coulee Medical Center, has given out over 100 caps with a special Chinese character on the front within an imperfect frame and the word "#Frontline" on the back. Hsieh's goal is to give the caps, made by Sunflower Graphics in Grand Coulee, out to all the health care workers at CMC. The symbol, according to a letter Hsieh gives out with the caps,...
Nespelem School is at more of a disadvantage when it comes to distance learning, Superintendent Mary Hall told The Star, explaining that being in such a rural area limits access to the internet, as well as cell phone service. Hall said teachers do put together learning packets that are handed out when the school delivers lunches to students, and that teachers call the families or have the students call them to check in on their learning. Helpful websites are recommended to those with internet access, but many don’t have it, Hall said. “It’s jus...
What would a high school graduation ceremony look like under social distancing guidelines in place during the novel coronavirus pandemic? At Lake Roosevelt Junior/Senior High School, Dean of Students Sara Kennedy said that she and Principal Kirk Marshlain have been going through the results of a survey of parents and seniors. The results so far show that most do not want any kind of virtual graduation, but something with some more personal interaction. Kennedy said there is about a 50/50 split between preferring a drive-through graduation, or...
You should be able to enjoy Steamboat Rock State Park and other local recreation areas soon, as well as golfing and fishing, but don’t plan on a cross-state camping trip yet. Gov. Jay Inslee announced Monday that restrictions on fishing, golfing, and access to public lands such as state parks would partially lift on May 5, but the state is still not opening campgrounds and social distancing guidelines are still in force. The Banks Lake Golf Course is set to reopen May 5 but with restrictions in place to follow that social distancing. What those...
Do you have some thoughts on how to improve Spring Canyon? Would removing the swim dock be a good or bad idea, in your opinion? During the month of May, people can comment on Lake Roosevelt National Recreation Area sites, including Spring Canyon, a part of the National Park Service, which sees a need to address changing visitor interests. “Your input is important and will help shape potential management strategies and improvements at these sites at Lake Roosevelt,” the NPS said in an April 27 press release. “No decisions have been made yet....
The Colville Tribes and the Colville Tribal Federal Corporation have temporarily laid off nearly 600 employees as a result of the coronavirus pandemic, a letter from the Colville Business Council to their tribal membership explained Tuesday. The letter, shared on The Tribal Tribune’s website and Facebook page late Tuesday afternoon, explains the reasoning behind the decision. “Due to unprecedented challenges our tribe is facing due to the coronavirus / COVID-19 pandemic, we regrettably made the decision to place 178 employees on temporary lay...
“Distance learning” is getting its moment in the sun, starting this week, for Lake Roosevelt students and teachers. With students and staff “social distancing” during the coronavirus pandemic, educators, told by the state they still have to teach, have had to figure out how to teach without actually being in the same room as their students. “Sometimes good comes out of a difficult situation,” Grand Coulee Dam School District Superintendent Paul Turner wrote in his April 16 email update to parents and the community. “Although social distance is...
The coronavirus pandemic comes along with various types of stress for various types of people, including anxiety about health, the economy, and the future of the world. Throw the depression, boredom, or restlessness due to social distancing on top of it all, and it's easy to see why mental health is important during these times. We contacted Dr. Marilyn Holman, a psychiatrist at Coulee Medical Center about how such times can affect mental health. "This is a difficult time for everyone," Holman...
During the coronavirus pandemic, the Care & Share Food Bank has been open on the second and fourth Fridays of the month at its usual location at the Nazarene Church along SR-174, where food is brought out to patron’s cars. The food bank operates from 2-4 p.m. on those days. Manager Carol Nordine said that on Easter weekend 103 people came to get food; two weeks prior, 93 used the service. “For only being open every other week, it averages out,” she said. “We’ve had a few new people but not a whole bunch.” New clients should bring a driver licen...
Hotels, motels, and campgrounds in Okanogan County have been ordered to operate under restrictions following the Stay Home, Stay Healthy order from the state, until at least May 4, in response to the coronavirus pandemic. An April 14 resolution by the county commissioners and the county public health officer said that the closure applies to hotels, motels, bed-and-breakfasts, timeshares, campgrounds, RV parks and other short-term rentals. Commissioners passed a new resolution April 21 to amend that language to say those businesses were...
Local boards and councils have been holding telephonic and internet-based meetings, on orders from the governor, so that business can still get done while social distancing during the coronavirus pandemic. But there’s a limit on what’s allowed in such meetings. A Grand Coulee Dam School District board meeting was held on March 23 using Zoom, video conferencing software that allows people to attend a meeting electronically. A Coulee Area Park & Recreation District meeting is also scheduled over Zoom for today. The April 13 Regional Board of May...
Some people have found themselves with extra time to work on projects due to the social distancing mandated during the coronavirus pandemic. Responding to a post on The Star's Facebook page, people shared pictures of projects they've been working on. The variety of projects included paintings of construction machinery for a young boy's bedroom, Easter baskets, a raised garden bed made out of a bedframe, changing an engine out of a 1970 Chevelle, a "cold frame" flower/garden bed, a fort built by...
The bathrooms at North Dam Park are closed, but the park itself is open. Commissioners for the Coulee Area Parks and Recreation District voted to close the bathrooms at North Dam Park during an April 8 meeting held via Zoom, the video conferencing app frequently being used during the social distancing of the coronavirus pandemic. The park itself is still open. Other projects the group is interested in pursuing, such as bringing swimming lessons to Spring Canyon, as well as installing an electric vehicle charging station at North Dam Park, are...
Grocery stores have been one place people must go even with the social-distancing requirements of the coronavirus epidemic. Precautions have been taken to protect customers and store workers, and more are being taken in the busiest local store. Additional safety changes coming to Safeway stores include limits on the number of customers who can shop at a given time, and one-way aisles, the company says. “Throughout this week, Safeway and Albertsons will be further enhancing safety measures in all their stores in Washington State,” an April 6 c...
Grant County Health District has detailed how to use homemade masks effectively to avoid exposure to coronavirus. An April 4 press release explains how the masks can be effective in protecting yourself from exposure to coronavirus infected droplets, as well as how to remove them and clean them. “All of us involved in the COVID-19 response know that protecting our health workers and first responders is vital for each and every one of us,” the health states. “That is why our limited supplies of commercial Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) have...
The coronavirus has affected work life and home life in the Coulee in multiple ways, an online Star survey reveals, with lots of stress for some but some silver linings for others. Asked if they are working from home because of social restrictions, 17 out of 37 of those who responded said they are, with some loving the home office and others not. Slow internet speed is listed as an issue, as well as boredom, but several respondents said the experience was positive. Responses included: • Not as productive working from home. • Difficult to foc...
Local state parks areas such as Steamboat Rock, Osborne Bay, and Northrup Canyon are closed, while Spring Canyon remains open but without services. Steamboat Rock, Northrup Point boat launch, and Northrup Canyon are all closed to the public until at least April 30. Steamboat Rock State Park Park Ranger Jared Liening told The Star on Tuesday that the spots are closed to discourage the spread of the coronavirus. Liening said people have still been using Northrup Canyon despite a sign on the kiosk...
In response to the coronavirus epidemic, locals have been making washable, reusable fabric respiratory masks for the local hospital, as well as for individuals and other organizations. A Facebook group has even sprung up called the Mask Avengers, with posts related to mask making. Linda Roberts is one of those making masks, having made 71 as of Monday, and with orders for more. Roberts said those 71 masks took about a week to make, with multiple masks given to UPS drivers (Linda's husband Merle...
Charlie Long has been a member of the American Legion for 60 years! Greg Behrens, vice commander at Post 157 in Electric City, presented the Coulee Dam man with a 60-year certificate March 25. Behrens said he had wanted to do a formal presentation but wasn't able to because of the coronavirus social restrictions. "It was kind of surprising," Long told The Star over the phone on Monday. "I didn't realize it had been that long." Behrens provided a description of Long's tenure in the army:...
In a convoluted process, a raise in dumping rates at the Delano Transfer Station, approved in October by the Regional Board of Mayors, was approved again in March, but still must be approved by the four area towns before it might be implemented, with Grand Coulee so far not wanting to raise the rates. The Star reported in October 2019 that the RBOM had approved a half-cent-per-pound raise in dumping fees at the transfer station, which was said by then-city administrator of Electric City Russ Powers to be on track to lose approximately $29,000...
With Coulee Medical Center officially in emergency mode, a representative updated the Grand Coulee City Council last week on what that currently means. Tyler Donn spoke on behalf of CMC March 17 in regard to the COVID-19, coronavirus epidemic. Donn explained that with a national emergency declared on March 13, it forced the hospital to put their emergency preparedness plan into action. The first goal is to protect all patients and others at the hospital, Donn said, and that entails sending home non-essential staff, ensuring staff have...
Electric City Mayor Diane Kohout declared a state of emergency due to the coronavirus pandemic, and utility late fees and shutoffs have been suspended for the duration of the situation. A special council meeting was held on March 19 in the Electric City Fire Station in order to observe social distancing as a precaution due to the coronavirus. Kohout told the council that she was declaring a state of emergency due to the coronavirus outbreak creating “extreme risk of person to person transmission for people working in city” and because it “af...
The cost of making changes to controversial street work being done in Electric City could be high. The city council and mayor in a special meeting last week spoke to representatives from the Gray & Osborne engineering firm over the phone. Those representatives included Mike Meskiman and Don Tulloch. The special council meeting March 19 was held at the Electric City Fire Station to allow for social distancing to guard against the coronavirus. Returning the intersection of Western and Grand Avenue to its former state — a straight shot of W...
Lake Roosevelt Schools intends to continue to pay their staff throughout the duration of the coronavirus epidemic, which has shut down the school at least through April 24. A March 23 Grand Coulee Dam School District board meeting was held remotely via the Zoom telecommunication application. Board members, the superintendent, and more communicated from separate locations due to the social distancing instructions put in place to help thwart the spread of coronavirus. Superintendent Paul Turner said about the school’s budget that “there is a bit...
With schools shut down due to the coronavirus epidemic, the spring sports season is in serious question, but a month of play is possible. Spring sports include: baseball, softball, golf, tennis, and track and field. The topic of athletics was briefly discussed during a March 23 Grand Coulee Dam School District board meeting held remotely via the Zoom telecommunication application. Board members, the superintendent, and more used the app to conduct the meeting from separate locations due to the social distancing instructions put in place to...