News, views and advertising of the Grand Coulee Dam Area
News, views and advertising of the Grand Coulee Dam Area
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The state Department of Ecology disapproves of a replacement sewer plant plan that resulted from the contested 2013 election of the mayor of Coulee Dam. In a July 1 letter to the town this month, Ecology had critical remarks about Coulee Dam’s current wastewater treatment project, developed after the new mayor insisted all the options had not been analyzed. The letter was made available to town council members, by people outside of town government, in time for their meeting last Wednesday night. The letter stated: “Ecology recognizes the need f... Full story
Newly elected Colville Business Council members were sworn into office Wednesday during the annual ceremony at the Colville Tribes’ center of government near Nespelem, the CBC announced. Council Members Sheilah Cleveland, Larry Allen, Georgia Simpson and William Womer were officially sworn in. Reelected council members are: Michael Marchand, Edwin Marchand and Joseph Somday, who will be working along with seated members: Ricky Gabriel, Jack Ferguson, Susie Allen, Bessie Simpson, Mel Tonasket, Andy Joseph Jr., and Richard Tonasket. The c... Full story
A Coulee Dam resident asked town officials what they planned to do about some of the town's sidewalks that need repair. Fred Netzel had reviewed the town's Six-Year Street Plan and asked the council if it could designate over $600,000 to repair its streets, why council members couldn't also address the sad status of many of its sidewalks. City Clerk Stefani Bowden told Netzel that the street plan was only a wish list that the town had to create every year, and that there wasn't money available f... Full story
A 10,000-gallon oil storage tank that will be jointly owned by Grand Coulee and Electric City has been delivered, but neither of the two cities know yet what the cost will be. That prompted Electric City last Tuesday night to shelve the issue until someone tells officials what their share of the cost will be. Grand Coulee City Clerk Carol Boyce said she has requested that the company that shipped the tank provide an invoice showing its cost. Friday there was still no price on the tank. That's wh... Full story
Electric City is asking if Grand Coulee would be agreeable to arbitration in an effort to unravel a dispute between the two cities over arsenic treatment charges. At issue is about $39,000. The Electric City Council went into executive session July 12 for 20 minutes to discuss the conflicting charges, and then voted to seek arbitration. Grand Coulee would have to agree to it. Its council voted at its last meeting that they didn’t owe the fee. Councilmember Erin Nielson moved to stick with the agreement and not pay the fee billed by Electric C... Full story
You probably can’t blame the heat; this is the coolest July in recent memory. So maybe some locals are taking their cues about civility, or lack of it, from national movements and leaders. They shouldn’t, but it can be hard to avoid. Reportedly, there was a lot of shouting going on in local public meetings last week. While it’s undoubtedly true that people are frustrated, they are not more so than citizens of the past. Our system of government, never easy, almost ensures some degree of frustration. But when reasoned, heated debate gives way t... Full story
I played football with Geary Oliver, and he was the ultimate teammate. He sacrificed for others; his interest was always in the team and its needs, and he sacrificed his ego for that end. This was 1978, over 30 years ago. We were a good team with a winning record who missed the league championship by one game. Geary has been involved with LRHS football through many of the recent years, thin times often. When he took over the head coaching role, I was very excited to see his team progress and the excitement for football return to LRHS. Despite t... Full story
Over the last 35 years our family has vacationed at the same place on the beach. While the buildings have been refurbished, the complex remains largely unchanged. However, our entertainment has changed a lot. We still swim, jump the waves and build sand castles, but our board games, puzzles and playing cards have been replaced with kids’ electronic tablets, smart phones and movies downloaded from the internet. We still take lots of pictures, but rather than taking them to film processing centers, we use cellphone cameras to instantly text a... Full story
When students return to school this fall they will see six huge abstract paintings hanging in their school. The paintings, by Portland artist Lucinda Parker, feature two birds or fish in an abstract setting, with sayings painted on the frames. It will be a lesson, of sorts, to not only enjoy the painting but to understand and develop the meaning of the paintings. Two paintings are located in each of the two cafeterias, and one in each of the landings of the two stairwells that serve the upper... Full story
The status of Lake Roosevelt High School’s varsity football coaching position was clouded last week when Geary Oliver resigned as head coach under unusual circumstances. Oliver had already been issued his contract for this fall, but was asked to resign because the district had indicated it wanted to go in a “different direction.” The football coaching position was the subject of a closed session of the school board on July 11, and in spite of the fact his contract had already been approved, the board left it up to Athletic Director Richard Blac... Full story
From Grant County Sheriff's Office: SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR NORTHEASTERN GRANT...NORTHWESTERN LINCOLN AND EAST CENTRAL DOUGLAS COUNTIES UNTIL 115 PM PDT. AT 1235 PM PDT...DOPPLER RADAR WAS TRACKING A STRONG THUNDERSTORM 10 MILES WEST OF BANKS LAKE...OR 12 MILES WEST OF ELECTRIC CITY. THIS STRONG STORM WAS MOVING SOUTHEAST AT 10 MPH. DIME SIZE HAIL AND WINDS IN EXCESS OF 40 MPH WILL BE POSSIBLE WITH THIS STORM. LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE: BANKS LAKE...STEAMBOAT ROCK STATE...
Coulee Medical Center will likely meet its new chief executive officer later this month, following a Monday-night decision to offer the job to one of two candidates board directors had been considering. In special session Monday night, the board of commissioners of Public Hospital District 6 authorized current CEO Debbie Bigelow to negotiate a contract with Jonathan Owens, Bigelow said Tuesday. “He’s very excited,” she said after calling him. Bigelow sent him a proposed contract. If he accepts, it will be reviewed the first of two times at th... Full story
Work on Electric City's Pathways and parks revitalization project could begin as early as late 2017, Councilmember Brad Parrish said. Progress on the plan continues as the city prepares to hold its second public meeting on it, Saturday, July 16, at 1 p.m. in the park-like setting behind city hall. Residents attending will get to see phase one of the planning process, with ideas taken from an earlier public meeting in May. The meetings have been shaped by Russell Powers, deputy city clerk, and... Full story
An operation that forms the basis of the Banks Lake fishery could be in jeopardy if someone isn't willing to step into its leadership. Promoters of Wildlife and Environmental Resources (POWER) is looking for a volunteer to manage its Electric City net pen operation. The effort began some 30 years ago when Reg Morgan and Bill Brashears decided to do something to make Banks Lake a superior fishery. Their vision resulted in some 300,000 Rainbow trout a year moving through POWER's fish pens into... Full story
The school board sharpened its collective pencil Monday night in Coulee Dam and OK’d a girls soccer program at Lake Roosevelt High School. The decision came after the board learned that the budget would be tight for this next school year. Athletic Director Richard Black, who was sworn in as a school board member later in the meeting, had recommended that the soccer program be approved. Black had estimated that it would take about $21,500 to start the program this fall. He had already received approval from the North Central Washington 2-B L... Full story
A project to give Electric City's city hall a facelift got started this week. A variety of changes will soon take place on the city's administration building. The following is included in the facelift package: • preparation and painting of the exterior of the building by Ken Doughty, $4,046. Doughty is a paint contractor and lives in Electric City. • new air conditioning units for $13,720.32 by Silver Creek Systems, of Wilbur. • a new sign on city hall, using the city's new logo and other infor... Full story
I have been asked by the school board to write a letter of resignation as head football coach at Lake Roosevelt High School. The only reason I was given was that the district wanted to go in a different direction. While I do not agree with this request, I respect the authority of the board to make decisions that they feel are in the best interest of the district. I have agreed to do so. I do not believe this is in the best interest of the district. I have served the district faithfully from 1994 to 2001 and again from 2007 through June of... Full story
The Grand Coulee Dam School District will pay more than $400,000 a year for services ranging from information technology management to bookkeeping under a contract approved in June. The disctrict board approved a $406,618 service agreement with the North Central ESD (Education Service District) for the 2016-17 school year at its June 27 meeting. The major services contracted for include network services, $106,657; and business management, $73,250. Other major areas under the agreement include Worker’s Compensation Trust, $79,406; and a S... Full story
An environmental group has sued the Bureau of Reclamation to force compliance with the Clean Water Act, which it contends Grand Coulee Dam and other big dams are not meeting. Pollution discharges from the USBR’s operation of the dam “contribute to the pollution crisis on the Columbia River,” the suit brought Thursday by Columbia Riverkeeper says. The group wants Reclamation to switch to using so called eco-friendly oils and greases as lubricants in machinery that contacts water and file for a pollution permit under the Clean Water Act. In 20... Full story
A second Electric City Pathways and Parks meeting has been scheduled for Saturday, July 16, in the park-like grassy area behind city hall, where residents can see how well the city’s Pathways and Parks Revitalization plan is coming along. Ice cream will be provided by MJs Bistro. The futuristic plan has been shaped by a Washington State University team from the school’s Rural Communities Design Initiative, after an earlier public meeting in May. A local committee, appointed by the city council, has reviewed some of the plans from the WSU gro... Full story
Grand Coulee and Electric City continue their disagreement over a $39,000 arsenic treatment dispute. Grand Coulee Mayor Paul Townsend proposed to his council that maybe it would be a good thing to meet Electric City halfway on the disputed $39,000. His suggestion got nowhere at the last council meeting. In fact, it prompted Councilmember Erin Nielson to move to stand firm on the city’s contention that it doesn’t owe Electric City the $39,000. His motion passed unanimously. Accordingly, Townsend sent Electric City the bad news by letter. The... Full story
New interpretations of old regulations forced a last-minute change to plans for a water park, a new feature of the chamber of commerce's Festival of America. The Grand Coulee Dam Area Chamber of Commerce put on the festival and an associated feature for kids planned to be mostly water features, but it was less so than planned. The change followed an 11th-hour phone call from a Grant County Health District official who said the district wouldn't allow the features that had been planned. The... Full story
It wasn't the smoothest sailing for festival planners over this Independence Day weekend. Problems started with short notice from Grant County Health District authorities that a water park for kids couldn't happen the way it was planned. Smaller complications, such as reportedly rude political protesters and a lost child (she was found) were wedged between that announcement and the final blow - a power outage that cancelled the Laser Light Show during the biggest festival of the year. Officials... Full story
Grand Coulee residents may soon face a water rate increase. City Clerk Carol Boyce said last week that she will propose to the council July 19, that the city increase its water rates by $3 a month, beginning in September. The increase would help the city replenish its water reserve account, which was depleted during several water service repairs back in 2014. That year, the city made major water delivery improvements near Jess Ford, city hall and East Heights. “We paid for those improvements out of our reserves,” Boyce stated. Those imp... Full story
Grant County Mosquito Control District 1 has reported a mosquito sample collected west of Moses Lake has tested positive for West Nile virus, making it the first detection of the virus in the county this season. Mosquito District 1 covers the Greater Moses Lake area, including the Moses Lake Sand Dunes and Potholes areas. The positive sample is an indication that WNV is present in this area and potentially other areas of Grant County. During the 2015 season, four humans, seven horses and 107 mosquito samples were found to be infected with WNV,... Full story