News, views and advertising of the Grand Coulee Dam Area
News, views and advertising of the Grand Coulee Dam Area
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Grand Coulee Dam School District Superintendent Dennis Carlson told his board Monday night that the K-12 school construction venture is back on schedule. “The elementary side of the project will be enclosed by the end of October, allowing workers to be indoors during the winter,” he said. Time had been lost early on when excavation survey mistakes were made, placing the schedule at a risk. The ground floor of the secondary wing was scheduled to be poured Wednesday. Carlson stated that the 1,100-foot-long retaining wall is essentially complete.... Full story
Port District 7 approved its preliminary budget for 2014 last Thursday and has scheduled a public hearing for Oct. 24 for review and public input. The meeting is at 5 p.m., Thursday, Oct. 24, at the airport office, the port’s normal meeting place. The public hearing will precede the port’s regular monthly meeting. The port’s preliminary budget shows revenue of $458,000 and expenses of $440,200. A large portion of both revenue and expenses is some $254,500 of anticipated grant monies from the Federal Aviation Administration. The port’s major o... Full story
Coulee Dam rejected a bid of $21,000 to clean up a burned-out house at 611 Holly Street last Wednesday night. The lone bid had been submitted by Deckwa Construction, a Grand Coulee firm. The council did so because they weren’t sure where the money would come from. At issue also is how the town would recover the cost of cleaning up the property. One council member suggested that Okanogan County would probably end up owning the property because of unpaid taxes. The county wouldn’t pay off any lien the city would have on the cleanup effort. Cou... Full story
Remember when you were a little kid and had to learn, likely through repeated lessons, that you just can’t always get your way? That you have to learn to give a little just to get along in this world? That’s not just a childhood lesson, it’s a basic principal that undergirds the healthiest societies, keeps disagreements civil and greases the wheels of democracy. It makes civilization itself possible. But a new faction within the Republican Party rejects that premise, insisting that compromise is evil. Many in the House of Representatives got el... Full story
I was very disappointed several months ago when I read that the annual low-cost blood screening would no longer be available at Coulee Medical Center during National Hospital Week and our local health fair. My husband and I have found this to be a convenient yearly event in which we could participate to help detect any health problems before they become a major concern, as well as fulfill the required screening to update prescriptions. I question CCH Administrator Scott Graham’s interpretation of the law that governs public hospital d... Full story
I had the honor and privilege to serve on the town council of Coulee Dam for six years. Mayor Snow represented the town with integrity at all times. The mayor does not make the decision of running the town. The council does. Mayor Snow has been vilified unfairly by his opponent. We do need four more years of honesty and integrity, not divisiveness. I strongly urge a vote for Quincy Snow to be reelected mayor. Ray Duclos... Full story
Now let me get this straight. A couple of people are complaining to the city to stop a resident from helping out his friends and neighbors because it may be costing their business clientele? And in order to sweeten the complaint, they tell the city council, “Look, you’re losing money too.” This is so ridiculous. And a waste of my tax dollars while the city wastes their time “looking into it.” So basically, if I wanted to help my friends and neighbors with their yards by going around and mowing the lawns, and they paid me for my gas, and maybe f... Full story
Now let me get this straight. A couple of people are complaining to the city to stop a resident from helping out his friends and neighbors because it may be costing their business clientele? And in order to sweeten the complaint, they tell the city council, “Look, you’re losing money too.” This is so ridiculous. And a waste of my tax dollars while the city wastes their time “looking into it.” So basically, if I wanted to help my friends and neighbors with their yards by going around and mowing the lawns, and they paid me for my gas, and maybe f... Full story
A $5,700 grant is helping Lake Roosevelt lady basketball players mentor young students from the 3-6 grades. The Lady Raiders are holding three basketball clinics teaching the younger students, about 25 of them, the basics of the game. Two clinics have already been held and the third is scheduled Oct. 2. A mini-basketball tournament is planned for Saturday, Oct. 5, at the high school gym. The grant is from the Charlotte Martin Foundation and was written by Mary Schilling, grant writer for the... Full story
If you listen closely you’ll hear flapping going on in all of the towns here in the Coulee. Yes, I said flapping, like the wings of those majestic Eagles when they fly over the Columbia River, Banks Lake and Lake Roosevelt looking for a fish or two. What’s this about? Snow Birds. I’m sure you know some snow birds.I know quite a few and now that winter is closing in on the Coulee, I kind of wish I could be a snow bird and go south for the winter months, with a soft landing in sunny Arizona. Should I have said revving up their engines instead of... Full story
So, I’m very glad I took out that MedStar membership. Took a ride last night. The good pros at Coulee Medical Center figured out why I was so weak and sent me to Sacred Heart ICU. Turns out I have multiple pulmonary embolisms (blood clots in lungs). Yes, that’s bad. A surgery or two is coming up, along with some lengthy recuperation. Life is what happens when you had other plans. So, although your submitted photos are always welcome in The Star, they will be more so in the coming weeks. You can email them to gwen@grandcoulee.com, along wit... Full story
Owners of two business firms appeared before the Grand Coulee council last Tuesday to complain about a person doing mechanical work at his residence without a business license. Mike Horne, of MPH, and Jack Madsen of Jack’s Service, both in the vehicle repair business, stated that Donovan Picard, who lives at 431 Grand Coulee Avenue, is doing mechanical work at his home garage without a business license and in a residential zone that doesn’t allow businesses. Horne and Madsen explained to the council that the city isn’t getting tax reven... Full story
Police are investigating a burglary at Center Lodge Motel where an unknown party took about $2,000 from a drop box and cash register sometime during the early morning hours of Sept. 20. The report stated that someone used a key to gain entrance to the motel office where $756.91 cash and a $1,000 check was taken from a drop box and $351.45 taken from a cash register. The cash register was also taken, The loss was noticed by an employee who found the a key in the door which was unlocked when she came to work in the morning. Owner Dale Baty let of... Full story
Grand Coulee’s mayor and council got a tongue-lashing last Tuesday night for what Becky Billups said was “not doing anything,” She repeatedly has appeared before the council asking that the city enforce its ordinances in regard to keeping up property and putting drug offenders away. Billups lives on Burdin Boulevard and repeatedly has been to council meetings to make formal complaints. “I want to know why you don’t do something,” she repeatedly stated last Tuesday night. “There are junk cars, garbage everywhere,” she declared. “I want to know... Full story
Interested in a job working for the federal government and have been frustrated trying? Then there’s help coming with two meetings scheduled, one Sept. 30 and the other Oct. 2. The meetings are designed to assist the job seeker in using the USAJOBS website, the official job site for the federal government. The first session, Monday, Sept. 30, will be at the Nespelem Community Center where interested parties can learn about job opportunities both with the federal government and the Colville Confederated Tribes. This session lasts from 10 a.m. t... Full story
The Care and Share Food Bank needs some help. Manager Fern Blaylock said Monday that after that evening’s deliveries the food bank shelves will be nearly empty. Blaylock said that the truck delivery that was received will be gone by Monday night, and the next delivery won’t be for a week and a half. The food bank is open Mondays at the Church of the Nazarene and is currently assisting some 100-130 families. Blaylock said that the food bank is in critical need of canned foods and money to purchase meats and perishable goods. Persons can mak... Full story
Volunteers are the nuts and bolts of most organizations. It is especially true at Banks Lake Golf Course, now managed by Port District 7. The Port District took over management of the course two years ago when it was in danger of being closed, and has continued to administer and finance the course’s operation. This year, in particular, volunteers have been the nuts and bolts that have held the course together. And surprisingly, according to port authorities, the course has improved in large part because of an army of dedicated volunteers. T... Full story
The American Legion Post 157 in Electric City would like to say thanks to everyone who helped us out in many ways! Yes, our Legion Club has had problems in the past, but most of the money has been recovered, our tax-free status has been reinstated and our legion post recovery has just been great. Thanks to all who donated to our weekly Saturday yard sales. This was a very good fund-raiser for us. Also a thanks goes out to all who purchased yard sale items from us! Legion meetings are held every second Tuesday of the month at the Vets’ Center i... Full story
A small critter is causing big problems in the South Puget Sound. It’s called the Mazama pocket gopher. Some 100,000 pocket gophers inhabit prairie lands throughout northern California, Oregon and Washington. Our state is the northernmost part of its range, where separate populations are scattered in pockets throughout the area, including Thurston and Pierce counties. Last December, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) proposed to list several subspecies of the Mazama pocket gopher in W... Full story
• Congratulations to local firm Taylor Enterprises, LLC for landing a $4.2 million contract to provide the Grand Coulee Dam with janitorial services. • Electric City’s planning commission should think carefully if asked to alter what kinds of buildings are allowed within the city. Understanding why restrictions are in place should be the first step in either removing them or keeping them. Decisions like that affect everyone’s property values. • In our special triathlon section this week, read about a remarkable young athlete who registere... Full story
The city of Grand Coulee approved its latest law enforcement contract with the Bureau of Reclamation at a special meeting of the council last week, while another local police department didn’t get a similar extension of the program. The new contract with Grand Coulee -- for one year with extensions possible for two more years -- was essentially the same as the bureau’s just-lapsed contract with the city. Police Chief Mel Hunt said his department is one officer short, and the city’s civil service board has just advertised to fill the position. C... Full story
It appears that the weatherman might cooperate for Saturday’s 10th annual Grand Columbian Triathlon, organized by Tri-Freaks, an endurance sports organization. The forecast is for a high of 68 degrees and a low of 48, with partly cloudy skies, a 20-percent chance of rain and winds out of the southwest at 10 mph. This is good news for those competing and finishing up with the triathlon, or a part of it, during the heat of the day. Swimmers will splash off in what race officials say will be a... Full story
Larry Holford sees the delay of Coulee Dam’s proposed wastewater treatment plant rebuild as a good thing. “It will give everybody time to refocus their efforts and put together a better project than the one proposed,” Holford stated this week. Holford is a town council member at Elmer City and has been following the project for quite some time. He has been in the middle of discussions with the Colville Tribes, Indian Health Services, and Elmer City in exploring ways to build a cost-effective plant and locate it where it will do the most peopl... Full story
The Bureau of Reclamation awarded a $4.2 million contract for janitorial and maintenance services at Grand Coulee Dam to Taylor Enterprises LLC, a Grand Coulee firm. The contract is for a five-year period. The work involves janitorial and maintenance services of several buildings and facilities at the Grand Coulee Project, the bid award press release stated. The release said it was for five years, assuming satisfactory performance each year. The work requires detailed attention to janitorial services to office buildings, tourist facilities,... Full story
Two Electric City residents found out it isn’t going to be easy to change the city’s comprehensive plan so they can build larger accessory sheds than the code allows. Mark Payne and Mike Dennis along with others, appeared before the city’s planning commission hoping to convince its members to allow larger and taller steel buildings than currently allowed in R-2 zoning. Members of the planning commission stated they didn’t have any problem with that and it motivated the two to come to the council with their interest. Dennis had appeared before... Full story