News, views and advertising of the Grand Coulee Dam Area
News, views and advertising of the Grand Coulee Dam Area
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Skateboarders imagine: SR-174 provides a good hill and surface for skateboarders. And the people honking their horns are doing so to wish you a nice day. Three young juveniles were confronted by police for skateboarding on the state highway just off Burdin Boulevard. The three, two of them 17 years old and the other one 16, were reported by a local resident as riding their skateboards on the highway last Wednesday night. The one reporting the incident to police said the same trio had been skateboarding the previous night, also. Police... Full story
A community meeting to discuss improvements to the Banks Lake Golf Course was held last Thursday night with about 40 people showing up. Port District 7, which owns and operates the golf course, was in a brain picking mood last week and explained that it hopes to put in for a Land and Water Conservation Fund grant sometime this next spring. Port district chairman Orville Scharbach told visitors at the golf course meeting room that community input was needed as part of the grant application. He introduced Frank Andrews Jr., a grant writer for... Full story
The Grand Coulee Volunteer Fire Department held its annual awards dinner at the fire station Saturday night. Charles Pope was recognized as "Rookie of the Year." Mike Day was named "Firefighter of the Year," receiving the "Terry Sieker Award." Danielle Florenzen received the "Robert McGuire Award," as the EMS person of the year. Brian Walters was recognized for making the most fire calls, and Diane Canady was recognized for making the most ambulance calls and for 25 years as an emergency... Full story
A Grand Coulee man was found dead on the Crescent Bay boat ramp Sunday. The police report stated that James Carol Arbaugh, 68, of 37 Division Street, had been fishing and apparently left the edge of the water to return for something above the ramp, collapsing on the way up its steep slope. He was found by Larry Rehn of Electric City who was in the area with his dog about 1:45 p.m. Rehn said he was in the area to wash his dog off and found Arbaugh laying on his back on the ramp. The man’s wife, Christie, told police that her husband had a h... Full story
Engineers will determine just how far Grand Coulee’s recent $232,656 grant from the Transportation Improvement Board will go for street improvements, public works director Dennis Francis said last week. The grant should cover improvements to sidewalks on both sides of the street on Federal Avenue from Spokane Way to Seaton Street with ADA ramps on all corners. Francis said that any improvements on Main Street will have to wait until Gray & Osborne does the engineering work and establish what can be done with the money included in the grant. M... Full story
Electric City will put some teeth into its nuisance ordinance in January if Councilmember Brad Parrish has his way. Parish asked at the last city council meeting Dec. 10 that the issue of cleaning up properties in the city be put on the agenda at the city’s next council meeting, Jan. 14. Parrish told Mayor Jerry Sands that he spent the afternoon driving throughout the city recently and was shocked at some of the sights he saw. He said he would like to discuss the city’s nuisance ordinance and put “more teeth” into it and get things cleaned... Full story
An Alaska resident who owns a house at 301 Columbia in Coulee Dam has tossed the town a difficult request. Patrick Wilson, who now lives in Petersburg, Alaska, owns the home on Columbia where he plans to retire soon. He says that excess water running off of Columbia Avenue, which is also State Route 155, runs down his driveway and into his garage and storage room, causing water damage. He has asked the town to do something about it, but town officials claim it is a state highway problem. When contacted, highway officials have bounced... Full story
Quincy Snow wrapped up 16 years as Coulee Dam's mayor last Wednesday at the last town council meeting of the year. He personally thanked members of the council for their support and hard work, particularly two council members, Karl Hjorten and Andy Trader, who were also defeated in the November election. The meeting was his last as mayor because the council voted to cancel the next meeting, which would have fallen on Christmas day. The town operated without much turmoil for most of Snow's 16...
An effort may still be made to complete the new K-12 school project by the end of August, 2014, and begin school around Sept. 8, in the new building complex. Grand Coulee Dam School District Superintendent Dennis Carlson told the board of directors Monday night that he had asked Walker Construction, the general contractor, what it would take to meet this deadline. Previously, the guestimate has been for an early October finish. School and construction officials meet each Tuesday to check how they are coming on the timeline on construction.... Full story
A Wellpinit man escaped serious injury when his semi truck with double trailers, laden with dry cement, crashed at the bottom of the Coulee Dam hill about 9 a.m. last Wednesday morning, Dec. 4. Darwin L. Newport, 51, said his truck brakes, fully engaged, failed, and he turned into the left powerhouse access road, just below the Visitor Center at Grand Coulee Dam, to avoid hitting other vehicles ahead of him on highway 155. Newport was taken by ambulance to Coulee Medical Center and was released... Full story
Early day postal notes were collected by Birdie Hensley from a book donated to the Coulee Pioneer Museum from Ron Rinker. The book tells the history of many of the post offices in Douglas County. One, the Barry post office, was located seven miles north of Coulee Dam on the west shore of the Columbia River, its final location. The original location was a small store about three miles southwest of the final location, and established Aug, 31, 1887. The first postmaster was Mrs. Alba J. Barry. In the early days, mail came from Wilbur three times a... Full story
George Kohout was elected to his third term as president of the Ridge Riders at a meeting last Wednesday night. Other officers named were Bubba Egbert, vice president; Monty Fields, treasurer; Debbi Achord, secretary; and trustees Janet Doughty, Ryan Poe and Marlene Poe. Janet O'Neil is chairperson for the Colorama Rodeo. Highlights of the coming year include a sweater party in January, the group's third annual banquet and auction on March 22; the annual riding clinic in the spring with... Full story
Shane Proctor stands in fifth place at the National Finals Rodeo in the Las Vegas Thomas and Mack Center. Proctor, a 2003 graduate of Lake Roosevelt High School and former world champion bull rider, turned in winning scores in the first two go-rounds, pocketing $18,629.81 each night and was the front runner going into Saturday’s round. Last Thursday, Proctor scored 89 points on News Flash for top money and on Friday scored 89 on Squirrel Grove. But the Grand Coulee cowboy, now out of North Carolina, ran into a “Wicked” bull. “Wicked” had his w... Full story
Firefighters responded to a vehicle fire about 5:15 p.m. Sunday when they found a four-door Saturn engulfed in flames. Grand Coulee Volunteer Fire Chief Richard Paris said the fire was put out with water, but with the temperature about 12 degrees, it caused icy conditions on the roadway. The vehicle, owned and driven by Bill Brown, was located at E Street and SR-174. The Washington State Department of Transportation sanded the slick roadway so the area wouldn’t be a hazard to other motorists. Paris stated that the car would be a total loss a... Full story
Coulee Dam mayor-elect Greg Wilder will get the use of the community room, without charge, to conduct his swearing in ceremony, Dec. 23, officials said this week. Wilder had asked for use of the room for special swearing in ceremonies for himself, and two new council members — Gayle Swagerty, Duane Johnson — and possibly returning Councilmember Bob Poch. Swearing in the new town officials will be U.S. Attorney Mike Ormsby of the Department of Justice, Eastern Washington. Wilder and Ormsby have been friends for some time. The use of the roo... Full story
An Elmer City couple needs some help with their near 2-year-old baby, Victoria. Victoria was born with brain damage and eyesight problems to Stephanie Detwiler New and Daniel New Detwiler. (The two determined to keep their own names when they were married so each took the other's as a middle name.) Their baby, who will be 2 in March, suffers from optic nerve damage and brain damage and requires constant attention. These conditions require that the couple take Victoria, whose nickname is "Tori,"... Full story
A letter from Port District 7 went out to a targeted list asking them to attend a meeting Dec. 12, to discuss possible improvements to the Banks Lake Golf Course. Port District commissioners got the idea of applying for a grant to improve the course from Colville Tribal planner and grant writer Frank Andrews Jr. Andrews had attended a previous Port District meeting but the agenda was so long he didn’t have time to speak to commissioners. That changed in the port’s November meeting and Andrews outlined the possibility of applying for a grant wit... Full story
An eventual contract for law enforcement services between the Bureau of Reclamation and local agenices will probably end up looking like this -- Grand Coulee, four officers; Coulee Dam, two officers; and two officers from the Colville Tribal Police department. While discussions are still going on, and no date has been set for a final decision, The Star has learned that the bureau has realigned its five zones of coverage to just two. Grand Coulee would cover zone 1, which goes from the switchyards to the Washington Flats on the west side of the... Full story
Mayor-elect Greg Wilder will be sworn in Dec. 23, as Coulee Dam mayor by U.S. Attorney Mike Ormsby from the U.S. Department of Justice Eastern Washington, Wilder stated last week. Others elected to office in the town of Coulee Dam will likely take advantage of the special ceremony. Those include council members Gayle Swagerty, Duane Johnson and Bob Poch. Wilder said the swearing-in ceremonies will be in the community room at city hall early in the evening. Wilder stated that state law allows that swearing in can occur 10 days before newly... Full story
Port District 7 commissioners voted Thursday night to purchase 21 golf carts that they have had on lease since 2008. District President Orville Scharbach told commissioners that the carts would be paid for in three years. The package includes the 21 carts and some 96 batteries, and includes a utility cart used for work around the golf course. Scharbach said the current batteries have been in the carts since 2008, “and that’s about the only thing that can go wrong with the carts.” Separately, the port district is leasing a new fairway mower... Full story
Port district commissioners approved a plan at their meeting last Thursday to seek a grant to fix up the Banks Lake Golf Course. The idea came from Frank Andrews Jr., a planner and grant writer for the Colville Confederated Tribes. Andrews called commissioners’ attention to grants offered by Washington State Recreation and Conservation Office that cover golf courses, as well as other types of projects. Commissioners listed and then quickly approved a plan to proceed with the grant plan. Accordingly, Port District 7 will hold a public meeting a... Full story
They are lighting up Main Street. Grand Coulee Main Street merchants have bundled some money together to purchase special holiday season lighting in an effort to make the local season more delightful. A large number of stringed white lights were placed along Main Street Friday by Grant County PUD workers using their boom truck. Kevin Portch from Loepps said the lights will be turned on immediately. Merchants participating in the lighting project include KISSed Quilts, The Wolf's Den, the Senior... Full story
Grand Coulee had a bit of sticker shock when officials learned that it would cost about $20,000 to make repairs on its brush fire truck. Fire chief Rick Paris told the council last Tuesday night that the fire truck had blown a head-gasket and when mechanics looked it over, they discovered that there was a factory error on the diesel engine that would have to be fixed -- with a hefty price attached to it. Paris explained to the council that one of the head bolt holes had been drilled crooked and it had caused major damage to the engine. It was f... Full story
It’s light the library time. A special program is planned for the Etheta Anderson Grand Coulee Library on Thursday, Dec, 5. from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. A special lighting of the library, a repeat of last year’s program, is planned. The library, a branch of North Central Regional Library, is located at 225 Federal Avenue. The ceremony will usher in the Christmas season in Grand Coulee with door prizes donated by local businesses, caroling and refreshments. And both the young and old will see Santa Claus arrive in a Grand Coulee fire truck. Vis... Full story
An art committee made up of local residents will soon begin the process of selecting some $140,000 work of artwork for the new K-12 school complex. Under state law, 1 percent of public funds for construction projects must be put aside to purchase artwork. Covered by this requirement this is the original $14 million provided by the state for the project. About half of the art allowance will come through the Washington State Arts Commission, which will provide ideas of specific professional art for selection. Those named to the art selection... Full story