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 is hiring an outside source to help the city reconcile its finances. The city council approved the hiring of an outside contractor to do the “reconciliation of city financial software system to city bank accounts to assure accuracy of financial data being reported to the council and State Auditor’s office,” according to a contract for services. Hired was Toni Nelson of Government Financial Services, at a cost to the city of $110 an hour. The estimated time period for the work is 25-30 hours, part of the time on-site and part away... Full story
Grant County Port District 7, which runs Banks Lake Golf Course, has cut down a number of cottonwood trees at the course. The decision was made earlier this year because roots from the trees were tearing up the asphalt cart paths and in some cases "roots were growing into some of the greens," port commissioner Jerry Sands stated. Sands said 13 trees were eliminated and several more cottonwood trees need to be cut down. "When they planted the cottonwoods, I understand," Sands said, "they only... Full story
The POWER program to feed game birds in the winter will soon end. Lack of “manpower” is finally catching up to the longtime program by POWER (Promoters of Wildlife and Environmental Resources). Carl Russell, longtime president of the organization, said that when the final sacks of feed are distributed, the program will end. Some 59 small backyard feeders are scattered around the community along with 15 large feeders, and have been a food refuge for quail and other game birds for over 20 years, Russell stated. Russell recently resigned as pre... Full story
The city of Grand Coulee is changing the way it pays for training for its volunteer fire department personnel. The council has agreed to pay the fire department a fixed monthly fee instead of payment on the number of members who show up for training sessions. The change was made a week ago, based on a request by fire department Chief Richard Paris. Paris said the change would satisfy concerns of auditors on the way training payments were paid by the city. The fire chief told the council that the former payment method had been in place for 36... Full story
The National Park Service, along with local groups, will hold a discussion of an Ice Age Floods National Geologic Trail long-range interpretive plan here on Jan. 23. The meeting will take place at 1 p.m., at the Coulee Dam community room at town hall. Denise Bausch will make a 45-minute presentation of the Ice Age Floods Trail plan, followed by a question-and-answer period. Also making a presentation will be Russell Powers, deputy city clerk of Electric City, on what the city is doing on its Pathway & Trail plan. The city plans a recreation... Full story
An agreement a local contractor says he made with former mayor Ray Halsey got opposition from Electric City's mayor and council last Tuesday night. Wayne Snyder addressed the council and said that then-mayor Halsey had made a deal that if he annexed his property into Electric City, the city would put in roads and sidewalks within two years. Snyder told the council last Tuesday night that the city should honor its agreements. Snyder wants to short plat four lots on property he owns and are now wi... Full story
The Grand Coulee Dam School District received a grant from the Washington State Library Dec. 13, to enhance reading material for Native American students. The grant will provide more than 80 books, with emphasis on Native Americans and their cultures. Of the book list, 55 volumes are new to the Lake Roosevelt libraries. Margo Piver, assistant elementary school principal, and Aaron Derr, elementary library literacy coordinator, worked on the grant application, which was sent on Dec. 9. Carolyn Peterson, from the WSL, announced winners of the... Full story
The Colville Tribes’ expanded Coulee Dam Casino will open in late February or March, Chief Operating Officer of Colville Gaming John MacClain said last week. The $3.2 million project was started about a year ago, and will include full dining service for breakfast, lunch and dinner. The new casino restaurant will also offer ”good weather” seating on a balcony that extends on two sides of the building. The balcony, according to the plans, will be 20 feet wide and allow summer diners a good view of Grand Coulee Dam. The operation will be 24/7,... Full story
Shane Proctor has done it again. This time Proctor picked up the 2016 Wrangler National Finals Rodeo "average championship" this past weekend after 10 days of competition in Las Vegas, a feat he didn't accomplish back in 2011, when he won the national bull riding championship. If his 2011 national title was the crown, then the "average championship" is the "jewel" in the crown. The event "average winner" Proctor soared to third from 15th in the final Professional Rodeo Cowboy Association world... Full story
Coulee Dam police and fire officials discovered last Thursday that a resident had possibly jumped an electrical meter that had been turned off after a Dec. 5 garage fire. Town officials had turned the meter off at 415 North Columbia and requested that a licensed electrician check the residence to see if it was safe to turn electricity back on. Three days later, town officials checked the house after lights were seen on in an upstairs room and in the kitchen area. Police officer Mike Sullivan, fire officials and a person from public works... Full story
Jackie Perman will retire in April next year as city clerk in Electric City, she announced last week. "We will miss her; she has done a wonderful job for the city," Mayor John Nordine II, said Tuesday. Perman started working for Electric City in 1999, as a one-day-a-week court clerk and became the deputy clerk under then-mayor Ray Halsey in 2002. Perman was advanced to city clerk in 2006, and recently completed 10 years as clerk. "The work of the city clerk is constantly changing," Perman... Full story
Maybe sometime soon you will find alpaca meat in the delicacy section of your local meat market. Alpaca meat? That's right, alpaca meat! Local alpaca ranchers Merv and MaryJo Monteith are teaming with a consortium of alpaca raisers and going into the alpaca meat business. The couple provided packages of frozen alpaca hamburger, teriyaki sticks and summer sausage for sampling. Last week, I had a sampling with neighbors David Stiegelmeyer and Howard Anderson. I put the samples in a large frying... Full story
In a spirit of concern and cooperation, Coulee Dam had its first “Community Watch” meeting last Tuesday night. About 45 people turned out at the old stone church in Coulee Dam, to discuss the rash of burglaries and car prowls that have occurred in the town and region in recent months. And there’s more to come, with a second and more detailed meeting set for sometime in January. Leading the discussion was Ed Bartley, a retired police officer, with some 50 years in law enforcement, who helped prepare material about community watch efforts and t... Full story
Grant County PUD plans to switch its Grand Coulee office to a drive-up service sometime early next year. Speaking for the PUD, public affairs manager Thomas Stredwick said Tuesday that there will still be a public presence at the Grand Coulee office, but it will be through contact at its drive-up service window. Stredwick said the target date for the switch over is Jan. 1, 2017. Preparing for the change, the PUD plans some minor communications adjustment for its service window. “It will be somewhat like a drive-by bank service window,” Str... Full story
The proposed sale of Center School failed to receive any bids, school officials stated Monday. That makes twice that the school district has requested bidders to buy the Center School and property. Both times no one offered bids. Deadline for the current bidding cycle was Dec. 1, and school officials had stated that three parties had indicated interest in the property. Former school superintendent Dennis Carlson was named to handle the sale of the property because current Superintendent Paul Turner told the school board that he had a possible c... Full story
A raffle to benefit a new park in Electric City has raised $500, City Councilmember Lonna Bussert said Monday. Bussert has held two picnic celebrations and now the raffle of two bicycles to raise over $4,000 toward development of the new park behind the fire station in Electric City. Winners of the bicycles were Susan Haydock of Coulee Dam and Cody Bright of Wilbur. Bright donated his bicycle back and Bussert gave it to Trees of Sharing, to be given to some child in the area. Bussert had stated that she hoped to get started on the park next... Full story
About 80 children showed up to see Santa Claus and to take part in a "cake walk" program last Saturday at North Dam Park. A number of local citizens provided cakes, some 25 in all, to be passed out to children whose numbers were called. It was a community affair, with the Eagles and Moose lodges taking part, along with the City of Electric City and a dozen members of the community choir. The program began at 3 p.m. and lasted until five, with Santa arriving about 4. There were hot dogs and hot... Full story
Electric City plans to continue its renovation of city hall next year. The 2017 improvements include new windows and doors. The project is being funded in the 2017 budget and is expected to cost less than $20,000. In the last year, city hall was painted, new air conditioning installed and the city’s new logo placed on the front of the building. Previously the city had installed carpets, painted the council chambers and added a new, enlarged table for the council members.... Full story
Electric City’s proposed park, behind the fire department building, may not get developed until sometime in 2018, city officials stated. The council, at its October budget workshop, decided to wait until a grant application to Washington State Recreation Council Office is decided. The application is due in 2017, for funding in 2018. Grants are up to 50 percent matching, and city officials decided to wait for possible funding before starting on the project. The city will have $60,000 budgeted for possible matching money next year. City Clerk J... Full story
The Grand Coulee Dam School District will have enough money in its transportation fund to order another new bus next year, according to the financial report school board members heard Monday night. Already the district has two new 35-passenger buses on order, each costing $63,463, and delivery of those buses could occur almost anytime, bus mechanic George Davis stated Tuesday. Davis is filling in as supervisor of bus personnel since Bill Kemble resigned for health reasons. The report stated that the transportation fund will have $144,000 in it... Full story
The 2017 Coulee Pioneer Museum calendar will feature pictures of the Third Powerhouse at Grand Coulee Dam, Birdie Hensley said this week. The calendar is dedicated to the men and women who worked on the project, the 50th anniversary date of which is Jan. 3, 2017, Hensley stated. Calendars are $10 and are available through Hensley, as well as membership in the museum. The calendar is full of historical dates of the overall Grand Coulee Dam project. Typical of the historic dates is the arrival of 3,000 Coulee Dam souvenir coins on January 25... Full story
Bids on the sale of Center School, and property surrounding it, are due this Thursday. Grand Coulee Dam School District Superintendent Paul Turner said that his understanding was that three parties might be bidding on the old school. But he reminded the school board Monday night that, due to a possible conflict of interest, former superintendent Dennis Carlson is handling the details of the sale. Turner had stated a month ago that he was taking himself out of the process because a relative of his had shown interest in bidding on the property.... Full story
Coulee Dam will get some major road and sidewalk work done as a result of a state grant that will pay for most of it in 2018. The state Department of Transportation announced last week it has awarded a $794,566 grant from the Transportation Improvement Board for work Mayor Greg Wilder called the "centerpiece of several significant projects" the town is planning for the future. The project includes street surface work on Civic Way, Cedar Street, Tulip Street and Crest Drive. The exact elements... Full story
A pickup crashed through a chain-link fence and caused several thousand dollars of damage to a business and residence in Electric City in the middle of the night last Thursday. A police report on the crash stated that the vehicle, a 2009 Toyota Tacoma pickup, was found embedded in the side of the residence at 8 Coulee Boulevard, after hitting the corner of the structure, smashing a dumpster and crashing through a steel fence. The structure houses a tanning parlor and a residence. The collision... Full story
Elmer City was selected to receive a “chip seal” grant from the state Department of Transportation, city officials learned Monday. The Transportation Improvement Board grant is for $82,705, and funds will be available in 2018 for a project on Elmer City Access Road. “We were happy to receive the grant news,” public works director Jimmer Tillman stated. Tillman said there are some extreme cracks on the road, and the grant will enable the town to improve the road condition. Elmer City had asked for $151,000 for the chip seal grant, but was awa... Full story