News, views and advertising of the Grand Coulee Dam Area
News, views and advertising of the Grand Coulee Dam Area
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Students of Lake Roosevelt Schools will return to classrooms Tuesday, Sept. 6, and will be welcomed by a number of new leaders. Superintendent Paul Turner will begin his first year as the education leader, replacing Dennis Carlson, who retired June 30. Turner was assistant high school principal last year. Taking over as principal at Lake Roosevelt High School is Mark Herndon, from the Cape Flattery School District where he was principal of Clallam Bay K-12. Herndon had been hired as assistant principal at the high school, but was elevated when... Full story
Grand Coulee is going to move forward and seek a grant to install LED street lights throughout the city, Mayor Paul Townsend said last week. The issue was brought up by public works Director Dennis Francis at the August 16 city council meeting. Francis told the council that the city regularly spends about $2,708 a month ($33,355 a year) on power to illuminate its many street lights. He estimated that the city could save about 30-40 percent of what it now spends by installing LED (light emitting diode) lights. Francis said Friday that the saving... Full story
Local fisherman Greg Anderson caught what must be a near-record catfish in Banks Lake recently. Anderson, from Coulee Dam, said he was fishing near the buoys at North Dam, when a 34.7-pound catfish struck his crappie jig. "It was about 45 minutes before I got my first look at it," Anderson said. Two other anglers in the boat helped him finally net the big fish. "It filled the net," Anderson stated. "I was really tired bringing the fish in. The head of the catfish was bigger than a football and... Full story
The Almira Community Church has delayed its Coulee Dam opening date for services to Oct. 9, Pastor Paul McArthur said last week. The opening for services had previously been set for Oct. 2. “Things have been progressing nicely,” McArthur stated. Workers have been doing some painting on the outside, windows have been cleaned, and inside the stone edifice others have been getting rid of cobwebs grown during no activity. It’s nearly ready for services again. The roof, due for repair, is still a question mark, McArthur stated. The church is still... Full story
An idea to better define Grand Coulee’s business district was well received by the city’s planning commission, and could turn out to be a partnership effort with the city and the Chamber of Commerce’s Economic Development Council (EDC). City Councilmember Tammara Byers, who also sits on the planning commission, told fellow council members that the EDC had offered up some good ideas and that the commission would continue working with them. The EDC has proposed signage and lighting changes on what has been described as the city’s busines... Full story
The public interest in consolidating local cities impressed at least one city official last week. Grand Coulee Mayor Paul Townsend said that the number of people interested in the consolidation of Grand Coulee and Electric City was "impressive." A report last week to the city council on the results of a consolidation survey by the Grand Coulee Dam Area Chamber of Commerce's Economic Development Council was the second of four presentations planned before municipalities in the area. A week... Full story
Grand Coulee is having trouble making its public nuisance ordinance work. City council members last week heard two local residents complain about problems in their neighborhoods, saying that the city isn't doing anything about it. A Partello Street resident complained that a neighbor had wood piled next to his property line and and also a bark pile that is infested with bugs. In that case, city Code Enforcer Jolene Mills said that according to the city's nuisance ordinance the homeowner in... Full story
A number of thefts were reported at the Sky Deck Motel and Gerard Builders last Thursday and Saturday. Police reports show that Kenneth Haag, from Silverdale, Washington, reported that his 2006 Ford F-250 was taken while parked at the Sky Deck Motel. He told the officer that the keys were left in the pickup’s ignition, but the doors were locked. Haag said he got up and had breakfast and that a friend who was with him advised him that his truck was missing. At about the same time, Kevin Tipps told police that his vehicle had been prowled o... Full story
The High Dam bar on Grand Coulee’s Main Street was burglarized last Tuesday night. The burglar got in by ripping the locks off a back door. Owner Frank Christman told police that losses include 48-inch and 60-inch flat-screen TVs, and damage to a cash register, security system and juke box. Total loss was over $2,000. The person involved ripped the cables off the security system and took the hard drive. The 60-inch TV had been ripped off the wall, causing damage to the wall, and the cable leading to the 48-inch TV had been ripped off. C... Full story
It’s harvest time and almost time for a festival. The Grand Coulee Dam Area Chamber of Commerce’s Harvest Festival is scheduled for Sept. 17-18, and features a number of special events. New to the festival this year, the Run the Dam event offers 5K-, 10K- and half-marathon runs on Saturday, Sept. 17. The run begins on the east side of Grand Coulee Dam, crosses to top of the dam, turns up to Grand Coulee’s B Street and ends at North Dam Park, the site of the festival. Those interested in the Run the Dam event can register at runth... Full story
The chamber of commerce’s Economic Development Council finally got a hearing about its community consolidation survey in front of Electric City’s council, but it wasn’t easy. The EDC group attended the Aug. 9 council meeting and requested to present to the council the results of the survey that asked whether people would be in favor of consolidating two or more local towns. The group was initially turned down until Councilmember Richard McGuire asked that it be put to a vote. It passed 3-2, with councilmembers McGuire, Birdie Hensley and Lonna... Full story
Some comments from those responding to a survey about the possibility of combining two or more local municipalities show a mix of attitudes on the subject. The surveys were mailed to 2,235 households and also made available online and at local businesses. Here are examples from the 251 comments included with the returned surveys: - It makes good sense to combine these towns and their resources. - Stop arguing with each other and do something for the people for a change. - We think it would be unproductive to consolidate any of these towns.... Full story
The Electric City council got an earful of complaints about the city’s proposed trail system at its meeting last Tuesday night. The complaints were a continuation of what the city has been hearing since the Pathway and Revitalization study began a few months ago. There was standing room only as local residents lined up and signed up to speak on the proposed trail. “We are not being told the truth” about the pathway, said one resident, Rhonda Erickson, who lives on Lakeview. “It’s been in the works for over a year.” The Star reported on... Full story
The Electric City Council last week selected Richard McGuire and Brad Parrish as representatives to the city’s hotel/motel tax fund committee. The two have been on the committee, and the appointment is for the rest of their terms — two years. The committee reviews requests for hotel/motel tax funds collected for boosting tourism and makes recommendations to the council as a whole. The city plans to advise those who have sought hotel/motel funds in the past to make their request during the month of September. These requests for 2017 funding wil... Full story
All four local municipalities are cooperatively putting in for a Department of Transportation TIB grant this week. If the grant applications are successful, it will enable the four cities and towns to get a better bid on the work, Elmer City Public Works Director “Jimmer” Tillman said Tuesday. The grant would be for chip sealing and crack sealing of selected streets within the four municipalities. Tillman, who sparked the idea, said that it costs a lot of money for contractors to come and set up, especially for smaller jobs. “If they had jobs... Full story
A series of wildland fires around the region the last two weeks have kept fire fighting agencies busy and yesterday prompted a burning ban in Grant County. A nearly 2,000-acre fire about 15 miles south of Inchelium has been 65 percent contained, the Northwest 9 Management team reported Tuesday. Evacuation levels have been reduced to level one throughout the fire region, fire officials reported. The Kewa blaze started Aug. 2, and has burned 1,912 acres of rangeland and timber. The NW 9 Management incident commander, Brian Goff, reported that... Full story
The chamber of commerce's Economic Development Council (EDC) received an unusually strong response to a consolidation survey mailed to 2,235 residents and placed online in June. Some 546 residents responded, a 24.4-percent return. Such surveys need only generate about a 6-percent response to be considered statistically valid, information garnered by the chamber states. The subject, consolidation of local towns and cities, is not unfamiliar to residents who have been around here awhile.... Full story
Phase two of the facelift of Electric City's municipal building was completed last Wednesday with the hanging of a new sign, and there's more to come. City officials have stated that the 2017 budget will include money to replace windows and doors to city hall. Former mayor Jerry Sands got it started a few years ago with work inside that included painting, new carpet, and refitting city council chambers with a remodeled conference table and new chairs, all at bargain basement prices. Reached... Full story
The Grand Coulee Dam School District approved the contracts of two new coaches at Lake Roosevelt High School and a fourth grade teacher for the elementary school. Approved Monday, during a special meeting, were Casey Moore, for girls’ soccer, and Loren Endsley as head football coach. Moore, who works for the Colville Tribes, recently convinced the school board to offer girls’ soccer this fall for Lake Roosevelt athletes. The board approved the proposal and found some $21,500 to begin the program. Turnouts begin Aug. 22. Six schools in the North... Full story
The volume of cases and restrictions on sentencing imposed by the state Legislature are two handicaps on his office, Grant County Prosecuting Attorney Garth Dano told chamber of commerce members at a recent meeting. Dano started out by asking chamber members if they wanted to pay more taxes, to a negative response. Then he pointed out that his office is working with three fewer lawyers than when he took office a year and a half ago. Budgets are indeed a factor in how long it takes to handle and... Full story
The former Center Elementary School in Grand Coulee was broken into for the third time last week, with hundreds of dollars of damage done and questions about the building's future looming unanswered. In addition to damage from the break-in on or about July 25, the building and grounds show windows and doors boarded up, many windows broken, and the grassy areas covered with weeds. Police stated that some youth had broken through a plywood sheet covering a door and gone inside, throwing paint... Full story
Running Banks Lake Golf Course with volunteers is working, Port District 7 commissioners declared last Thursday. In a financial report to commissioners, treasurer Joanne Davidson noted that the golf course is nearly $40,000 ahead of where it was last year at this time. The course is being managed by commissioners and other volunteers, the first year of operation without paid staff. "We have learned how to run a golf course," commission President James Keene said at the district's Thursday... Full story
Electric City’s fish pen operation is great for fishing in Banks Lake, but it also benefits the area in a different way. A good fishery in Banks Lake adds greatly to the area economy. Currently, the volunteer group that raises some 300,000 rainbow trout annually is looking for a new manager of the fish net pen operation. Former manager Carl Russell is retiring after 25 years tending the enterprise of POWER (Promoters of Wildlife and Environmental Resources). The trout are released from the pens twice a year and, accordingly, the releases have m... Full story
Grant County Mosquito District 2 planned another aerial granular larvicide drop along Banks Lake today (Wednesday), weather permitting. The new treatment, the second aerial drop this year, is necessitated by new evidence of mosquitos from Sunbanks Lake Resort, Steamboat Rock State Park and Electric City. The first aerial treatment was made in May and resulted in a big mosquito larvae kill and reports of mosquito-free patio and camping times throughout the area. But recent tests along the lake revealed mosquito larvae to the extent that another... Full story
Some mosquitos near Kettle Falls day use and group site campground have tested positive for West Nile Virus, the National Park Service said last week. Conditions this summer at Lake Roosevelt have been optimal for mosquitos, the NPS noted. Visitors, park staff, and our neighbors and partners have been dealing with an extraordinarily large mosquito population, especially in the Kettle Falls area, NPS officials have stated. The NPS is encouraging visitors to contact Julie Graham (360-236-4078) at the Washington Department of Health concerning... Full story