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 Regional Board of Mayors Monday approved a plan to have Sunrise Disposal provide backup hauling services for the Delano Transfer Station. The RBOM had advertised to find someone with a commercial driver’s license (CDL) who would be available to make occasional hauls to the Grant County Landfill, just out of Ephrata. There were no takers. The mayors were concerned with the need to have someone in place to drive the transfer truck when manager Randy Gumm was sick or on vacation. Under the agreement, if approved by the four city and town c... Full story
The Coulee Dam Town Council approved a chamber of commerce request to move its “beer garden” to the Melody Restaurant front parking lot during the upcoming Festival of American celebration. The beer garden will be open both Sunday and Monday, July 3 and 4. The chamber held its beer garden in the parking lot of the town’s maintenance garage last year. Some details are still being worked out, but the plan is for the Melody Restaurant to provide a light food menu during the hours the tent is in operation. The restaurant would also provide some... Full story
A highlight of this year’s 12th Annual Koulee Kids Fest will be two performances by the Wenatchee Youth Circus. And the performances are free! The popular youth circus will perform at both 2 p.m. and 6 p.m., at the Lake Roosevelt football field, Saturday, June 18. The Wenatchee group is sponsored by Coulee Dam Federal Credit Union as part of its 75th year anniversary celebration. There will be aerial arts, wire and fire acts, flying trapeze, acting, singing, clowning and other acts. Each summer the youth circus performs throughout the P... Full story
Grand Coulee residents could be looking at significant water and sewer rate increases soon. The city council, in its meeting June 21, will determine whether there will be incremental increases or if the city will make a significant increase. At the beginning of the meeting there will be a public hearing on rate adjustments. Councilmembers took a look at the problem at their May meeting when they learned that revenues from their water service were not sufficient to cover expenses. In 2015, water revenue was about $29,000 short of meeting... Full story
Electric City and Grand Coulee have agreed to disagree over the startup costs of the arsenic treatment plant. Grand Coulee argues that it has paid all but one month from Sept.1, 2014, when the two cities signed a new formal agreement about how charges are to be made. Electric City contends that Grand Coulee needs to pay its share of the maintenance and operation of the arsenic treatment plant from the time it started receiving treated water. The difference in time is about 18 months, and in money about $29,000. The two councils have turned the... Full story
Margo Piver, from the Walla Walla School District, will be the assistant principal at Lake Roosevelt Elementary School. The Grand Coulee Dam School District board decided May 23 to hire Piver, who has had extensive experience in special education, as well as in early childhood and behavior support, according to school district sources. She will take over her new duties for the 2016-17 school year. Piver replaces Nate Piturachsatit in that position. Piver earned her bachelor of science degree in... Full story
What happens when the area’s best bull riders face the area’s meanest bulls? You can find out, Friday, June 17, at the Ridge Rider Rodeo Grounds, when the Fifth Annual Memorial Cleatis Lacy Bull Riding event is held. Ridge Rider officials have posted some $2,500 added money for the bull riders, which is attracting interest in the Lacy event. Lacy, a “cowboy’s cowboy,” was a regular on the rodeo circuit, both participating and helping in the chutes. He died in 2011, at 89, living his last 65 years in Grand Coulee. Bulls for the event are being s... Full story
The 2015-16 influenza season is past, according the Grand County Health District, but people are cautioned to get their flu shots when they are available for the next flu season. Health Officer Dr. Alexander Brzezny said this week that reports of flu have settled down in numbers to the pre-epidemic level. During the influenza season, Grant County Health District received notification of 396 positive influenza lab reports. Brzezny stated that it isn’t uncommon for the flu season to last until mid-May. GCHD has only received one positive i... Full story
The Ridge Riders are putting the final touches on the Cleatis Lacy Memorial Bull Ride, coming to the rodeo grounds Friday, June 17, at 7 p.m. Lacy, a well-known rodeo cowboy from Grand Coulee, died May 14, 2011, at 89. He was still involved in helping on the rodeo circuit at the time. This will be the fourth annual bull ride honoring Lacy, who was a long-time rodeo participant, starting at an early age. As a youth, his family gave him the nickname “cowboy” because he rode every animal on the farm — calves, pigs, sheep and an old pony. Lacy... Full story
The Almira Community Church may become the new owner of the formerly Presbyterian Coulee Dam Community Church in Coulee Dam. Jerry Kennedy, who sits on the Presbyterian advisory committee, said last Tuesday that the current owners of the church are willing to gift it to the Almira Community Church. "They have all the resources that we needed, but didn't have," said Kennedy, who attended church there. Almira Community Church Pastor Paul McArthur said last Thursday that his church looks forward... Full story
Where would you like to spend your 100th birthday? Edwin Kerns, from Odessa, turned 100 last Wednesday, and he returned to Grand Coulee Dam, where he has spent his birthday for the last several years. There's a purpose to the visit. Kerns worked on the dam, starting in 1935, and spent four years here. Kerns is the oldest living person who worked during construction of the dam, according to CNN, Kerns stated. "They interviewed me and told me I was the oldest survivor," he said. He plans on... Full story
The Grand Coulee Dam School District received a clean audit for its financial statements and for federal grant compliance for 2015, according to a preliminary report that was shared with the school board last Tuesday night. The audit from the Washington State Auditor’s office cost the district an estimated $9,500. The report stated that the next audit will be in 2017, and cover accountability for public resources, financial statements and federal programs. The district was advised that this future audit would cost about $19,500. The current a... Full story
Grand Coulee Dam School District’s board of directors hired Menehune Consultants, LLC, of Electric City, Monday night, to help with the transition of changing superintendents in the district. Principal party in the firm is Dr. Dennis Carlson, the present superintendent. Board member Ken Stanger said it would be very helpful for Carlson to assist in the changing of administrations and that the new superintendent, Paul Turner, welcomed the decision, providing a mentor for the initial changeover period. “I want to utilize Dr. Carlson’s contacts, a... Full story
Fireworks will be prohibited in Grand Coulee without a permit after an ordinance passed last week takes effect next year. The city council passed a new fireworks ordinance May 17, banning fireworks without a permit. The ordinance does not go into effect for a year, City Clerk Carol Boyce said. The new ordinance prohibits the sale and use of fireworks in the city except for limited purposes or in specific locations authorized by a city-issued permit for a public display after review by local fire officials. The exception is North Dam Park, where... Full story
Nineteen new flags will be dedicated during the "Isle of Flags" Memorial Day ceremony next Monday, May 30, at Spring Canyon Cemetery. Flags for the following are being dedicated: Harold A. Blanchard, Bruce A. Brandstrom, Alfred Braaten, R.I. Button, Warren H. Byam, James Bradley "Brad" Combs, Douglas Gronski, William R. Hart, Jack A. Hilson, James Timothy Hurley, David A. Kelley, Marvin E. Kuest, Aleck T. Musyt, Diana M. Meyer, Leon Lee Nuehring, W. "Steve" Nuehring, Clark C. Reynolds, Ernie... Full story
A move is currently underway to get a people’s initiative on the ballot in November that deals with giving grandparents and other family members the right to visit children where relationships have been severed by death, divorce, or disagreement. Initiative 1431, if passed by voters, would restore an earlier law that allowed relatives to petition the court for visitation rights. Carol Winfrey, a local Farmers Insurance agent, took up the cause recently and is trying to create interest in the initiative. Before the initiative could be presented... Full story
A trip by the senior class at Lake Roosevelt High School to San Francisco was approved the the school board May 23. The trip had been outlined to the board earlier, but approval was held up pending completion of paperwork. The board learned that 25 seniors have signed up for the trip and will take off for California on Sunday, May 29, along with five adults who will be accompanying this year’s senior class. The seniors and adult chaperones will leave by school bus at 3:30 a.m., Sunday to go to Seattle, where they will catch a flight to San Jose... Full story
The chamber of commerce has signed a contract with Electric City for use of the city’s hotel/motel tax dollars for 2016. The contract is for nearly $27,000, to cover qualified promotional expenses for the Grand Coulee Dam Area Chamber of Commerce to advertise various festivals in the area. The contract had been issued early in the year and returned in April, but with its language altered in a bid to loosen up restrictions on the use of the money. The Electric City Council voided the contract because of the language being altered. Everything i... Full story
The chamber of commerce’s 2016 contract with Electric City, good for nearly $27,000 for advertising use, was voided last Tuesday night by city council members because the wording of the contract returned to the city in April had been altered. The city is sending out the original contract again this week. If it isn’t signed and returned, the hotel/motel funds will continue to remain with the city. The council had agreed to provide the Grand Coulee Dam Area Chamber of Commerce $30,000 for this year but would take back $3,208.51, the amount the... Full story
About 40 people showed up Saturday at the Vet's Center to hear and take part in discussions about the revitalization of Electric City. The meeting, the first of two scheduled, was to get input on what residents would like to see in the future for the city. Washington State University professor Kathleen Ryan conducted the meeting after Electric City Deputy Clerk Russell Powers explained the reason for the meeting - to get ideas from the public of what they would like to see Electric City become... Full story
The Mobile Food Bank of 2nd Harvest will distribute free produce, nutritious perishable products and other groceries for families in need at Zion Lutheran Church, Tuesday, May 24 from 10 a.m. to noon. Last year’s 2nd Harvest visit distributed 7,230 pounds of vegetables and perishable foods, and officials here said that about 10,000 pounds of free food should be available this year. Those attending the free food distribution are asked to bring their own boxes. This year, there will be two such free distributions of food by 2nd Harvest. The s... Full story
All of the incumbents who filed for re-election in the Colville Tribal Business Council primary election last week made it into the general election, scheduled for June 17. Only one councilmember up for election, Nancy Johnson, for the Nespelem District Position 2 seat, did not file. The top vote getters for that seat — Sheliah Cleveland with 177 votes, and Brian Nissen, a three-time former council member with 164 votes — will make it into the June general election. Others in that race were Charlene E. Bearcub, 151 votes; Cory Christman, 114... Full story
The Regional Board of Mayors learned Monday of a proposed Banks Lake Pumped Storage Project that could employ 2,500 people during construction and end up providing permanent employment for 150-200 workers. Columbia Basin Hydropower managers told the mayors that the project could run as high as $1 billion and take several years to complete. The target date for completion would be 2025, representatives stated. But there’s a long way to go before anything could be declared “shovel ready.” The permit process and finding the money for the proje... Full story
A risky first-time replacement to the traditional Colorama carnival came through as a big positive for most families with children and even helped the fund-raiser's bottom line, the chamber of commerce reported Tuesday. The Fun Zone, home to nine big, inflatable slide-and-jump attractions, was a major hit with families, Peggy Nevsimal, executive director of the Grand Coulee Dam Area Chamber of Commerce stated Tuesday. The rented attractions were a last-minute replacement for the carnival, which... Full story
A young driver died as a result of a single-car accident 10 miles north of Nespelem Sunday afternoon. The Washington State Patrol said the car, driven by Thomas C. Jacobs, 17, Tonasket, was going too fast for road conditions in the area. The driver was taken to Coulee Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead. The WSP said the 1996 Honda Civic was southbound about 3:17 p.m. on highway 155 near milepost 55, when the driver failed to negotiate a curve, lost control and struck a tree.... Full story