News, views and advertising of the Grand Coulee Dam Area
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Spring Ahead Set your clocks ahead one hour Saturday night. Daylight Savings Time begins at 2 a.m. Sunday, March 10. City joins EDC The city council in Electric City voted last week to support Grant County’s Economic Development program with a donation of $497.50. The city is continuing its policy of supporting the work the group does to bring business and industry to the county. Hours racked up Lake Roosevelt seniors have completed 7,745 hours of community service during their four-year time at the school, Principal Brad Wilson reported in the... Full story
The explosion at Grand Coulee Dam this morning was not a transformer or a generator, but a line and equipment connecting the two. Conflicitng reports this morning suggested that one or the other had exploded, but in the smoke-filled building it was hard to tell initially just what had happened. Exactly what happened is still unkown, but a "bus," basically a large pipe that goes through the wall of the right powerhouse is destroyed. An engineer who had been inside the damage is much worse inside...
In this community, whose economy is based overwhelmingly on a federal payroll and outsourced contracts, not a lot is yet certain about how the latest fiscal political drama emanating from the other Washington will play out. “Sequestration” became the law of the land on March 1. An act passed by Congress in 2011 was designed to give time for Democrats and Republicans to agree on a path toward reducing the nation’s deficit spending. It imposes across-the-board budget cuts on everybody’s favorite federal programs. At the time, it was assumed... Full story
Workers at Crescent Bay fasten the tarp-like covering over high steel frames of a covering under which to assemble the new Keller ferry. Soon workers from Foss Maritime will be assembling the new “Sanpoil” ferry inside this protective space. They expect the first piece of the new ferry to arrive the middle of next week. The enclosure will allow workers to keep the space at least 60 degrees, the temperature necessary to weld the aluminum frame. The new ferry replaces the Martha S, the ferry tha... Full story
A rehash of Coulee Dam’s wastewater treatment plant project dominated the town’s regular council meeting last Wednesday night. Gray & Osborne engineers Jeff Stevens and John Wilson took the council and about 15 people who attended the meeting down memory lane, explaining the time frame and processes used to get the project where it is today. Just where it is, is a question that’s not easily answered. Gray & Osborne has been called off the design phase for three months while the town attempts to go through a “value engineering” process to help d... Full story
Gray & Osborne engineers outlined ways for Coulee Dam and Elmer City to get their monthly sewer rates down in a letter to Coulee Dam mayor Quincy Snow that was distributed after last Wednesday’s city council meeting. Coulee Dam residents currently pay $59 a month for sewer service and Elmer City pays $35 a month. Both towns will need to up their rates to pay a $4.92 million wastewater treatment plant loan. Engineer Jeff Stevens, in his letter, outlined a plan where the town of Coulee Dam would change its current funding source from the Departme... Full story
The local airport’s runways will be kept open in winter with a new snowplow. Port District 7 commissioners learned Thursday that they will get a new replacement truck with snow plow equipment, plus a building to house it. A $265,000 grant from the Federal Aviation Administration will pay for 90 percent of the cost of both projects. An additional 2.5 percent of the cost could come from the Washington State Department of Transportation’s airport division, and the port district will pick up the final 7.5 percent. Lisa Corcoran of the port’s engin... Full story
Car owners wait in line for a free car wash Friday at the end of a two-day free car wash event at Jack’s Four Corners. The giveaway followed a rebuild of the car wash and was a complete success, owner Jack Madsen said this week. The business handled 300 free car washes last Thursday and Friday, and raised some $700 for Lake Roosevelt High School’s athletic program. Madsen had advertised that there would be LRHS personnel on hand to accept donations. — Scott Hunter photo... Full story
A presenter from Northwest Medstar states her organization’s features to chamber of commerce members at their Thursday luncheon at Pepper Jack’s. She noted the airborne ambulance service’s advanced equipment, including night vision equipment that made it possible to land a helicopter near Ice Harbor with only the light of four cell phones to outline the landing area. — Scott Hunter photo... Full story
Coulee Dam officials did the math last week after someone said they thought Elmer City residents paid too much for Coulee Dam to handle the smaller town’s wastewater. The average amount per residential unit that Coulee Dam charges Elmer City is $18.78, town officials stated Friday, while Elmer City chages its customers $35. The average was calculated for the years 2008-2012. The billing issue came up at the Coulee Dam Town Council meeting last Wednesday when one speaker contended that Elmer City residents are getting charged about three t... Full story
Jerry Birdwell will resign as a Port District 7 commissioner effective April 1, he advised Chairman Orville Scharbach on Thursday. Birdwell stated Friday that he had a number of things going on that will require that he leave the board. He was named to the commission, which oversees the operation of the local airport and the golf course, last July after the resignation of Larry Maier. The board has been functioning with only two members since Stan Conklin, the third member, has been down south for the winter. Scharbach said the port plans to... Full story
Sensing a sticky wicket, Electric City Mayor Jerry Sands took the issue of joining the chamber of commerce off the city council’s agenda last Tuesday night and it will appear on the agenda again,March 12. The $100 joining fee got an immediate response from Councilmember Bob Rupe, who stated that the city had given the chamber a lot of money and they could take the membership fee out of that. Sands explained that the money given earlier was from its hotel/motel tax funds and was for promoting this area. He said the $100 fee was entirely d... Full story
Electric City’s Bob Rupe has asked that the city’s drug and alcohol policy be reviewed by attorneys so it includes the use of marijuana and other controlled substances. He wrote in a recommendation to the council that language be included in the city ordinance and in employee handbooks that makes the use of drugs, alcohol, and controlled substances a dismissal offense. “The purpose of these rules is to balance the personal rights of an individual and the right of Electric City … and help employees understand what conduct is expected and necessa... Full story
The Electric City Council has decided to cut its meetings from two a month to one. Mayor Jerry Sands said the city had caught up on updating its ordinances and got the arsenic treatment plant up and running, so the amount of business for the council in the city has diminished. The council has regularly met on the second and fourth Tuesday nights each month for decades, but now will meet only on the second Tuesday night of the month. The council also decided to change its meeting hour from 7 p.m. to 6 p.m. Electric City now joins Coulee Dam in... Full story
With the announcement least week of an upcoming vacancy on Port District 7’s commission, someone wishing to make a difference for the community got another opportunity. Port districts across the state vary in the services they offer, but can be a huge boon to economic development efforts for the communities they serve. “Economic development” may sound to some like a boring topic. Think about creating jobs instead. That’s what port districts in Quincy and Moses Lake have been doing after decades of planning and building. They’ve managed t... Full story
The main reason the trees were cut down is because they were rotten, and every time the wind blew large limbs were coming down and getting dangerous to anyone or anything there. I was told by BOR they did a core sample and found all the trees had rotten cores. In fact, one tree there had a large bull snake wintering in it. When they started cutting it down, he came out in the cold and got ran over. It was getting dangerous enough that the fish-feeding crew had to take caution when the wind was blowing. The other problem as the people living... Full story
Thank you to the following who read to our classes to celebrate Dr. Seuss's Read Across America. Your generosity of time and fun stories that you shared with our students made their day! Together we can all make a difference in our children's learning experience. With much appreciation to the following: Janice Archer, Frank Ayers, Joette Barry, Kathy Baty, Joyce Behrens, Linda Black, Fern Blaylock, Dodie Boyd, James Caddy, Diane Canady, Nancy Carlson, Karmen Cecil, Solveig Chaffee, Dennis Chambers, Judy Chambers, Joann Davidson,Keith Erickson,... Full story
In November 1982, our state’s unemployment rate peaked at 12.2 percent, the highest since the Great Depression. Interest on a fixed rate home loan was 13.4 percent, and an 11.5-percent inflation rate burned through our checkbooks. The economy was a mess. The impacts of President Ronald Reagan’s Economic Recovery Tax Act of 1981 hadn’t fully kicked in yet, and Gov. John Spellman (R) and the Legislature had repeatedly increased taxes and cut programs to balance the state’s budget. It was a bleak t... Full story
Ten Years Ago The roar of boat motors will fill the air of Banks Lake this summer as competitive boat racing returns to the Gand Coulee Dam area. The Northwest Water Competition is organizing the second annual “Racer Reunion Regatta” on June 14 and 15 at Sunbanks Resort said member Roy Mackey. Coulee Dam’s Douglas Park will soon be renovated to the way it looked when Grand Coulee Dam was built. The town council Wednesday approved a $121,427 bid from Ellensburg, Wash.-based MRM Const... Full story
A total of 18 girls each gained a title at the Feb. 16 Queen of Hearts pageant held at the Village Cinema. Organizer Heather Downs said it was standing room only at the theater, the use of which was donated for the event. Downs said the top overall title of “Coulee Sweetheart,” chosen by a secret judge, went to Melissa Merriman, of Electric City. Winners of each division were: Tiny Miss: Queen - Jaci Clark; Princess - Addison Marseilles; Jr. Princesses - Kimmie Thomason, Khloe Kelly. Petite Miss... Full story
February 26, 2013 – The Colville Confederated Tribes Business Council recognized and honored four long-time 4-H leaders for their volunteer service. During the (CDC) Community Development Committee meeting, Ben E. Marchand, Colville Business Council member & CDC chairman, welcomed guests and turned the floor over to Linda McLean, Colville Reservation-Ferry County Extension Educator, for introductions of visitors and to read the honoring speech. Those recognized for outstanding service were: I... Full story
Senior Meals Wed., March 6 - Dinner Beef Stroganoff over Noodles, Mixed Vegetables, Fruit Yogurt, Bread Pudding. Thurs, March 7 - Dinner Charlie Long’s Curried Chicken over a Bed of Rice, Carrot Salad, Veggies, Apple Surprise. Grocery Shopping & Errands with Sara. Fri., March 8 - Breakfast Biscuit & Sausage Gravy, Eggs, Peaches, Orange Juice. Mon., March 11 - Breakfast Bacon, French Toast, Fruit Bowl, Orange Juice. Tues., March 12 - Dinner Dorthea Grandorff’s Lasagna, Assorted Fruit & Jello Bar, Garlic Bread, Winter Blend Veggies, Rice & Rai... Full story
Chamber to Meet at La Presa The Grand Coulee Dam Area Chamber of Commerce will hold its regular meeting Thursday, March 7, at noon at La Presa in Grand Coulee. The program will be presented by Bob Valen, weather hobbyist. Lincoln County Fire Dist. 9 to Meet The Lincoln County Fire District 9 will hold its regular meeting on Thursday, March 14 at 6 p.m. in the Nazarene Church, just outside Grand Coulee. American Legion to Meet The American Legion will hold its regular meeting Tuesday, March 12, at 7 p.m. at the Vets Center in Electric. All veter... Full story
COLUMBIA LEAGUE TEAM W L Riverview Lanes 18 10 Galaxy Smokes 17.5 10.5 The OLDS 5 13 Don’t No’s 13 15 Rolling Thunder 9 19 High Game: Riverview Lanes 715; Vaughn Weed 232; Sara Zlateff 168 High Series: Riverview Lanes 1997; Dana Ingalls 582; Sara Zlateff 459 Splits: Sara Z. 3-10; Soy R. 3-10/2-7; Leo L. 2-7/2-7 MIXUPS TEAM W L Team III 59.5 36.6 Fighting Chipmunks 59 37 Flyin W 57.5 38.5 Fry Bread Power II 46.5 49.5 Ed’s Meat Market 436 60 Star Publishing 29.5 66.5 High Game: Team III 713; Briana Bob 222; Pat Zlateff 205 High Series: Team... Full story
The 2013 Kohl’s Cares® Scholarship Program will award $425,000 in scholarships and prizes to more than 2,300 young volunteers across the country. The Kohl’s Cares® Scholarship Program aims to honor youth who have made a positive impact in their communities. To nominate volunteers ages six to 18 for a Kohl’s Cares scholarship, visit kohlskids.com. Nominations will be accepted February 1 through March 15, and those wishing to nominate a youth volunteer must be 21 years or older. Contact: Lauren Murray, 414-227-3493, lmurray@c-... Full story