News, views and advertising of the Grand Coulee Dam Area
News, views and advertising of the Grand Coulee Dam Area
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Officials for the barely funded public agency currently responsible for managing the park that holds major events in the area said Tuesday they may have to close it down. North Dam Park, which is owned by the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation but managed by the Coulee Area Park and Recreation District (CAPRD) is the venue for events like Colorama, Run the Dam, summer softball and baseball games, a skate park, the Gehrke Windmills display, countless private events, and more. But CAPRD commissioners Brian Warneke and Kevin Porch said Tuesday that USBR... Full story
NOTICE INVITING BIDS Grand Coulee Dam Airport – Electric City, Washington Airfield Pavement Maintenance Project FAA/AIP 3-53-0025-014-2022 OWNER: Grant County Port District #7 P.O. Box 616 Grand Coulee, Washington 99133 Separate Sealed BIDS for the: Grand Coulee Dam Airport, Electric City, Washington, Airfield Pavement Maintenance Project, FAA/AIP 3-53-0025-014-2022 will be received by the Owner at the Office of the Airport Manager at the Grand Coulee Dam Airport, Ludolph Road, Electric City, Washington 99123 until 2:00 p.m., Thursday March 24,... Full story
The current runaround faced by the local Regional Board of Mayors points to a structural problem we’ve tried to work around before and failed. The RBOM, itself, was created as an end run around the reality that this is a community split by municipal boundaries drawn in a time when they may have made perfect sense but no longer do. That group of four mayors was formed so we could have and operate a landfill, with all four towns paying their fair share. It has worked for decades and might possibly work for decades more. But not well, and with f...
Ben Hughes, running for Grand Coulee City Council, picks his battles when it comes to the issues, and among them is consolidation of Grand Coulee with Electric City. "I love the town, I want to help," Hughes told The Star on Tuesday about why he's running. "We have a really beautiful town full of great people and I want to help those people live a better quality of life if I can." Hughes, who has lived in Grand Coulee since 2015, is interested in bringing in businesses to the community, which...
At least three areas in the surrounding countryside are used locally as shooting ranges, possibly all illegally. That may offer an opportunity to improve. Last week, a firefighter friend in Ephrata noted he and his fellow firefighters had been listening to their scanners expecting to be called by Electric City to help fight the Osborn Bay fire. He was surprised to learn it had started from the spark of a ricochet in an outdoor, unofficial, make-do shooting area. “Around here, we shoot at the (real) shooting range,” he said. Washington Fla...
Candidate Filing Week is May 17-21, and the Office of the Secretary of State is joining county election offices across Washington to accept applications for public office, including about 30 local positions in the Grand Coulee Dam area. “People who run for public office and serve as an elected official have an opportunity to help shape the future of our state, counties, and communities,” said Secretary of State Kim Wyman. “Most of these offices up for election this year are local and have the greatest impact on people’s daily lives.” There are...
The need for a community basketball court was discussed at a parks district meeting last week. Commissioners for the Coulee Area Park and Recreation District met on March 10 via Zoom for the first time since December. Commissioners discussed pursuing grants for projects in North Dam Park, such as for new playground equipment, which was a top priority for respondents to a poll The Star conducted in December. Respondents to that poll also expressed wanting a full-size basketball court, with the current single basketball hoop at the park, on a...
Locals have a lot of ideas for their North Dam Park, a Star survey reveals, including lights, updated playground equipment, a dog park, outdoor movies, and more. Last week, The Star reported on a meeting between Coulee Area Park and Recreation District commissioners in which they discussed areas for improvement at the park, and the need to look into grants to help pay for those improvements. The Star then shared a survey online asking readers their opinions on the commissioners' ideas, and to...
Would you like it if North Dam Park had new tennis courts, lighted ball fields, new playground equipment, and more flowers? We want to know. Commissioners for The Coulee Area Parks and Recreation District last week discussed improvements that could be made at North Dam Park, which it manages. The improvements could potentially be paid for, at least in part, with money from various grants. The commissioners at their Dec. 9 meeting agreed to each look into various estimates for certain improvements to gain firmer cost ideas for any grant writing... Full story
Local boards and councils have been holding telephonic and internet-based meetings, on orders from the governor, so that business can still get done while social distancing during the coronavirus pandemic. But there’s a limit on what’s allowed in such meetings. A Grand Coulee Dam School District board meeting was held on March 23 using Zoom, video conferencing software that allows people to attend a meeting electronically. A Coulee Area Park & Recreation District meeting is also scheduled over Zoom for today. The April 13 Regional Board of May... Full story
The bathrooms at North Dam Park are closed, but the park itself is open. Commissioners for the Coulee Area Parks and Recreation District voted to close the bathrooms at North Dam Park during an April 8 meeting held via Zoom, the video conferencing app frequently being used during the social distancing of the coronavirus pandemic. The park itself is still open. Other projects the group is interested in pursuing, such as bringing swimming lessons to Spring Canyon, as well as installing an electric vehicle charging station at North Dam Park, are... Full story
Coulee Area Park and Recreation District (CAPRD) SEEKING VENDOR Coulee Area Park and Recreation District (CAPRD) is seeking a vendor for grounds maintenance at North Dam Park, Grand Coulee, WA The time frame for 2020 contract runs from mid-April through the end of October. The selected vendor will provide maintenance of the park in the areas listed below. The budget for this seasonal project will not exceed 22,000 dollars. We reserve the right to extend this contract for up to two years. • Mowing of all cultivated lawn areas -- picnic s... Full story
Lincoln County jail stats noted Lincoln County Sheriff Wade Magers reported Friday that the county jail held 755 inmates in 2019, which, classified by crime, included: • Dept. of Corrections Detainer — 45% • Pre-Sentence Felon —13% • Pre-Sentence Criminal Misdemeanor — 12% • Pre-Sentence Traffic Misdemeanor — 9% • Other holds, including non-DOC Contract Agencies 9% • Pre-Sentence DUI — 7% • Post-Sentence Felon — 6% • Post-Sentence Traffic Misdemeanor — 4% • Post-Sentence Criminal Misdemeanor — 4% • Post-Sentence DUI — 3%. The jail is...
Grant County Conservation District PUBLIC NOTICE The Grant County Conservation District Board of Supervisors hereby informs the voting public that the incumbent has been re-elected to the currently open seat by reason of being the only person filing for the position by the filing deadline. Therefore, no poll site, absentee balloting or mail balloting will be performed pursuant to WAC 135-110-370. For further information, please contact the District at (509) 765-9618. (Publish February 5, 2020) PUBLIC NOTICE The Grant County roadside spray... Full story
The man in charge of sports in the local school district took on an extra volunteer role Monday night. Tim Rasmussen stepped into a vacant commissioner spot for the Coulee Area Park and Recreation District on Jan. 20 at a special meeting of the district commissioners. The spot had been vacant since September, when former commissioner Josh Vega joined the Air Force. "We've been looking for somebody to fill the shoes," Chairman Kevin Porch said. Rasmussen, who is the athletic director for the...
Notice of Change of Regular Meeting Date Public Hospital District No. 6, Douglas, Grant, Lincoln, & Okanogan Counties, WA Public Hospital District No. 6, Douglas, Grant, Lincoln and Okanogan Counties, Washington; which operates Coulee Medical Center and Coulee City Medical Clinic, will be changing the regular board meeting date for the month of December. The next Board meeting will be held Friday, January 10th at 8 am in the Coulee Medical Center Training Room. (Publish December 18, 25 and 31, 2019) Colville Indian Housing Authority Request... Full story
Grant County Mosquito Control District #2 Surplus Sale The Board of Trustees for Grant County Mosquito Control District #2 has authorized the sale of the following “as is” items by sealed bid: 2000 Ford Ranger 4x4 with 57,000 miles (minimum bid of $3,500) 6’x4’ storage shed with open front 13 gallons of cement floor paint Bids are due by Wednesday January 8, 2020 at 4:00 PM and will be opened at the regular meeting on Thursday January 9, 2020. Mail bids to GCMCD#2 – PO Box 8 – Electric City, WA 99123 and include contact information... Full story
The Grand Coulee City Council voted Nov. 19 to partially fund several requests from other organizations. From the city’s “stadium tax fund,” also known as lodging or hotel/motel tax fund, the city agreed to donate $8,000 to the Grand Coulee Dam Area Chamber of Commerce for tourism promotion, $7,000 to The Ridge Riders for tourism promotion, and $4,000 to the Coulee Area Park & Recreation District. CAPRD manages North Dam Park, where several local events are held in addition to the recreation offered by the park. Additionally, the council appro...
Town of Nespelem Notice of Public Hearings Notice is hereby given that the Town of Nespelem will hold a Preliminary Budget Hearing on Wednesday, November 13, 2019, 5:00 PM at Town Hall. Copies of the 2020 Preliminary Budget are available at Town Hall during normal business hours. All interested persons will be given the opportunity to provide either written or oral comments concerning the 2020 Budget at said Preliminary Budget Hearing. Notice is hereby given that the Town of Nespelem will hold a Final Budget Hearing on Wednesday, December 11,... Full story
Notice of Public Budget Hearing and Change of Regular Meeting Time Public Hospital District No. 6, Douglas, Grant, Lincoln, & Okanogan Counties, Washington Public Hospital District No. 6, Douglas, Grant, Lincoln and Okanogan Counties, Washington; which operates Coulee Medical Center and Coulee City Clinic, will conduct a public hearing on the proposed 2020 budget for the aforementioned facilities. The hearing, open to the public, is Monday, November 25th 2019 at 5:45pm in the Public Conference Area, 411 Fortuyn Road, Grand Coulee, Washington.... Full story
The Electric City Council Tuesday voted to spend $338,550 of funds collected for improving tourism, most of it on a city park, departing from years of what some saw as an overly stingy practice. The new Ice Age Park, for which city officials turned ceremonial shovels of dirt at a ground-breaking event last week, will include features such as a mammoth head in the playground, a fossil digging area, and more, designed to cater to local kids and tourists alike. Including the park, the city will spend 85 percent of the funds on its own tourism init...
In North Central Washington, the Columbia River is the cornerstone of life. But even more important is the infrastructure that makes up the Columbia Basin Project. Grand Coulee dam provides electricity, flood control, and recreation and the ditches and canals deliver water to fields — all critical to the economic vitality of our communities. In the 1930s, President Roosevelt had the vision. The Columbia Basin Project would bring families to settle the land, make it productive, and supply the country with food. At the same time our country n...
Wouldn’t it be nice if a kid could take swim lessons in the Coulee area? Swimming and boating are a big part of our recreatio,n after all. Local woman Lonna Bussert is looking into the logistics of the effort after parents in the area told her they were taking their kids to Wilbur for swim lessons, which made her realize the need for lessons here. The Coulee Area Park and Recreation District is interested in, and looking into, sponsoring the program, according to Commissioner Kevin Portch. Bussert, who also serves on the Electric City Council,...
Brian Warnecke has been appointed as a new commissioner for the Coulee Area Park and Recreation District following the resignation of longtime member Bob Valen. Valen still intends to be available to consult with other members of the group. Commission President Kevin Portch praised Valen’s wealth of knowledge on topics related to the district. Warnecke spoke about his family’s long history in the area, his love of baseball and softball, being born in the local hospital, and other community involvement such as working for UPS for 19 years and...
Several local offices up for election with no one running have necessitated a special filing period. The special filing period has been set in Okanogan and Grant counties for Aug. 21-23. A four-year position for a Coulee Dam Town Council member is open, as is a four-year term on the Elmer City Council. But in Nespelem, no one has filed for a two-year mayoral term or for five council positions —three four-year terms and two two-year terms. A four-year school director position in the Grand Coulee Dam School District is still open. And a f...