Sorted by date Results 26 - 50 of 101
I had the honor and privilege to serve on the town council of Coulee Dam for six years. Mayor Snow represented the town with integrity at all times. The mayor does not make the decision of running the town. The council does. Mayor Snow has been vilified unfairly by his opponent. We do need four more years of honesty and integrity, not divisiveness. I strongly urge a vote for Quincy Snow to be reelected mayor. Ray Duclos... Full story
Hoping to make a bigger impact for local business and jobs, the chamber of commerce told Coulee Dam leaders last week of its more ambitious plans for marketing the area in 2014. Peggy Nevsimal, the manager of the Grand Coulee Dam Area Chamber of Commerce, said the chamber wants to buy more advertising on the west side of the state to market the area, but it takes a lot of money. Coulee Dam, like Electric City and Grand Coulee, collects hotel/motel taxes on every room rented in the town, the funds from which must be used to promote tourism.... Full story
Coulee Dam’s wastewater treatment project is apparently dead, at least for now. The town’s plan to build a $4.92 million plant was derailed by objections from town residents, and the council’s decision to go for a less expensive first phase was shot down by the state Department of Ecology. Council members appeared stunned last Wednesday night when a letter from the DOE, the lending agency, stated that the town’s interest in a scaled down project was denied. “To change the scope of a funded project after it has gone through a statewide...
Late mail ballots in last week’s primary election didn’t change those who will advance to the general election in November. Coulee Dam Mayor Quincy Snow faces an uphill battle to retain his seat after Greg Wilder had over a 100-vote margin going into the finals. Wilder, who has challenged the town of Coulee Dam over its wastewater treatment plant plans, gained the favor of voters, receiving 177 votes to Snow’s 66. A third candidate, Shawn Derrick, a newcomer to politics in the town, garnered 23 votes. In Nespelem School Board races, for the P... Full story
Challenger Greg Wilder garnered 67 percent of the primary vote ended Tuesday night to place himself solidly in the general election race against Coulee Dam Mayor Quincy Snow. A third candidate, Shawn Derrick, placed third with 17 votes. Wilder picked up 160 primary votes to Snow’s 61. “I think the people sent a clear message,” Wilder said Tuesday night after the returns came in. The final count will be made on Friday, allowing time for ballots mailed at the last minute, Okanogan County election officials stated. A total of 238 ballots had b... Full story
Ballots go out this Friday to begin an 18-day primary election period. Mail in ballots must be postmarked by Aug. 6, the final primary election day, to be counted. Coulee Dam’s mayor position is center stage with three candidates vying for the town’s top position. The primary election will pare the candidates to the two top vote getters, who will face off in the November general election. Incumbent Quincy Snow goes after his fifth four-year term as mayor. He is being challenged by community act... Full story
A request to the town of Coulee Dam for public records, coupled with a possible misunderstanding of who the requestor was, has led the mayor to step squarely into the middle of a perpetual fight in the state Legislature between cities and open government advocates as a “poster boy” for the latter. The Association of Washington Cities (AWC) made “relief from harassing and abusive public records requests” a top priority in Olympia this year, citing claims of prison inmates and others filing requests just to harass officials at great expense to ta... Full story
The state’s Transportation Improvement Board awarded 100% funding to convert existing street lights in Coulee Dam to lower energy technology. The council Wednesday night quickly OK’d approval of the grant and for Mayor Quincy Snow to execute the agreement. The maximum amount of the grant is $252,000, and the grant has been pending for several weeks. The grant announcement comes after the Transportation Improvement Board (TIB) did a feasibility study of the town. Coulee Dam is one of six cities or towns in the state to receive the energy sav... Full story
Juan Moreno opened his all new Melody Restaurant in Coulee Dam Monday. He is open for both breakfast and lunch, opening at 6 a.m. to catch workers who have to eat out before going to their job, and closing after the lunch trade. Shuttered for 14 months after the last proprietors went out of business, The Melody is now new in a number of ways. The old-style booths are gone and those patronizing the restaurant will be seated at tables scattered in the attractive dining room. Seating capacity is... Full story
Ten Years Ago Armed with only garden hoses, several Coulee Dam residents helped prevent a fire from destroying two Coulee Dam homes last Friday. Coulee Dam Mayor Quincy Snow said strong winds knocked a poplar tree over on Yucca Street. That caused a short in the line at the pole behind Dennis King’s home at 702 Tulip Street and started the fire. Village Cinema - Movie of the week: Bruce Almighty. Starting next year, when a student puts money into a vending machine to buy a candy bar, someone will keep a closer eye on how it’s counted. That’s on... Full story
Chamber calls economic development meeting Inviting all local city elected officials, anyone who generates hotel/motel taxes, plus others, the chamber of commerce has called an economic development meeting for Monday at 2 p.m. at the Grand Coulee Dam Middle School library. How to increase tourism was one of four main topics to pursue that came out of a meeting several weeks ago with the Bureau of Reclamation. The meeting will be facilitated by Steve Becker, the director of marketing at Coulee Medical Center. It will also be attended by Edward... Full story
The July 4 “Festival of America” music in the park program will stretch over three days, Coulee Dam Mayor Quincy Snow, the organizer of the music, said last week. Music will begin Thursday, July 4, at 5 p.m., in the park below the Visitor Center, and conclude on Saturday, July 6, with a 6 p.m. presentation by The Cruizers. Kayla Newland, well known to coulee music lovers, and a local to boot, kicks off the music Thursday, July 4 at 5 p.m., bringing her country music theme to the park. At 6:30 p.m., reggae artist Raggs Gustaffe, will del... Full story
New activities will add to this year’s upcoming Festival of America, which will stretch over three days this year for the traditional July 4 celebration in the lower Visitor Center park below Grand Coulee Dam. Chamber of commerce Manager Peggy Nevsimal said a number of family-friendly, carnival-like games have been included this year on Saturday, July 6. Games include such events as a pie-eating contest, a ring toss, a dunk tank and a photo booth, among other activities. A fire truck will be on hand for kids to explore, Nevsimal stated. T... Full story
Coulee Dam’s town council voted to move ahead with an abbreviated wastewater treatment project at its meeting last Wednesday night. The decision didn’t make anyone completely happy, but the 4-1 vote will allow the immediate needs of the current wastewater treatment plant to be addressed. The lone “no” vote was cast by Councilmember Bob Poch, who, in explaining his vote, said there were too many “ifs, ands and buts” for him to support it. He stated that he felt something like Larry Holford, an Elmer City councilman, who asked the council to step... Full story
Dozens of local elected positions are among more than 3,000 in the state for which people interested in serving the public filed intentions to seek or keep office last week. Incumbents in Electric City fared best in primary election filings with no incumbents challenged. Mayor Gerald “Jerry” Sands will go after his second term, and council members John Nordine II, Bradley Parrish and Lonna Bussert all are unopposed. In Coulee Dam, three are running for mayor. Incumbent Mayor Quincy Snow is being challenged by F. Gregory Wilder and Shawn Der... Full story
Ten Years Ago The public has the chance to help determine what proposed playground changes will look like in Coulee Dam. The town council last week approved spending approximately $25,000 to purchase new playground equipment. A donation by General Electric Co. could ensure that this year’s Fourth of July festival will feature the largest fireworks show yet. Coulee Dam Mayor Quincy Snow said GE is donating $10,000 toward fireworks. And they’ll set up a 40-foot wood structure to support fireworks shaped into the GE logo in the staging area by... Full story
Candidates for upcoming elections are filing for positions on school boards, city councils, hospital boards and some junior taxing districts this week. In early filings, three have filed for positions in Hospital District 6. These include two incumbents, Kristen Hare and Jerry L. Kennedy. Betty Brueske has filed for a six-year short and full term on the local commission, which has one vacancy. John Nordine II, has filed for a four-year term on the Electric City council, a position he now holds. In Elmer City, Gail Morin, who is currently on... Full story
It was an unlikely night, with community activist Greg Wilder, who has opposed just about everything about Coulee Dam’s proposed wastewater treatment plant, going to work for the town. He isn’t being hired by the town, but he volunteered to raise the money for a alternative analysis study of the town’s current treatment plant plan. Town officials argued that they hadn’t pursued an alternative analysis, a study to see if the plant would be better located elsewhere, because of the cost, estimated at $25,000 to $50,000. Wilder who has argued... Full story
The largest producer of hotel/motel taxes in the area proposed changes to the way the funds are used at a meeting of some 20 community people Monday. Pat Welton, managing partner of Sunbanks Lake Resort, stated that the three local municipalities that collect the tax are currently “hoarding” the money and releasing it bit by bit. The fourth local community, Elmer City, doesn’t have any campgrounds or motels within its borders. Sunbanks, located inside Electric City’s boundaries, accounts for about $60,000 a year of the funds collected from th... Full story
The Regional Board of Mayors met and dismissed their meeting for lack of a quorum Monday afternoon. Only two of the four mayors showed up, Electric City’s Jerry Sands and Elmer City’s Mary Jo Carey. Both Coulee Dam’s Mayor Quincy Snow and Grand Coulee Mayor Chris Christopherson missed the meeting. Those attending did hear reports from the Delano Transfer Station. Grand Coulee produced some 759 tons of material for the transfer station, the leading city in the garbage department. Coulee Dam produced 602 tons of garbage, Electric City, 472 tons... Full story
The Regional Board of Mayors met and dismissed their meeting for lack of a quorum Monday afternoon. Only two of the four mayors showed up, Electric City’s Jerry Sands and Elmer City’s Mary Jo Carey. Both Coulee Dam’s Mayor Quincy Snow and Grand Coulee Mayor Chris Christopherson missed the meeting. Those attending did hear reports from the Delano Transfer Station. Grand Coulee produced some 759 tons of material for the transfer station, the leading city in the garbage department. Coulee Dam produced 602 tons of garbage, Electric City, 472 tons... Full story
Work on preparing the old Melody Restaurant for opening has been so extensive that the town of Coulee Dam has given the owner, Juan Moreno another month’s free rent in exchange for an extended contract. City officials pondered another problem at the restaurant site, which is owned by the town, in a 40-year-old, walk-in cooler and a same-age freezer. Public works director Barry Peacock told the council that each unit would cost the city $10,000 or more. Councilmember Bob Poch noted that probably neither unit was energy efficient and that parts t... Full story
Wooden sculptures in Mason City Park will get their final touches as a result of action of the Coulee Dam Town Council last Wednesday night. The sculptures were made from the trunks of two trees that blew over in a wild wind storm last year. The evergreens provided shade for the play and picnic areas in the park. The council voted to let a contract to cut the sculptures loose, and prepare the area around them so they could be bracketed down permanently. The contractor will pour a concrete pad for each of the trees and place crushed rock around... Full story
Coulee Dam may be in line for a grant that would replace all its street lights with energy saving systems. Public works director Barry Peacock told the town council last week that the town is entering phase two in a grant from the Transportation Improvement Board to replace some 300 town street lights with new energy efficient lights, including installation costs. Peacock said the new lights, if the grant progresses, will cut energy costs for the lights by 50 percent. He said the new fixtures cost about $400 each. He said the town was notified... Full story
So you always wanted to hold public office. Here’s your opportunity, as a host of city council, school board, hospital and port district offices will be up for grabs this year. Four mayor positions are up for election this year. Those mayorships currently held by mayors Jerry Sands of Electric City, Quincy Snow of Coulee Dam, Mary Jo Carey of Elmer City and Michael Blake of Nespelem are all up this year, all four-year terms. Council openings in Electric City and their terms include seats currently held by Bob Rupe (4 years), John Nordine (... Full story