News, views and advertising of the Grand Coulee Dam Area
News, views and advertising of the Grand Coulee Dam Area
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Grand Coulee and Electric City will soon be back trying to negotiate a new police contract. Earlier in the year, the Electric City Council decided to make an agreement with Coulee Dam for police services. But the agreement was never signed. The issue took a turn when meetings with regional law enforcement officers revealed that problems with how the Okanogan County dispatch is set up might cause delays in Coulee Dam’s ability to make rapid response to emergencies. Last Tuesday night Grand Coulee Mayor Pro Tem Paul Townsend instructed his law e...
Pride in their community was the overall theme of the town council candidate forum in Coulee Dam last Thursday night. Three of six candidates showed up and had an opportunity to connect with some 15 people who attended. One candidate, David Schmidt, spoke of maintaining the appearance of the town, one of its greatest assets. He proposed more attention to parks, sidewalks and trees. Schmidt serves on the Natural Resources (tree) board. Another candidate, Herb Sherburne, who serves on the town Civ...
A group of Tilmus Street residents in Coulee Dam asked the town council for better care of the sycamore trees lining the street. They said the trees, which once were taken care of regularly by the town, have become overgrown and possibly dangerous. “They’re the worst I’ve seen them since I’ve lived on Tilmus … since 1966,” said Merv Schmidt, a former town council member. “Why we got out of the plan of taking care of our trees on an annual basis, I’d like to know.” Mayor Greg Wilder said the town’s volunteer board dedicated to tree issues has...
Cody Wilson gives local teenagers a lesson on how to scare people at their assigned posts in a haunted house at the Grand Theatre on Grand Coulee's Main Street. Wilson said the theater has 18 youth volunteering at the event, which started Monday night and opens each night at 7 p.m. through Friday, Oct. 30. - Scott Hunter photo...
Moose Lodge offers party for kids You are all invited to the Moose Lodge Halloween day party, an event especially designed for kids. The event will be from noon to 3 p.m. at the lodge, 216 Continental Heights in Grand Coulee. They’ll offer ghoulish games, a freaky fun cake walk and frightening food. Wear your Halloween costume because there will be a “best costume” contest. Parents are advised to attend and to supervise their children. Summer hours remain at transfer station The Regional Board of Mayors has agreed to make the summer hours...
The Electric City Council has passed a “complete streets” ordinance that will enable the city to move forward with a half-million-dollar pathway project. Phase one of the project would connect Coulee Playland and North Dam Park and is estimated to cost about $500,000. The overall project is estimated at $2.5 million to $3 million. Councilmember Brad Parrish has stated that the pathway could eventually connect Sunbanks Lake Resort to North Dam Park. The ordinance reads: “The City of Electric City shall, to the maximum extent practical, scope...
Grand Coulee Dam School District Superintendent Dennis Carlson submitted his letter of resignation Monday night to the school board. He will remain until his current contract expires June 30, 2016. In his letter, Carlson stated that “it has been an incredible journey where I have met and worked with some incredible and dedicated people to change the face of our school and positively impact our community.” When Dr. Carlson came to the district, he had only planned to be here a short time. But a massive building project got in the way, and, in...
Those falling leaves! You can do something about them in November when the Regional Board of Mayors have their free dump at the Delano Regional Transfer Station, Nov. 14 – 21. The governing board has set two free dates each year in an effort to help residents get rid of their lawn and garden waste. The other one is in the spring. The transfer station will allow residents within the garbage district to bring their lawn and garden debris to Delano and discard it without charge. There are a few regulations, though. It’s yard waste only. Off...
Residents of Coulee Dam will have an opportunity to get to know at least some of their candidates for city council positions in the November 3rd election. A forum will be held beginning at 6 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 22, in the community room at city hall. Scott Hunter, publisher of The Star newspaper, will act as moderator of the event. Six candidates running for the three open council positions have been invited to participate in the forum, but only three plan to attend. Candidates will have an opportunity to provide information about themselves...
A training program at Lake Roosevelt Schools has inspired dozens of teenagers to get up early to work out before school every day, for no credit. "We bring a culture," said former professional football player Nathan Overbay, now a key trainer with Advanced Performance X-Train, or APX. The company that began in 2007 is in 60 high schools, clubs and sports programs, offering training and nutrition programs. "It's probably the top training facility in the Pacific Northwest right now," said Loren...
When the mayor of Coulee Dam told the town council last week that consolidating police services might not go anywhere for years, they asserted it was worth pushing for anyway. Mayor Greg Wilder filled the council in on talks he’d had with Grant County and Okanogan County officials concerning the details of police dispatch if Coulee Dam Police were to serve Electric City. The two municipalities have emergency services dispatched from different county centers, creating technical issues and possibly long delays on some calls. He wanted to e...
The Regional Board of Mayors effort to begin a recycling program is in a tailspin. Even its chairman, Electric City Mayor John Nordine III, said he wasn’t in favor of it. The mayors had agreed to take the recycling issue to their respective councils, getting permission to purchase a $13,000 recycling bin. The first town to address the issue was Elmer City. Its council didn’t even vote on it and said no thanks. Electric City’s council was cool to the idea and was fearful that it would force garbage rates to increase. Councilmember Richard McGui...
A conditional-use permit may be the best way Grand Coulee can move forward to allow a Grand Coulee couple to purchase Center School. Mervin and MaryJo Monteith appeared before the planning commission last week to pursue interest in putting in a fiber processing center in the old Center School building. The city’s planning commission was unable to move forward on the issue because only Chairman Tammara Byers was present for the meeting. The city did have its planner, Jerry Litt, of SCJ Alliance, at the meeting, trying to walk the re-zone r...
Perpetual summer hours for trash The governing Regional Board of Mayors agreed last week to make year-round what have previously been summer-only hours at the Delano Regional Transfer Station. Beginning Nov. 1, hours will be from 8 a.m. to noon on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday; and 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday. The extended program will cost about $2,000 per year more than the current expense. Fall cleanup dates this year will be Nov. 14–21, when residents can bring their garden waste to the transfer station without charge. School y...
Some people are lucky and choose vocations that are also their hobbies. That's true with Dennis Buchanan, who owns and runs Buchanan Armory in Electric City. "I've always loved guns," he said Tuesday. Buchanan came to the area after applying for and getting a position with the Bureau of Reclamation. That was from 2007 to 2010. The new gunsmith (he has been open nearly a year) has a small shop on the highway across from the Vet Center. Got a trigger problem with your gun? He can fix it. He loves...
Electric City struck down its own “longevity pay schedule” at its meeting last week. The city had passed a resolution in 2002, initiated by then-mayor Ray Halsey, affirming the benefits of attracting and keeping key employees by giving them a longevity pay raise after 25 and 30 years employment. Halsey at the time wanted a method to keep key employees on the job, and thought that a bump in pay was the way to do that. The resolution grandfathered in employees who had 10 years in at the time of the resolution. Two employees have benefited fro...
Police and school officials followed up on what they thought was a threat against Lake Roosevelt Schools last Friday. According to a police report, Vice Principal Paul Turner received a call from a person in Bridgeport who said he had overheard what he thought was a threat against the school. He had attended a volleyball match Thursday evening and recounted to Turner what he overheard between two male students. Police were called and school personnel locked outer doors to make sure they knew who was in the building. Meanwhile, security camera...
We've got some good shots from this weeks's football and volleyball games. Which ones do you think should make into Wednesday's paper? Click the i in the slide show below to get the image number. Let us know what you think: - star@grandcoulee.com - www.facebook.com/GrandCouleeStar - @culestar - or in the comments below. You can also click on the Find Your Photos ad at right to search our archives....
Students at a Lake Roosevelt High School physical education class take part in a training regimen that has teenagers showing up, for no credit, to exercise long before school starts. Find out why in next week's Star article on APX. - Scott Hunter photo...
The family of a woman killed while fighting a local wildfire 25 years ago is hoping a new fire station planned by the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation could be named after her. Toni Godsil died Aug. 6, 1990, while fighting a wildland fire in Douglas County with the Grand Coulee Volunteer Fire Department when wind shifted and the flames caught up to her. “She was the first female firefighter to be hired by the government into a program to be a 24-hour firefighter,” said her daughter, Danielle Townsend. “I just think that she really deserves some...
Residents of Coulee Dam will have an opportunity to get to know at least some of their candidates for town council positions in the Nov. 3 election. The forum will be held beginning at 6 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 22, at the community room at city hall. Scott Hunter, publisher of The Star newspaper, will serve as moderator of the event. Candidates, six of whom are running for the three open council positions, have been invited to participate in the forum, but only three plan to attend. Candidates will have an opportunity to provide information about t...
The Regional Board of Mayors’ limited recycling project never made it out of the chutes before it was shot down by Elmer City’s town council. The RBOM had proposed the purchase of a 30 cubic yard, $13,000 recycling bin. The four mayors were to take the proposal to their councils. The first to try to do so was Mayor Gail Morin, who explained to her council that Elmer City’s prorated share of the bin’s cost was $780. The council said “no.” The proposal had Sunrise Disposal hauling recyclables to Okanogan’s recycling place for a charge of $74 an h...
Center School zone on agenda Grand Coulee’s Planning Commission meets at 5:30 p.m. tonight (Wednesday) at city hall. Among items to be discussed is a zoning change for Center School, which the Grand Coulee Dam School District is trying to sell. Anyone wanting to use the building for something other than a school is reluctant to bid on it under its current zoning. The public is welcome to attend. Bridges near Nespelem closed or restricted In a press release sent about 5 p.m. Monday, Okanogan County Public Works said one bridge near Nespelem w...
A marijuana retail store in Grand Coulee is now possible. The city council removed any roadblocks by a 3-2 vote last week. The Oct. 6 vote took the words “federal law” out of the city ordinance and declared that if a business license application met state law restrictions, a license “must” be issued. Prior to this vote, a decision on such an application had rested with the city clerk. Although federal law does not allow marijuana sales, the U.S. attorney general has made it clear the Justice Department will not pursue prosecutions in states...
A house fire Sunday at 228 B Continental Heights that did major damage to the interior is still under investigation, according to Grand Coulee Volunteer Fire Chief Richard Paris. The alarm sounded at 9:12 p.m. and fire units from Electric City, Grand Coulee, Coulee Dam and the Bureau of Reclamation responded. The house is owned by J & G NW Enterprises of Stanwood, Washington. It was rented to Crystal Adolph and family. No one was home at the time of the fire. Paris said the cause of the fire is...