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 idea of joining two or more local towns into one involves a lot of factors, not to mention public opinion, which might soon be addressed if two cities are willing to fund a consultant’s help. A proposed agreement between the Grand Coulee Dam Area Chamber of Commerce and SCJ Alliance to consider issues pertaining to consolidating Grand Coulee and Electric City is moving forward and awaits details of Grand Coulee’s 2016 budget decisions. The chamber hopes to enter into an agreement with the SCJ group from Wenatchee to provide planning service... Full story
U.S. Bureau of Reclamation employees begin a Tuesday morning exercise that might have alarmed police scanner listeners not paying close attention. The hazardous material/explosives drill involved USBR security and emergency response, Grand Coulee's ambulance and Coulee Medical Center in a scenario that started with a security officer approaching two suspicious subjects claiming to enjoy the view and some coffee. Within minutes, a bomb exploded (on paper only) and the two subjects and the... Full story
The first of December is still the target date for the reopening of the bowling alley in Coulee Dam, the new owner said Tuesday. Scott Elmore said the Riverview Lanes and working areas are ready for business. “We have the lanes up and working and I’ve just a few more things to do before we can welcome customers,” Elmore stated. Most of the equipment has been refurbished, the lanes treated, and, Elmore said, the lanes will be ready for play. He plans to be open Tuesdays through Saturdays, continuing the same hours as the lanes were open befor... Full story
Former Star owner, editor and publisher Jack Hilson, a man whose political expertise helped to build the local airport, Steamboat Rock State Park and more, has died. After serving in the Navy in World War II, Jack and his wife, Dolores, became involved in the newspaper in 1947, and began buying it from family members in 1958. Hilson served on the Grant County Port District 7 Commission for 10 years and also sat on the state Parks and Recreation Commission. His friendships with powerful United States senators and the speaker of the House of... Full story
After more than a year of on-and-off negotiations, and an interlude with a third town, Grand Coulee and Electric City are set to wrap up an extension of their current police contract in December, ensuring police protection for Electric City in 2016. The new agreement proposed by Grand Coulee is for a two-year period at a basic annual cost of $125,000. The agreement calls for Grand Coulee police to answer all police calls, provide traffic control (including radar), check on business buildings during the night, do regular car patrols, do... Full story
A stream of shoppers place their penny bets in cups to bid on prizes at the annual Penny Auction Saturday in the Lake Roosevelt High School gym. The fund-raiser for the class of 2016 drew people for the lunch and to buy bags of small pieces of numbered paper, one for each penny they spent to buy the bag. Winning numbers were drawn randomly for each prize. - Scott Hunter photo... Full story
Nissen named for national honor Nespelem’s Brian Nissen has been named as a 2015 Native American “40 under 40” award recipient. Nissen was among the winners of the prestigious award from the National Center for American Indian Enterprise Development during the 40th Annual Indian Progress in Business Awards (INPRO) Gala last week at the Buffalo Thunder Resort and Casino in Santa Fe, New Mexico. The award is given to individuals under the age of 40, nominated by members of their communities, who have demonstrated leadership, initiative, and d... Full story
Three representatives of area organizations went mining for a slice of Grand Coulee’s lodging tax funds for 2016, and they came out winners. Now it all depends on the city council passing its new budget, a task that will likely happen in December. Peggy Nevsimal, executive director of the Grand Coulee Dam Area Chamber of Commerce, attended the city council last Tuesday to ask for $13,325, for advertising and promoting the area. She got it. George Kohout, president of the Ridge Riders Saddle Club, asked for $12,500. He got his amount. And Bob V... Full story
There could be an announcement soon on who is going to be Coulee Dam’s new police chief. The town’s Civil Service Commission, made up of Herb Sherburne, Joe Tynan and Councilmember Shawn Derrick, has received 10 applications of interest in the position. The commission has pared this down to six final candidates. A four-member interview team, made up of Sherburne, Tynan, town Councilmember Ken Miles and Nate Piturachsatit finished interviewing six of the 10 candidates who made it to the interview process last Saturday. Sherburne said the six... Full story
Maggie Stewart presents a handmade drum to Launi Ritter, representing the Chamber of Commerce, at the group's weekly meeting Thursday at the Grand Coulee Dam Senior Center. Stewart gave a presentation on her many crafts, from beadwork to dolls in buckskin, and her longtime career of selling them to clients as far away as Germany. She made the drum just for the occasion. - Scott Hunter photo... Full story
Some streets in Electric City will be receiving new names and numbers as a result of an ordinance passed last week by the Electric City council. The new names and numbering are being assigned to those properties that were taken in at the city’s latest annexation. The city has been working with the property owners affected in an effort to make the changeover without a hitch. A few of the property owners attended the last council meeting and seemed satisfied with the explanations given by Deputy Clerk Russell Powers. The numbering changes will m... Full story
There could be an announcement soon on who is going to be Coulee Dam’s new police chief. The town’s Civil Service Commission, made up of Herb Sherburne, Joe Tynan and Councilmember Shawn Derrick, has received 10 applications of interest in the position. The commission has pared this down to six final candidates. A four-member interview team, made up of Sherburne, Tynan, town Councilmember Ken Miles and Nate Piturachsatit finished interviewing six of the 10 candidates who made it to the interview process last Saturday. Sherburne said the six... Full story
The Electric City Council has agreed in principle to a proposal by Grand Coulee to provide police services to the city. The particulars were scratched out over an earlier agreement between the two parties and the council asked that it be finished up and prepared for adoption at its Dec. 8 meeting. The agreement for 2016 and 2017 would have Electric City pay $125,000 for Grand Coulee’s police services the first year. For 2017, the amount would increase according to the Consumer Price Index, not to be less than 2 percent or more than 5 p... Full story
The Bureau of Reclamation is going green. You will soon see the all new electric-powered vehicles the bureau has added to its vehicle fleet. They are so quiet you could almost hear a pin drop. That is a fair description of the Bureau of Reclamation's new electric utility vehicle (EUV) fleet of 27 passenger and maintenance vehicles. The vehicles will be seen throughout the Grand Coulee Dam Project area soon and will save the government an estimated 10 to 15 percent a year in just gasoline...
Elmer City hopes to establish a Transportation Benefit District (TBD) which will allow the town to collect $20 on most new licenses issued for vehicles. The town will have a public hearing on the issue at 6:45, Thursday, Dec. 10, and will have an ordinance on the agenda that night for passage. The town council has indicated that any funds generated through a Transportation Benefit District would go into the town’s street fund for the improvement of town streets. After the TBD has been in effect for 24 months, the town may collect $40 per v... Full story
A dog owned by a city employee in Electric City was declared a "dangerous dog" at the council meeting last Tuesday night. The owner of the dog, Jared L. Armstrong, of 32 Hillcrest Place, who is an employee of the city's public works department, appeared to defend his dog. The gray, tan and white dog with spots, named Felicia, about 40 pounds, was described by Armstrong as nothing more than a 10-month-old puppy. "I would have brought him tonight and he would have probably licked all of you and... Full story
Ken Miles mixes pancake batter for the Veterans Day breakfast, which constantly served breakfasts from 6:30 a.m. on and brought in more than $900 in donations for American Legion Post 157 during the Veterans Day Nov. 11 event. The group also held their winter coat giveaway on Saturday, providing 44 coats to local area residents. The legion gleaned hundreds of good-quality hats, coats, scarves and gloves during the post's summer-long weekly yard sale, when people aren't interested in warm... Full story
No pay for council Electric City councilmembers voted not to pay themselves $20 a meeting and to not give Mayor John Nordine II a $50-a-month raise last Tuesday night. Councilmember Lonna Bussert was adamant that she saw serving on the council as a public service. The other councilmembers agreed. The council twice before had voted down paying its members by the meeting. The council also voted not to increase the mayor’s salary from $250 a month to $300 a month. Wages of full-time staff members went up 1 percent for 2016, and this also passed t... Full story
Electric City council agreed to the allotment of hotel/motel tax money for 2016 at its meeting last Tuesday and will consider keeping more than a quarter million dollars in tourism-promotion funds toward funding a pathway. The council tourism committee, made up of councilmembers Brad Parrish and Richard McGuire, recommended allotting the Grand Coulee Dam Area Chamber of Commerce $25,000 for tourism promotion, with the stipulation that $3,200 be taken from that amount to make up for overpayments the city made during 2015. That created a debate... Full story
The town of Coulee Dam is set to gain a new sewer plant but lose an ambulance service. The town expects to spend nearly $7 million of its wastewater fund in 2016, when a long-awaited revamp of its wastewater treatment plant is anticipated to begin in late summer. A preliminary budget shows the town ending next year with nearly $857,000 in reserves, even after spending some $10,053,652, most of that on the sewer plant. At the town council’s Nov. 12, meeting there was no discussion on the budget or on Mayor Greg Wilder’s 2016 “budget messa... Full story
The Ridge Riders have received another banner for being named Pro-West "Rodeo of the Year" for their Colorama Rodeo last May. "We couldn't do this without everyone in our organization doing their part," Ridge Riders President George Kohout said. Kohout has been president for the past four years, with the Ridge Riders winning the top rodeo-of-the-year award three of those years. The Professional Western Rodeo Association sanctions about 60 rodeos throughout the West. The Ridge Riders will be... Full story
City hall in Electric City will get a facelift sometime in 2016. The council tucked away a little over $26,000 to dress up the city’s municipal building. The building is targeted for a repair of existing concrete blocks, a paint job, a rock wainscoting on the outside, plus three new air conditioning units. The city is also planning on a new sign on the side of the building and a small readerboard sign to advertise its meetings and other information to the public. The color of the building hasn’t been determined, officials said. In the past two... Full story
In an exercise, Bureau of Reclamation emergency and security personnel stage a response to a possible hazardous waste contamination incident Tuesday morning. Scanner monitors can relax.... Full story
Three important steps are in the works for Electric City’s pathway project. That project would, if everything worked out, build a pedestrian and bicycle pathway from Sunbanks Lake Resort to North Dam Park, in different phases. Phase one would be from Coulee Playland to North Dam Park. No date has been set for the start of the project, but one meeting was held last Tuesday. That phase is estimated at $500,000. One of the first steps will occur next Tuesday when the city council is expected to provide $40,000 from its lodging tax money for a c... Full story
Jo Ayers, who served in the U.S. Marine Corps in World War II, accepts a spontaneous ovation after being introduced as one of several Marines, but the only woman Marine present, at the Veterans Day assembly at Lake Roosevelt Schools Friday. Veterans were introduced and honored by service branch, after which each branch's song was performed by the senior choir. - Scott Hunter photo... Full story