News, views and advertising of the Grand Coulee Dam Area
News, views and advertising of the Grand Coulee Dam Area
Sorted by date Results 4305 - 4329 of 6630
Only Electric City and Coulee Dam watched races in the battle for city council positions in the election returns last night. Electric City produced the tightest race, for a four-year term on the city council’s Position 3. Incumbent Gladys (Carol) Nordine had 81 votes, while her challenger, Birdie Hensley, had 80. Nordine won an early seat on the council this summer, filling a vacancy, and is the mother of Mayor John Nordine II, who was unchallenged for mayor and garnered 117 votes. Hensley served earlier on the council and had resigned b... Full story
A queen of hearts and a minion are among dozens of costumed kids at the Moose Lodge on Halloween day, circling on musical squares, hoping for pies, cakes and goodies if they land on the right number. The pool table at left was filled with the baked treats. Kathy Baty, at right, keeps them moving until the music stops. The lodge threw the free party for any kids who wanted to come. - Scott Hunter photo... Full story
Author wins statewide award A Spokane teacher with local ties has won the Washington State Book Award for his second novel. Bruce Holbert’s “The Hour of Lead,” which a Seattle Times reviewer called a “riveting and beautifully written” novel, took the honors in the fiction category Oct. 10 at an event in Seattle. Holbert graduated from Lake Roosevelt High School in 1978. He now lives in Nine Mile Falls and teaches at Mount Spokane High School north of Spokane. His father, Pat Holbert, lives in Electric City. Attendance strong at schools T... Full story
Margaret Ricks blows leaves onto Douglas Street in Coulee Dam ahead of the town's fall leaf pickup service Monday morning. - Scott Hunter photo... Full story
Port District 7 commissioners approved a $216,500 budget for 2016 at their last meeting. No changes to the budget were made from an earlier proposed preliminary budget. Chamber event tickets available Tickets for the Chamber of Commerce’s Vintners and Brewers Tasting and Auction, Saturday, Dec. 5, at the Coulee Dam Community Room, went on sale this week. Tickets cost $40 for individuals, $70 for a couple, or $300 for a table for 10. Tickets are on sale at the Grand Coulee Dam Area Chamber of Commerce office, 17 Midway Avenue... Full story
Tickets for the Chamber of Commerce’s Vintners and Brewers Tasting and Auction, Saturday, Dec. 5, at the Coulee Dam Community Room, went on sale this week. Tickets cost $40 for individuals, $70 for a couple, or $300 for a table for 10. Tickets are on sale at the Grand Coulee Dam Area Chamber of Commerce office, 17 Midway Avenue.... Full story
Someone broke into the old middle school in Grand Coulee last Friday night or early Saturday morning, tried to start a fire in the exercise room and caused at least $28,000 in damage. Grand Coulee Dam School District Superintendent Dennis Carlson told school board members Monday that the parties responsible got in by breaking a window in a downstairs door. Carlson said material from a number of fire extinguishers had been sprayed throughout the gym area, at the front entrance and down the classroom hall. The fire extinguishers were not found... Full story
The closed bowling alley in Coulee Dam was broken into twice last week, the third time burglars have entered the business since the middle of September. Coulee Dam police were notified Monday, Oct. 19, of the first break-in last week and notified again on Thursday, Oct. 22, of the second break-in. Owners Pat and Sara Zlateff were not sure of the exact time of the two burglaries because the business has been closed since late summer. The Zlateffs are in the process of cleaning up the lanes in preparation for an eventual sale and are not there... Full story
Lake Roosevelt and Nespelem students at Lake Roosevelt Schools look up at a rocket just launched by University of Washington Professor Robert M. Winglee Friday at a rocketry event. Teacher and organizer Ralph Rise said the school was awarded a grant for the "Rocketry Blast Off" event, to which Nespelem and Keller school district's fifth-graders were also invited. Rise, Lee Largent, and Steve Hood have been working with the UW's NASA Space Grant Consortium to bring rocketry to the schools, Rise... Full story
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... Full story
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... Full story
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... Full story
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... Full story
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... Full story
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... Full story
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... Full story
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... Full story
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... Full story
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... Full story
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... Full story
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... Full story
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... Full story
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... Full story
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... Full story
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... Full story