News, views and advertising of the Grand Coulee Dam Area
News, views and advertising of the Grand Coulee Dam Area
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With eyes on the future, the Electric City Council voted last week to move ahead with a 10-inch pipeline for the proposed Sunbanks Lake Resort water project. It will cost the city between $18,000 and $20,000 to expand the size of the pipeline from one that is 8 inches in diameter to a 10-inch pipe, but the move will put the city in a good position to deal with anticipated future housing expansion on the south side of Osborn Bay. The 10-inch line will go some 1,700 feet from the old vacated western store on highway 155 to the entrance to... Full story
Randall Friedlander, a tribal member, was recently hired as the Colville Tribes’ Fish and Wildlife (CTFW) director. Friedlander will provide strategic planning and management oversight of 130 employees with an operating budget of over $20 million, a department press release said. Friedlander served as the interim Fish and Wildlife director for approximately a year. Prior to that, he worked for the department as the wildlife program manager for three years where he provided oversight and direction to about 20 staff members. “I look forward to... Full story
The Colville Confederated Tribes have issued seven burn bans from November, 2013, through January of this year, officials said this week. Currently, no burn bans are in effect on the Colville Reservation. The report issued by Kathy Moses, of the Mount Tollman Fire Center, stated that the tribes’ Air Quality Program and the federal Environmental Protection Agency closely monitor air quality on the reservation and in part of Okanogan County. When issued, tribal burn bans include part of Okanogan County. The tribes have sent out public notices t... Full story
Electric City could land one of a handful of kiosks being planned along the Coulee Corridor. The "corridor" covers the area between Othello and Omak and is recognized nationally for the many unusual landscape features along the route. Birdie Hensley, who has been active in the Coulee Corridor organization from its inception, appeared before the Electric City Council a week ago to ask if the city was interested in getting one of the informational kiosks. She explained to city officials that it... Full story
Large groups wanting to use North Dam Park will be charged according to a new fee schedule approved recently by the Coulee Area Park and Recreation District Commission. Individual users and small family groups will not be charged, but organizations planning to dominate one or more areas of the park will. Arranged by area and length of time, a fee schedule grid lays out fees that range from $150 for a fill day of using the picnic shelter and lawn area to $10 for use of an “Electric Plug-In.” A refundable damage deposit of $200 will also be col... Full story
An investigative report issued by the city of Grand Coulee’s risk management firm details infighting between the chief of police and the mayor, charges and counter charges of nepotism and favoritism, micromanagement by the mayor and a breakdown in authority fueled by a lack of respect, personality conflicts, and an inability “to work together for the good of the city.” The Star obtained a copy of the year-old report after it was referenced in a city council meeting last week. At the Feb. 4 council meeting, Police Officer Sean Cook took issue... Full story
This week's photos are now online. More than 80 photos taken in the last week, some we really wish we could have used in the paper, are ready to view. Here's a slide show: 2-12-14 Star - Images by Scott Hunter... Full story
Police reports that The Star newspaper has regularly picked up at the police department now have to be picked up at the city clerk’s office, by order of Grand Coulee Mayor Chris Christopherson. The newspaper has had access to the reports directly from police officials for nearly two decades and are summarized in Coulee Cops each week. That ceased last week, and now The Star has to go to the city clerk’s office to get the reports. No explanation was forthcoming other than that the mayor had ordered it. The police department has provided unc... Full story
A family of fun seekers finds it on the popular sledding hill at North Dam Park Monday afternoon, following the first decent snowfall the area has had all winter. - Scott Hunter photo... Full story
Facing another litany of complaints about mismanagement, hospital commissioners Monday directed changes in two key policies that have angered community members and medical staff. The commission directed CEO Scott Graham to find a legal way to relaunch a popular lab test discount program that has taken place each spring for years but was halted last year on advice from the hospital district’s former attorney. The personnel/compliance com-mittee had been “bombarded” by concerns from the community after Lincoln Hospital of Davenport adver... Full story
Members of the Grand Coulee Dam Senior Center are still hopeful that they will someday be able to build a garage to house their two buses, even though the city of Grand Coulee is dragging its feet on the issue. Larry Curtis, appeared before the city council at its last meeting, his fourth time on the issue, asking the city what is happening on the seniors’ request to build a bus garage on property that borders on Federal Avenue. The property is not zoned for a separate garage unless there is also a residential building in the package. Each t... Full story
Play on the way The Planet Earth Players will put on “12 Angry Jurors” Feb. 20, 21, and 22, at the Grand Gallery of Arts on Grand Coulee’s Main Street. Tickets for the performances will be on sale at the door for $7. The play is directed by Darlene Morava. Calendars for the past The Coulee Pioneer Museum is considering the development of a historical calendar for 2015. Birdie Hensley said that it would include historical pictures and events. She said for people to check the museum’s Facebook page for additional information. Busy departm... Full story
Tom Poplawski, a retired state parks employee, was named to fill a vacant seat on Grand Coulee’s city council. Three people had submitted their names for the vacant position, but one withdrew his name the night the selection was made. Poplawski was sworn in last Tuesday night to fill the vacant seat, position 2, formerly held by Tim Alling, who chose not to run again for office. The new councilman served as park manager at Steamboat Rock State Park from 1996 to 2012, when he retired. Poplawski had a 37-year career in the state park system a... Full story
Grand Coulee will go out to bid on its Midway Avenue water project, the replacement of about 500 feet of line. The project will replace lines across Midway Ave. from Jess Ford, to Four Corners and to the Catholic Church. It will also replace lines from Safeway to the TeePee Drive-In. The city council gave Mayor Chris Christopherson the OK to execute a contract with Gray & Osborne, the city’s engineering firm. The project estimate, made a year ago, was for $100 per foot, or about $50,000. The job would be advertised, city officials said, Feb. 1... Full story
A Grand Coulee Civil Service Commission meeting Monday night turned out to be anything but civil. Commission President Alan Cain and police Officer Sean Cook got into a shouting match over issues that Cook raised before commission members. The civil service commission is an independent board that interviews and makes recommendations on police personnel. Cook said he wasn’t there representing the police department, but as a private citizen and veteran. Initially, Cook challenged the commission for ordering him out of the January meeting, t... Full story
Nespelem School will start two hours late this morning (Thursday). School will begin at 10 a.m. We're not privy to the precise reason at 6 a.m., but suspect it has to with the cold. It's -2 degrees Fin Nespelem currently.... Full story
With their constituents voicing impatience, hospital district commissioners took no actions after coming out of a closed session last week, but they voted in new leadership and streamlined committee assignments. Tom Poplawski got applause from the full meeting room when he said deferring the beginning of action on a standoff between administration and medical staff was "unacceptable." "Make a decision and let's move on," he said. "We need to start with a new goal here of getting somewhere."... Full story
A large majority of registered nurses at Coulee Medical Center have signed cards asking to be represented by a union, an organizer said Tuesday night. Austin DePaolo, of the United Food & Commercial Workers Union, Local 1439, said more than 70 percent of the nurses at the hospital had signed cards seeking representation. DePaolo said he couldn’t say the exact number of RNs that would be in the bargaining unit, but he suspected it was about 30. DePaolo said both hospital administration and the state Public Employment Relations Commission (... Full story
Electric City is looking for a water source to service an eventual development of some 300-400 homes on the south side of the causeway. Mayor Jerry Sands appeared before Port District 7 officials Thursday evening to ask if the city could some day drill a well near the golf course to find a water source for future residential development that he said was “coming, maybe not in our lifetime, but it’s coming.” Electric City had engineers and hydrologists here the week before to test three wells that belong to the port district to see if the wells... Full story
The state auditor’s office has advised Lincoln County Fire Protection District 9 that materials required were not furnished to auditors for the period of Jan. 1, 2010 through Dec. 31, 2011. The letter stated that failure to submit required annual financial reports is a violation of state law. The letter further stated that auditors were unable to conclude their audit of the district’s internal controls and compliance. Financial reports are to be filed with the state auditor’s office within 150 days of the closing of the year. The repor... Full story
Orville Scharbach has resigned his position on the Grant County Port District 7 commission. Scharbach, who was just elected to another six-year term last November and took his new oath of office a month ago, advised other commissioners that he was stepping down. He told them, “it’s time.” He has been president of the board for a number of years. Commissioners Jim Keene and Dennis Lohrman were quick to praise Scharbach for his years of service. Both Keene and Lohrman are recent additions to the port commission. Scharbach has been a member of th... Full story
Rob Carroll, of Stevens Avenue in Coulee Dam, can take at least some credit for contributing to the "12th Man" spirit that permeated the state as the Seahawks headed to the Super Bowl on Sunday. In addition to the big lighted sign, he outfitted his lightpost, at left, to resemble the Seattle Space Needle and at halftime painted a Lombardi trophy on a used satellite dish. - Scott Hunter photo... Full story
School enrollment up again Enrollment number for Grand Coulee Dam District schools continues to exceed predictions. January’s enrollment in all three schools was recorded at 667. That’s 27 over what the district budgeted for and 46 students over the same period a year ago. So far this year, enrollment is 205 students over the same period last year. Runway cracks need fixing Airport manager Bob Babler told Port District 7 commissioners that cracks in the 4,200-foot paved runway at the Grand Coulee Dam Airport need to be fixed. The airport is own... Full story
The task of keeping sewer rates low has begun in Elmer City. Mayor Gail Morin, who campaigned on the notion that her town could go its own way instead of paying Coulee Dam for wastewater treatment, says she hopes that the first steps in that direction will come this month. She has met with two Indian Health Services engineers, Alex Dailey and Laura Sliger, on Jan. 17, and says she is hopeful that the agency will conduct an alternative analysis to better help the town set its direction on whether it should build its own plant or team with... Full story
Colville Members for Justice will meet Saturday morning in Elmer City to discuss the status and updates on their effort to sue the Colville Business Council over decisions on how much of a $193 million settlement with the United States government to distribute directly to tribal members. Their civil complaint was dismissed in tribal court, but the groups has filed for an appeal. A hearing on that is set for Feb. 21. “We still do not have legal counsel and plan to discuss this and other measures available to us,” said Yvonne Swan, who is spearhe... Full story