The Star - News, views and advertising of the Grand Coulee Dam Area

Gary Haag was selected as commissioner of Port District 7 at a meeting last Thursday night.

He replaces Orville Scharbach, who resigned from the commission several months ago.

With the addition of Haag, the board is now at full strength.

Haag came to the area in 1969, when his father transferred here to work at the Grand Coulee Dam project. He attended one year of high school in Coulee Dam and then transferred to Grand Coulee High School, where he graduated in 1971.

Haag recently retired from the state Department of Transportation, where he worked for 30 years. He spent 25 of those years with the DOT in this area and the final five years with the department in Moses Lake.

Port Commission President James Keene said of Haag, "He will be a good fit for the board with his knowledge of roads and pavement." The port district owns the airport, which has a 4,200-foot paved runway.

Airport Manager Bob Babler stated that the runway had some major cracks in the pavement and was in need of repair.

The port also owns and manages the Banks Lake Golf Course, where Haag is a member and avid golfer.

Commissioner Dennis Lohrman reported that the golf course through May was up 16 percent in revenue over the same period last year. This year's revenue report for the first five months was $79,600 compared to $68,700 for the same period in 2013.

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Commissioner Gary Haag