Kids’ thoughts on school uniforms presented

$100

Iwn etheiks's Star

VOL. LXXV, NO. 36

SERVING THE GRAND COULEE DAM AREA, WASHINGTON STATE

DECEMBER 2, 2015

Electric City

consolidation

outlook is cloudy

A great start

Shoppers explore vendors' handmade gifts and more at the Vintage Christmas Market held at Coulee Dam's town hall Saturday. The event featured dozens of vendors and a lunch offered by the Ridge Riders Junior Rodeo. Watch for The Star's special section next week on upcoming holiday events and more. -- Scott Hunter photo

Kids' thoughts on school uniforms presented

by Roger S. Lucas

An effort to get talks going on consolidating two local cities may be in jeopardy.

A decision Feb. 10, by Electric City's council, to move forward in support of an independent study, was not a formal vote, according to City Clerk Jackie Perman.

At the city council meeting on that date, a motion was made and seconded to move forward with providing up to $15,000 for a study by consultant SCJ Alliance, facilitated by the local chamber of commerce. The council was asked for a show of hands to show who was in favor of the idea. A majority of the council raised their hands, as did most people in the audience.

Perman says that wasn't a formal vote, and that nothing has been put in the 2016 budget for a consolidation study. Formal votes at Electric City are taken when the mayor asks each individual council member how he or she feels on an issue.

Former mayor Jerry Sands, who presided at the meeting, remembered the vote differently. "We passed it, but I don't know if it was at a subsequent meeting or not," he said. "If there's confusion, the council can always ask for a budget amendment and move for-

ward with it." Councilmember Lonna Bussert

said she thought the issue had passed. "That's why I have asked for our meetings to be recorded," she said.

The Grand Coulee Dam Area Chamber of Commerce had asked Electric City to finance up to half of the $30,000 proposed study by SCJ Alliance, a Wenatchee firm, and then had asked Grand Coulee to finance the other half.

Grand Coulee City Clerk Carol Boyce said Monday that she has put $10,000 in the 2016 budget to help with the study.

The Grand Coulee City Council worked on the budget Tuesday night but delayed taking a vote on it until Dec. 15, the council's next scheduled meeting. The consolidation contribution in the budget was not discussed.

Chamber of Commerce's Peggy Nevsimal had told both city councils that chamber members were prepared to help with certain parts of the study to reduce the cost.

The study, if it moves forward, will provide information on how the communities of Electric City and Grand Coulee might consolidate and how much support there is for consolidation by residents of the two cities.

Star accepting

by Roger S. Lucas

Carrie Derr's sixth grade class let the school board know how they felt about school uniforms Monday night.

The school board has discussed pursuing school uniforms for next fall to begin the 2016-17 school year.

A special committee will be formed to work on the project. Earlier this year, administrators reported to the board that an unofficial poll of teachers indicated the majority were in favor of the idea.

The school uniform plan, if initiated, would involve all grades and even the staff, according to preliminary comments made at board meetings this year.

The sixth graders' letters were part of a class project so students could learn how to write a formal letter, as well as develop an argument with relevant evidence.

Here are some of the ideas in the letters: ? We should not have school uniforms be-

cause they cost too much...and they don't express who you really are. Nobody likes to wear the same thing over and over again. It will waste all of your detergent.

? You wouldn't be able to show off your personality and you would have to wash it every day and that would be hard on your washing machine. What if you had 8 kids and uniforms would likely cost $50.

? I think we should have uniforms, it would make a better school, and the school would be more efficient, plus it would be less expensive.

? A lot of kids I know don't want to have uniforms because we would all look alike. This is the weirdest idea this school has ever made.

? No one sells uniforms here and people can't afford uniforms because they are busy paying bills, taxes and buying food for the family. So I rest my case on how uniforms in this school would not be...good.

? Uniforms are hard to get: they would take away our choice...now let's get down to

the real stuff, they would be a hassle.

? We shouldn't have uniforms because it

would be a hassle to wash every night, take

away choice, and be too expensive.

? Uniforms would take away our personal-

ity. We would never get to wear the clothes

we want to wear. Our parents would have to

spend money for gas to go get the uniforms. If

you are reading this letter then pay attention

to me.

? Would you wear the same thing for six

hours a day, five days a week, four weeks a

month and nine months a year?

? How would you feel if they made you

wear uniforms? Why should we have to spend

our money on stuff that we don't want.

? I think we should have school uniforms

because it would reduce gang-related activi-

ties. With uniforms there would be no inap-

propriate clothing at school.

? We should wear what we want to wear. I

don't want to dress like everybody else; I want

to be myself.

See UNIFORMS page 2

Newsbriefs

Ending strokes presentation planned

Janet Mano, RN, will give a presentation of "Together We Can End Strokes" at the Grand Coulee Dam Senior Center from 4-4:45 p.m. on Wednesday, Dec. 9. The presentation is sponsored by Aging & Adult Care of Central Washington.

School count lower

Grand Coulee Dam School District had an average attendance of 687.47 students during the month of November, a report to the school board Monday night indicated. Last year for November the average was 720. The budget for this year is for a monthly average of 680.

Coulee Dam's Town Hall was once the administration building for the Grand Coulee Dam Project, and will be the site of a talk on the possibilities for designating the town, or part of it, as a national historic site.

Could the town be a

national historical site?

State official will speak next week on what that would mean

by Roger S. Lucas

A state official will give a public talk in Coulee Dam next week, where he will also speak with town

officials about the possibility of designating parts of

town as a historical site.

Michael Houser, from the State Department of

Archaeology and Historic Preservation, will speak

at a Grand Coulee Dam Area Chamber of Commerce

luncheon at the town hall Dec. 10. The event is open

to the public. The price for the catered lunch will be

$10; and those wishing to attend the Thursday lunch

must call the chamber at 633-3074 by Wednesday,

Dec. 9.

See HISTORICAL SITE page 2

nominations for volunteer honor

The Star is accepting nominations for the annual Volunteer of the Year award.

Each year, the community selects between several worthy people nominated for the honor. One person is honored. Groups are not eligible.

Nominations can be made until Jan. 4, 2016. Letters of nomination should be as specific as possible about why the candidate should be honored, including contact information for the nominator and for anyone who could speak about the nomination. Send nominations by e-mail, through the U.S. Postal Service, or in person as follows: ? by email to star@ ? by mail to Volunteer, PO Box 150, Grand Coulee, WA 99133 ? in person to The Star, 3 Midway Ave., Grand Coulee.

Bowling alley opening delayed

by Roger S. Lucas

Riverview Lanes has set Tuesday, Dec. 8, as its opening date.

New owner Scott Elmore said Monday that he still had some minor mechanical problems to iron out before the lanes would be ready.

He had earlier scheduled the opening date for Dec. 1.

Elmore, along with former lanes owner Pat Zlateff, has been reconditioning the mechanics of the eight-lane operation for several weeks.

A couple of mechanical problems cropped up over the weekend, forcing Elmore to delay the opening.

He has been working with the town to finalize a new lease on the property.

At Monday night's town council meeting, the council oked a temporary lease so Elmore could get the lanes opened up.

"The council and Elmore just need to work out the numbers," Town Clerk Stefani Bowden said. "The council is anxious for the bowling alley to get opened."

Elmore hopes to get some league activities going as soon as he can get open.

Zlateff said Monday that he plans to help out for a few weeks after the lanes open.

Elmore comes from the west side of the state, where he has been involved in a manufacturing company.

"One of the first jobs I had was working in a bowling alley, and I have always wanted to own one," he said.

The bowling alley has been closed since August when the former operator closed the facility.

The building that houses the bowling alley is owned by the town of Coulee Dam. The building is also occupied by the Melody Restaurant.

PAGE 2

THE STAR ? DECEMBER 2, 2015

Few tickets left for Chamber event

by Roger S. Lucas

The Grand Coulee Dam Area Chamber of Commerce's Vintners & Brewers Tasting and Auction event this Saturday night has 13 tickets left at press time.

The chamber has been holding the event for nearly 20 years. It is always held the first Saturday of December.

The event will be in the community room at Coulee Dam Town Hall, where doors will open at 6 p.m. It features dinner, wine and beer tasting, and an auction. Auction items have been donated by both local and outside the area

businesses and individuals. Tucker Cool from Dayton will

be the auctioneer. A silent auction will also be held.

Catering the popular event is Eagle Catering.

Midway Beverage distributors of Moses Lake is supplying the wines and beers for the event.

The evening will begin with hors d'oeuvres, then dinner, tastings and the auctions.

There will be several surprises at the event as well as prize drawings.

For tickets, contact the chamber at 633-3074.

Chief candidates narrowed to three

by Roger S. Lucas

Free Christmas

concert planned

by Scott Hunter

nights, Dec. 18-19, from 5-7 p.m.,

with an appearance by Santa at 6

A concert, complete with a p.m. each night.

visit from Santa is in the plan-

Producer Steve Nuehring said

ning stage for the

so far they've

Grand Theatre on

got several mu-

Grand Coulee's

sicians lined up

Main Street, the

and will be re-

operator says.

hearsing this

Theater opera-

Saturday from

tor Cody Wilson,

noon to 5 p.m.

who took over the

Neuhring said

venue this year

the plan is to

and has been of-

bring the commu-

fering a variety of

nity a "nice warm

events, said the "A

event" in which

Very Merry Christ-

the audience

mas Concert" is of-

also gets to par-

fered a "donation

ticipate in a sing-

preferred" basis, but they also want anyone who can't

Theater to offer "donation preferred"

along. He said the event promises to "bring

pay to "come in concert for the season. forth a wonder-

and enjoy every-

fully warm and

thing. ... It is a

friendly family

great way to share the Christmas Christmas tradition with lots of

spirit too."

good, wholesome family fun."

The concert is set for two

Ornaments on the trees, like this one at Coulee Dam Federal Credit Union, give details of items needed by a local child. -- Scott Hunter photo

Trees of Sharing ornaments available now

Coulee Dam could have a new police chief sometime in December. Town officials were busy Monday, interviewing the top three candidates provided by the Civil Service Commission, which narrowed the list of candidates down from 10 who applied for the position. Civil Service Commission member Herb Sherburne stated last week that all applicants were from Eastern Washington. Town Mayor Greg Wilder said he had planned to complete the interviews of the three on Monday and then would wait until all the background checks were made before making a decision. The new chief will replace Pat Collins, who resigned in late September after serving the town for 26 years.

Local charitable giving effort in full swing

The Christmas wishes of 138 children from 52 local families are on the Trees of Sharing this year.

The Trees of Sharing is a wellestablished, community-wide program sponsored by local churches whose purpose, they say, is to "bless Grand Coulee Dam Area children at Christmastime."

Area residents are encouraged to purchase a gift based on the information given on the ornaments

Uniforms (suggested value approximately

$20 per gift.) Trees are located in Safeway

Pharmacy, North Cascades Bank,

Coulee Dam Federal Credit Union ? We, the students, have the

and Harvest Foods.

right to vote. Let K-12 students

Those participating are asked vote on the matter.

to get their wrapped gift, with ? I am not in favor of uniforms.

the paper ornament securely at- You would have to wash them ev-

tached to the outside of the pack- ery night and that would use wa-

age, to any Trees of Sharing tree. ter.

Gifts need to be placed under the ? Kids might not like school

tree by Dec. 13 so they can be uniforms and refuse to come to

sorted and prepared for delivery school. That would cost the school

on Saturday, Dec. 19.

money it gets from the state.

For more information, call Lin-

da Blac at 633-3611, or Mary Ann

Boll at 633-0305.

Trim the

Continued from front page

? Uniforms would be good. Who knows what evil scheme a kid will come up with looking at a shirt.

? I think we should have uniforms and it would eliminate bad sayings on shirts. Kids that wear uniforms think of learning and paying attention.

There you have it, shortened comments from the kids themselves about school uniforms.

Historical site Continued from front page

Family Tree

While in town, Houser will which housed the project adminmeet with the town of Coulee istration in the early days; and

in matching Premium PJs

Dam's Natural and Historical Re- both the dormitories for men and

sources Board to discuss thr pos- women, now housing the Four sibilities of designating part or all Winds Guest House and the hos-

of the town as a national historic pital's facility for visiting medical

site.

Town Coun-

cilmember Gayle

Swagerty has

raised the idea

and asked that

Houser

come

speak and meet

with the board

to get an under-

standing of how

Date: Dec. 10 Time: Noon Place: Coulee Dam Town Hall Cost for lunch: $10 Call to reserve lunch by Wed., Dec. 9:

633-3074

personnel, called St. Rita's. None are currently on the national registry.

The chamber of commerce is also interested in some kind of designation for the old B Street

places get desig-

in Grand Coulee.

nated for the National Register of Historic Places.

The west part of the town was constructed in 1934 and, at the time, was called "Engineer's

In the early days, B Street was the site of much commerce, including saloons and questionable businesses.

FREE Call 1.800.606.8777

Gift Packaging !

or visit holiday to order.

Town." It was where engineers

on the Grand Coulee Dam project lived. For several years, the fed-

eral government took care of the

town. Places in west Coulee Dam

that have been well preserved

by the owners include Columbia School, now the Coulee Dam

Federal Credit Union; Town Hall,

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THE STAR ? DECEMBER 2, 2015

O P I N I O N

PAGE 3

Letters from Our Readers

Shame on "What's in it for me?" whiners

Thank you for your thoughtful, insightful editorial ("Seeking the fair tale land of no taxes" 11/18). Not surprised you drew fire from the "Greed is Good" crowd.

"How much is enough?" your critics ask. (Or, "What's in it for me?") Because if we give more, we should get something more in return. Right?

The answer to "How much is enough?" is all that we see around us and anything more that we dare to imagine. A few generations ago, who could have foreseen "indoor plumbing" and germfree water flowing in every home? (Remember when we had to help our sick to an outhouse when at our bodies' weakest imaginable state?) Who could have foreseen high-speed highways to bring fresh meat, produce, and dairy to a local grocer? Who could have foreseen that family members, a thousand miles away, could be

physically joined in just hours? Who could have foreseen that an average family could retire without living in poverty? And who could have foreseen dramatic decreases in infant mortality and increases in survival from serious diseases that, without investment in infrastructure, would have never evolved? And, clean air, rivers, electricity ...

"How much is enough?" Let's just say, "It ain't over until it's over." And many of us say, "It ain't over until we've ended war, hunger, and extreme poverty."

As for "... we don't trust the government with any more of our money," let's remember that all the while, as we modernized and improved America for each of its citizens, there were whiners, complaining that our government should not be trusted. To you whiners, I say shame, Shame, SHAME on you and your "What's

in it for me," as if our defenders of the past died just for your personal needs. Let's also not forget that all that was done was not done with an open checkbook. It was done with responsible budgeting.

Government is our glue. If we look for weakness, we can find and fix. If we simply whine as we wait for others to fix it, it may not get done. That's what is scary about today's political climate. I hope we can together, in the 2016 election cycle, take a close look at our candidates and support only honest, responsible candidates who are not accepting contributions from rich corporations and individuals. I'm voting for Joe Pakootas -- a fiscal conservative in touch with reality and not owned by contributors.

Dennis Thomas (former area resident)

Taxes are excessive

Great response from Mr. Cathcart. I appreciate your letter "Wanting to pay less to government is no fairy tale, 11/25" and agree with you. We are taxed ex-

cessively (those who pay taxes) and there is little to no accountability from our officials. We do need much less government and they need to do the right thing

for us. We are not getting that response much of the time.

Bob Hendrickson

A government we can trust

Can we Americans trust the government? According to a recent Pew Research Center poll, 81 percent say sometimes or never. Yet we American citizens state we want the government to act in their behalf and provide services we want and need. In the same poll, 55 percent of us stated "ordinary Americans" would do a better job of solving problems.

Who and what is the government? The preamble to the Constitution of the United States of America reads that the government is "We the People of the United States, in order to form a more perfect Union...." In his Gettysburg address, President

Abraham Lincoln spoke of a "government of the people, by the people,for the people." You and I are the government, even as we are "ordinary Americans."

Perhaps then, if this high number of American citizens do not trust the government, either these same citizens do not trust themselves or are unable or unwilling to take their place at the table of their own government.

On your own streets, in your own towns, in your own counties, there are boards, commissions, and other positions needing to be filled by any citizen called to work to "insure domestic tranquility" in the places where we

live and work. Volunteer to serve in one of these positions to work to "promote the general welfare." Step forward to serve your town on any area of your interest or concern in order to secure the "blessings of liberty to ourselves and our posterity." Tell your public servants and other community decision makers of your concerns in a thoughtful and respectful manner, and remember to thank them.

Gayle Swagerty Town Councilperson

Coulee Dam

Thanks for support, but venture won't go forward

We would like to thank everyone for the interest you have shown regarding the potential purchase of the Center School by the North American Wool Coop. We are members of the co-op and we were working together to assess the feasibility of the purchase. We are sorry to say it is not feasible for the co-op or us to go forward with the purchase. The

building offers so much potential and risk! I wish we had deeper pockets to make it work. Just not so!

We would like to thank the following: Dennis Carlson and Debbie Starkey for taking their time to show us the building and encouraging us to pursue the potentials. Grand Coulee City Council and planning board were more

than gracious to give us time to review the possibilities and give input on the zoning issues. Roger Lucas and The Star newspaper for reporting a fair story of the potentials we were considering.

Mervin & Mary Jo Monteith

Spring Canyon Alpacas

Our public health district needs help

Attention all health care professionals! Ranked 37th out of 39 Washington state counties in public health, according to a respected study, Okanogan County remains in critical need of a secure public health system. Yet our county commissioners have repeatedly cut the public health budget in recent years.

A new Board of Health will begin its term on December 8. The new Board of Health members, who were appointed by the Board of County Commissioners, are Steve Varrelman, a licensed installer of septic systems from

Pateros; Larry Zimmerland, of Winthrop, who designs onsite septic systems and community water systems; and Mariann Williams, a family nurse practitioner in Oroville. The four existing board members are the three county commissioners and Oroville City Councilmember Neysa Roley. Clearly, the apparent lack of public health expertise among most of the board members is a concern.

I am calling on all health care providers and administrators in Okanogan County to take an active interest in the struggle to keep our Public Health District vi-

able. We, as healthcare professionals, need to advocate for promoting health and preventing disease in Okanogan County. Therefore, please attend the Board of Health meeting on Dec. 8, at 1 p.m. at the County Health Department. This is an opportunity to meet all the board members and ask each one the question, "How do you propose to maintain, strengthen and fund our Public Health District?"

Charlene Burns Family Nurse Practitioner,

Twisp

Goodbye to the good, bad and ugly

No, I am not going anywhere. But sometimes

the dreams we build up get temporarily postponed.

Now, the title is about goodbyes and I am not going

to elaborate on who is the good or the bad, or even

the ugly; you can figure that out for yourselves.

Goodbyes are difficult, no matter who you are.

Well, I take that back. Sometimes they might be

good, depending on who you are saying goodbye to. I

will leave that one to interpreta-

tion as well.

My wife and I now live back in

the Coulee. We said goodbye to the ranch lifestyle, not entirely by choice, but we are happy to be back in town. We sadly said good-

Jess, shut up!

bye to the awesome views, the deer and the other wildlife. We

Jesse Utz

bade farewell to the large house

and said hello to the smaller one.

We will miss the drive and the

talks we had on the road. We said

goodbye to the stairs. Whew, a lot

of stairs, now in the past. We said

goodbye to the extra "stuff" that is now going into

storage. We had a big dream when we moved into

this home, and now it is temporarily put on hold.

The framework remains and so does the desire. A

three-strand cord is not easily broken. In the Lord's

time, the dream will be reawakened.

We also said goodbye to a very good friend. Jay

Arnold is off to New York to go to culinary school. He

will be missed, not just by our family, but by many

many of you. We cannot wait for the two years to be

over and for his return to our kitchens to whip us up

something yummy to eat. The last few weeks have

been cherished time spent with a great friend who

is off to conquer an adventure of his own. So proud

of Jay. Yes, he will be missed. They say sometimes

you don't know what you had till it's gone. We are

just starting to feel the impact of his absence. Miss you, Jay.

The Coulee area lost some icons of the area over the past few weeks. Jack Hilson, Ray Green and Warren Byam were important members of the community who left a lasting legacy among us. I am a young buck and don't have a clue of what all they did for the area, but I know their names are men-

tioned a lot in the annals of the past. I, of course, know Hilson was a patriarch for the area and had a lot to do with its development, and Green and Byam have influenced business and overall community growth. All three were active members of our towns and left a lasting mark for generations.

Goodbye to meaningless political campaigns. In a year's time, we will welcome a new president. In my mind, this election will be one of the most important of my generation. So, more than ever before, we must cut through the political showboating and really get into the facts of the candidates. We must make a good decision for the future of a drowning nation. We need to feel safe as a nation and take our head out of the sand (tongue in cheek). Maybe we will be able to say goodbye to terrorism, national debt and government misuse and say hello to a thriving nation. We must stay diligent this election year. As a side note, we were welcomed to our new home by two big bucks, so maybe they decided to move here with us. Well, maybe they said goodbye to the gun-toting hunters and decided to be city deer. Look out, gardeners. I'm just saying.

Coulee Recollections

The Star reserves the right to edit for length, spelling and grammar, but every effort is made to keep the writer's intent. Libelous material and UNSIGNED LETTERS WILL NOT BE PRINTED. A writer's name may be withheld by request but only after editorial board review. Please include a daytime phone number so we

can contact you if we have questions. Send letters to The Star, Letters, P.O. Box 150, Grand Coulee, WA 99133. Fax to (509) 633-3828 or e-mail The Star at: star@

The Star

Three Midway Ave., P.O. Box 150, Grand Coulee, WA 99133 509-633-1350 Fax 509-633-3828. Email: star@ Consolidated with the Grand Coulee News-Times and the Almira Herald. The Star Online - The Star is published (USPS#518860) weekly at Grand Coulee, Wash., and was entered as Second Class matter January 4, 1946. Periodical Postage paid at Grand Coulee, Wash. 99133. ? 2015 Star Publishing, Inc. Subscription Rates: GOLD Counties $24; Remainder of Washington state $33; Elsewhere within the United States $37. Single copy price $1.

Scott Hunter ................................Editor and Publisher Roger Lucas.................................................. Reporter Gwen Hilson............................... Production Manager Launi Ritter............................................... Proofreader

Seventy-Five Years Ago

When a rock slide carried away a portion of SR-155, this temporary bridge was built and used until permanent repairs were made. -- Nov. 26, 1940

PAGE 4

THE STAR ? DECEMBER 2, 2015

Obituaries

Meetings & Notices

Margaret Elaine Sanford

1922 ? 2015

Elaine Sanford, beloved wife, mother, grandmother, greatgrandmother, and great-greatgrandmother passed away at Coulee Medical Center in Grand Coulee, Washington, on Sunday, November 29, 2015.

She was preceded in death by her parents, Perry and Ella Brooks; older sibling, Phyllis Sears; and younger siblings, Kenneth Brooks and Betty Whitelaw.

She is survived by her husband, Frank, at home in Grand Coulee; a younger sister, Barbara Phillips of Portland, Oregon; two sons: Delmar (Linda) Sanford, and George (Jean) Sanford. She is also survived by grandchildren: Nichole (Rocky) Seylor of Grand Coulee, David (Taunya) Sanford of Harrington, Troy (Robin) Sanford of Grand Coulee, Kyle (Jody) Sanford of Spokane, Josh Flowers of Grand Coulee; 10 great-grandchildren, three great-great-grandchildren; and numerous nieces and nephews.

Elaine was born at McGinnis Lake, Washington, and the family lived there until the older children were of school age, at which time they moved to Nespelem. She graduated from Nespelem High School and met her future husband, Frank Sanford, Jr. They were married on January 22, 1942. They raised their family on a wheat and cattle ranch in the Rex Delrio area just west of Grand Coulee.

Elaine was a hard-working housewife and mother, preparing meals for harvest crews, raising

a large garden and caring for her children. In 1963, she became manager of Rapid Robert's drivein, owned by Robert Pachosa. She worked there for 25 years.

After retirement, Elaine still raised huge gardens and cared for grandchildren and greatgrandchildren. She and Frank loved to dance to cowboywestern music and it was a rare Saturday night when they were not at the Eagles with family and friends. They continued dancing until about 2009, when health issues forced them to retire their dancing shoes. They also enjoyed traveling with close friends throughout the west and British Columbia. Elaine was a member of the Delrio Grange, Delrio Grange Ladies Club, later St. Andrews Grange, Coulee Medical Center Guild, Grand Coulee Dam Seniors and Eagles Lodge. Frank and Elaine celebrated their seventy-third wedding anniversary on January 22, 2015. Elaine will be missed by all who knew and loved her. Special thanks to the Coulee Medical Center doctors, nurses and medical staff for their caring support for our loved one. Funeral services will be held on Friday, December 4, 2015, at 11:00 a.m. at Strate Funeral Home, 339 E. Grand Coulee Ave, Grand Coulee. Donations may be made in Elaine's name to the Senior Meals Program, Grand Coulee Dam Seniors, or Coulee Medical Center Guild.

Raymond R. (Ray) Green

In the early morning hours of the community. He was an Okan-

November 20, 2015, Raymond ogan County Fire Commissioner,

R. Green passed away at home. former President of the Nespelem

Ray was a kind and gentle soul REA for 20 years, Hartline Lions

who loved life and lived it to the Club member, Elmer City Fire

fullest. He was born

Department volunteer

in March of 1939 in

firefighter, Cattle Pro-

Spokane, Washington,

ducers of Washington

and was a life-long

member, and a former

resident of the Coulee

4-H leader.

Dam area, where he

Ray is survived

grew up on the family

by his wife, Brenda;

ranch riding his horse

four children: Debbie

to school. Ray gradu-

(Tom) Akin, Tracey

ated from Coulee Dam

(Steve) Johnson, Ron

High School in 1958

Green, and Kevin

where he excelled in

(Kelly) Prather, along

multiple sports and

with seven grand-

developed a love of

children and three

football and basketball. He was great-grandchildren. Ray is also

proud to be one of the last to wear survived by two brothers: Larry

a leather football helmet as a (Gaylene) Green and Dan Green,

freshman. After graduation, Ray and several nieces and nephews.

briefly attended Eastern Wash- He is preceded in death by

ington College (now EWU) where his parents; son, Rod Green; and

he played football, then Spokane brother, Jack Green.

Community College, where he Funeral service was held Tues-

studied diesel mechanics, and day, November 24, 2015 at 11:00

Kinman Business School where a.m., at the Nespelem Community

he studied business.

Center, Nespelem, Washington,

His career path led him to own with Pastor Bill Williams, offici-

and operate his own business and ating. Interment was held at the

ranching. The doors to Green's Spring Canyon Cemetery, Grand

Truck and Equipment opened in Coulee, Washington.

1966 and later expanded to in- Memorial donations can be

clude both a GMC Dealership and made to the Elmer City Fire De-

Arctic Cat snowmobile dealership partment.

,and ultimately Green's Excava- Please sign the online guest-

tion. Ray always had "a few" cows. book at stratefuneralhome.

The number varied, depending on com.

if it was Brenda asking or some- Ray was a kind man who cared

one else, but they were central to for others and never wanted to

his life.

hurt anyone's feelings. He was

In addition to his cows, Ray's always the first to volunteer to

passions in life included work- help anyone who needed it. He

ing hard and playing hard, touched many lives and impacted

firefighting, running his dozer, many hearts; there are not enough

snowmobiling, horseback riding words to capture the fullness of

in the mountains, rodeo ? espe- his life. We lost both a pillar of

cially PBR ? and good times with the community and a great friend

friends and family. Throughout who we will surely miss.

his life, Ray was always active in

Star Obituary Policy

There is a $50 charge for obituaries published in the Star. This includes a photo and up to 500 words.

Reminders for Celebrations of Life and Death Notices are $25. Articles must be e-mailed, faxed or dropped off at the Star of-

fice. They will not be accepted over the phone. The deadline to submit an article is Monday by 5 p.m.

For more information, call 509.633.1350 or go to our website at

Celebrating 55 years

Tom and Kathy Skordas, of Coulee Dam, Washington, are celebrating their 55th wedding anniversary December 5. The couple were wed in Salt Lake City, Utah, on December 5, 1960. They lived in the coulee since 1967 when Tom began his career with the United States Bureau of Reclamation, retiring in 1995.

They have two sons, Robert and Richard, and four grandchildren.

Whalawitsa/ Towner have a girl

Christopher Whalawitsa and Tyana Towner, of Nespelem, Washington, are proud to announce the birth of their daughter, Illithiah Jane Whalawitsa on Thursday, November 19, 2015, at Coulee Medical Center in Grand Coulee. She weighed 6 lb., 13.7 oz., and was 19.5 inches in length at birth.

Maternal grandparents are Addie Simpson and Allen Towner. Paternal grandparents are Jason Whalawitsa and Fauna Ferguson. Greatgrandparents are Lois Herman and John Herman.

It's a boy for

the Kobes

Kelly and Leah Kobes, of Wilbur, Washington, are proud to announce the birth of their son, Jackson Kenneth Kobes, born Wednesday, November 25, 2015, at Coulee Medical Center in Grand Coulee. He weighed 7 lbs., 15 oz., and was 20.5 inches in length at birth.

Maternal grandparents are Andrew and Jill Jordan of Spokane, Washington. Paternal grandparents are David and LaDonna Kobes of Toppenish, Washington. Great-grandparents are Sonja Everett, of Coulee Dam, and Clarice Schmidt, of Billings, Montana.

FAX IT

at the Star 633-3828

27th LIGHTED

FARM

IMPLEMENT

PARADE

Sat., Dec. 5

6:30 p.m.

SUNNYSIDE, WASHINGTON

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an2d7RYuenanrsing!

TArasvseel eCnhoannntehle! thLeVigUoh.tStee.ddbTyPoApa&r1aE0deTBsVeis!nt

JBOSCeIelNOieeMivUniEgSng!I!s

Call 509-837-5939 info@

"Together We Can End Stroke"

a presentation by Janet Mano, RN

12/9/15: Coulee City Senior Center, 11:00 AM 12/9/15: Grand Coulee Dam Senior Center, 4:00 PM

Strokes are Common, Disabling & Deadly

Attend this presentation to learn:

? To recognize stroke signs and Act FAST ? Risk factors, including why blood pressure & nutrition are important ? e importance of working with your health care provider and making healthy life style choices.

This presentation is brought to you by: Serving Adams, Douglas, Chelan, Grant, Lincoln, and Okanogan counties

No Chamber This Week

The Grand Coulee Dam Area Chamber of Commerce will not be meeting this week due to the Vintners and Brewers event this weekend. The next scheduled meeting will be held Thursday, Dec. 10, at noon at the Coulee Dam Town Hall.

Okanogan County Democrats to Meet

Okanogan County Democrats will meet at the Breadline Caf? in Omak at noon Saturday, Dec. 5. There will be a no-host brunch or you can order off the menu.

Care and Share Food Bank

The food bank at the Church of the Nazarene is open Fridays. It is located at the Church of Nazarene, Hwy 174, Grand Coulee. The bank still can use clean, plastic grocery bags.

Wenatchee Valley Erratics Chapter to Meet

Wenatchee Valley Erratics Chapter of the Ice Age Floods Institute will meet at 7 p.m., Tuesday, December 8, at the Wenatchee Valley Museum, 127 South Mission, Wenatchee. Why do volcanoes erupt? Why do some erupt explosively and others gush lavas? Guest speaker, Dr. Wendy Bohrson, CWU Distinguished Professor of Geology, will discuss "How Volcanoes Work and Volcanism in the Pacific Northwest." Why are the Cascade volcanoes where they are, and what is the source of their magma along the Cascadia subduction zone? What happened at the Mt. Mazama eruption that later formed Crater Lake? Recent research may provide clues about conditions required to catalyze such a large, explosive eruption that blanketed the Pacific Northwest with pinkish-white ash. Don't miss this talk, by an internationally revered research volcanologist!

The program is free and open to the public. For an overview of the Ice Age Floods and more information on the Ice Age Floods Institute, see and .

Local AA Meetings

Confused in the Coulee AA meetings are held on Mondays and Fridays at 6 p.m. at the Vets Center in Electric City. Call Paul at 633-3377 days or 633-3345 evenings. New Hope Group meetings are held Wednesdays at 6 p.m. at the Vets Center. These are open and nonsmoking.

In Nespelem, the group Bound and Determined holds its meetings Monday evenings at 7 p.m. at the Catholic Church. Contact Myrna at 634-4921 for more information.

TOPS Meetings

TOPS (Take Off Pounds Sensibly) Chapter 1524 meets on Tuesdays at 9:15 a.m. at Grand Coulee Senior Center prior to the exercise group gathering at 10 a.m. Come and join for the health of it. The SAIL exercise class follows this meeting beginning at 10 a.m. There is no charge. Also, a SAIL exercise class is held Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, from 3:30 to 4:30 p.m., at the Coulee Dam Community Church.

CHURCH OF THE NAZARENE

Welcomes you. Everyone is invited. Pastor Adrian Harris 2 miles east of Hwy 155 on Hwy 174 Adult Sunday School......................... 9:30 a.m. Sunday Worship............................... 10:45 a.m. Church office 633-2186

COULEE DAM COMMUNITY CHURCH PRESBYTERIAN (U.S.A.)

Offers You a Warm Welcome!

Worship Service................................. 9:00 a.m. Fellowship........................................ 10:00 a.m. Adult Sunday School....................... 10:30 a.m.

509 Central Drive, Coulee Dam Church: 633-1790

BANKS LAKE BIBLE CHURCH

25 School Avenue, Electric City, 633-0670 "An Independent Bible Church"

Pastor Bill Williams - Everyone Welcome!

Adult Sunday School................. 9:30 a.m. Coffee Fellowship.................... 10:30 a.m. Morning Worship...................... 10:45 a.m. Evening Worship........................ 6:00 p.m.

Call for schedule of mid-week events.

SEVENTH-DAY ADVENTIST

Come Worship & Praise With Us

103 Continental Heights, Grand Coulee Church (509) 633-3030

Pastor Eric Chavez - (509) 207-9460

Fit For Life............................................ 9:00 a.m. Bible Study......................................... 10:00 a.m. Worship Hour.......................................11:00 a.m. Fellowship Meal.................................. 12:30 p.m. Mid-week Mannah (Wednesday)......... 6:00 p.m.

FAITH COMMUNITY

A Foursquare Church PASTOR STEVE ARCHER 16 Grand, Electric City Sunday Morning Service:..................... 10:00 a.m. KIDS' Church and Nursery

Call the Church Office 633-3044 to find out about other regularly scheduled meetings.

Come Worship The Lord!

GRAND COULEE COMMUNITY METHODIST CHURCH

Modeling our ministry after the New Testament 405 Center St., Grand Coulee Certified Lay Minister Monty Fields Church Office 633-0980

Sunday Worship...................................10:00 a.m. Thursday Bible Study ............................1:30 p.m.

ZION LUTHERAN

PASTOR SHAWN NEIDER 348 Mead Street, Grand Coulee

Church 633-2566 Coulee City Bible Study........................ 8:00 a.m. Coulee City Worship............................. 9:00 a.m. Zion Bible Study & Sunday School....... 9:45 a.m. Zion Worship. ......................................11:00 a.m. Advent Wednesday Worship................ 7:00 p.m. Christmas Potluck, Sun., Dec. 20................Noon

Nursery Available ? NEED A RIDE? CALL 633-2566

.

THE STAR ? DECEMBER 2, 2015

PAGE 5

Local library to

October students of the month

host annual lighting event

The Etheta Anderson Library in Grand Coulee will be holding a "Lighting of the Library" again this year on Thursday, Dec. 10.

The ceremony will include a visit from Santa who will arrive Grand Coulee Fire Department fire truck, plus drawings for young and old, cookies, Christmas

carols, and fun for all. The party begins at 6:30 p.m., Santa arrives at

6:45, and the library will be lit up for the Christmas season.

Come join the fun and help kick off the holidays.

School changes approved

Personnel changes in the Grand Coulee Dam School District approved by the school board Monday night include Cassie Wendt, Lake Roosevelt High School head softball coach; Annette Timentwa, Title VII/JOM paraprofessional; Debra Jimenez, Ti-

tle I math paraprofessional; Wiyaka Steinke, special education paraprofessional; and Tracy Thiel, special education paraprofessional.

Leaves of absence were approved for Shirley Ritchie and Jessica Tufts.

Third through sixth grade: Kinsley Davis, Leah Whalawitsa, Lane Michel, Tanner Kiser, Desiree George, Glad Eyes Williams, Bobby Desautel, Noah Hunt, Brizeida Villafana-Cruz, Reese Circle, Dustin Bertrang, Raeley Portch, Lanay Chuckulnaskit, Nichole Batten, Aidan Palmanteer, Isaac Circle, Logan Valenzuela, Eagle Anne Adolph

Kindergarten through second grade: Kadynce Clark, Finn Beery, Ava Sam, Kolton Carson, Caden Portch, Wiley Kimble, Raina Suina, Blake Chuckulnaskit, Dillan Yazzi, Johnathon Valenzuela, Justice Stice, Joseph "Hass" Lauseng, Malyssa Norton, Passion Carlson, Zaedyn Wolfe, Madelyn Holesapple, Jaci Clark

Town wildlife is abundant

A doe and two young deer, plus a wild turkey, graze for food by a sidewalk next to Fiddle Creek in west Coulee Dam, where deer have been abundant and seem nearly domesticated this fall. About 20 were counted around the neighborhood on this brief outing. -- Scott Hunter photo

Hospital may not break even this year

by Scott Hunter

Coulee Medical Center officials were hoping to break even for 2015, but probably won't make it, Chief Financial Officer Paul Babcock told Hospital District 6 commissioners Monday night.

CMC and its clinics lost nearly $125,000 in October, about 7 percent of its net operating revenue of almost $1.8 million. The low month brings CMC's year-to-date losses to about $418,975, which compares favorably to a loss of more than $2.5 million for the same time frame a year ago.

Even a good November and December are unlikely to be good enough for a break-even year, Babcock said.

He added that emergency room visits were down, but clinic visits were up.

Some of the loss could be called growing pains. After adding a new surgeon, the hospital has added equipment and spent money on supplies needed for more types of

surgery offered. Total patient revenue for the

year, before deducting for insurance discounts, was $28.6 million, up from $27.8 million last year through October.

Your back says

"NO MORE!"

This week in sports

Wed., Dec. 2 6 p.m., LRHS Wrestling at Okanogan Jamboree Thurs., Dec. 3 5 p.m., JHS Boys' Basketball here with Oroville Sat., Dec. 5 10 a.m., LRHS Wrestling at Davenport Tourney Tues., Dec. 8 4:30 p.m., LRHS Basketball at Oroville (L). 5 p.m., JHS Boys' Basketball here with Omak Wed., Dec. 9 6 p.m., LRHS Wrestling here (Mix and Match) Thurs., Dec. 10 4:30 p.m., LRHS Basketball here with Entiat (NL) 5 p.m., JHS Boys' Basketball at Okanogan

Time for a Change?

Enroll winter quarter in Industrial Systems Technology. We have pathways in Mechanical and Electrical Systems.

bigbend.edu Classes begin Janaury 4, 2016.

Flu Advice

From the desk of Infection Prevention:

Sandra Edwards, RN

This year the Flu may extend itself to May. If you have not had the Flu vaccine the CDC recommends getting one now.

If you've just come down with miserable Flu symptoms, you may wonder when to call the doctor. Sooner is better than later in case your doctor thinks you would benefit from Flu medications that may help shorten the duration of your illness.

Coulee Medical Center's doctors and staff are always here to help with our community's health concerns.

Signs and symptoms of flu People who have the flu often feel some or all of these signs and symptoms: ? Fever* or feeling feverish/chills ? Cough ? Sore throat ? Runny or stuffy nose ? Muscle or body aches ? Headaches ? Fatigue (very tired) ? Some people may have vomiting and diarrhea, though this is more common in children than adults. *It's important to note that not everyone with flu will have a fever.

411 Fortuyn Blvd. Grand Coulee 509-633-1911

6 Things you can do to help prevent spread of the Flu:

1. Avoid close contact. Avoid close contact with people who are sick. When you are sick, keep your distance from others to protect them from getting sick too.

2. Stay home when you are sick. Stay home from work, school, and errands when you are sick. You will help prevent others from catching your illness.

3. Cover your mouth and nose. Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue when coughing or sneezing. It may prevent those around you from getting sick.

4. Clean your hands. Washing your hands often will help protect you from germs. If soap and water are not available, use an alcohol-based hand rub.

5. Avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth. Germs are often spread when a person touches something that is contaminated with germs and then touches his or her eyes, nose, or mouth.

6. Practice other good health habits. Clean and disinfect frequently touched surfaces at home, work or school, especially when someone is ill. Get plenty of sleep, be physically active, manage your stress, drink plenty of fluids, and eat nutritious food.

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