Oroville Cruise Night
Father’s Day Fly-In and North Country Car Show
Starts Saturday, June 30 See page 2
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SERVING WASHINGTON’S
OKANOGAN VALLEY
SINCE 1905
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Ring Around the Midsummer May Pole
Tonasket Planner suggests forming ‘Friends of the Pool’ BY BRENT BAKER BBAKER@GAZETTE-TRIBUNE.COM
City Planner Kurt Danison of Highlands Associates reported on a variety of topics at the Wednesday, June 13 Tonasket Council meeting, including the formation of a Friends of the Pool group to focus on a new or renovated city pool. Danison said he met the previous day with a group of individuals “very interested in getting the pool done.” He said there was a clear desire to see some action and recommended the formation of a Friends of Pool group. “I’m suggesting we reorganize a pool committee and decide what direction we’re going to go,” Danison said. “In terms of new pool, renovate the existing pool -- things that we started discussing a few years ago. “Two things: one is to come to the conclusion of what we’re going to build and where we’re going to build it, so we can begin to see what it will cost us. The other is to actually encourage and support a local ‘Friends of the Pool’ group or whatever to help with the fundraising. The goal in my mind is to apply in 2014 for money to build a new pool, or
Into every life a little rain must fall, but that didn’t stop people from having a good time at the Molson Midsummer Festival last Saturday. After decorating the May Pole with flowers picked locally during the Fun/Walk people joined in traditional Swedish songs as they danced around the May Pole (above). Barbara Dart, born in nearby Havillah, moved with her family to the Nine Mile area when she was five, attending the Nine Mile School from first to fourth grade. She was this year’s Grand Marshal and led the parade (right). There were games, including egg toss, for young and old alike and for just the young, the coin scramble (below). For more on the festival see B3.
renovate the existing one. So we have a little less than two years to come up with money for the new pool.” Danison suggested putting together an endowment of some sort, managed privately, to supplement the money the city is setting aside in its budget for that purpose. “We need to determine our next step and get some professional people on board to help make the decision about new or existing and the appropriate scale of the project.” Danison said the Tonasket “Pretty Committee” has continued to meet, while he has stayed engaged with the group to add a long-term perspective to their plans and ideas. “They’re working on some really neat things,” Danison said. “I tend to look at the longer term. And what I’ve heard is the desire for new sidewalks, those sorts of things. You can’t just go down to Lee Franks and buy those. “We had hoped that since the DOT was coming in next year (to grind down the street) that we could piggyback in with some funding ... but by the time it’s available it would be too late for that project.”
SEE COUNCIL | PG. 3
NVH audit shows 2011 improvement BY BRENT BAKER
“You’re kind of bucking the trend that I’m seeing at my board meetings. Most hospitals are ... having decreased volumes and rising operating expenses.”
BBAKER@GAZETTE-TRIBUNE.COM
Photos by Gary Devon
TONASKET - North Valley Hospital’s financial health has improved over the past two years and is on par with, or stronger than, most hospitals of comparable demographics, according to the 2011 independent auditor’s report recently completed by Dingus, Zarecor and Associates, PLLC. Luke Zarecor was on hand at the Thursday, June 14, NVH Board meeting to review the report. The report wasn’t all sunshine and rainbows. There were three findings relating to weaknesses on internal controls, and getting the warrants situation under control is preventing issues with cash flow. But given the state of the economy, most indicators were positive. Operating revenues rose faster than
Luke Zarecor, Zarecor & Associates
expenses, total net assets nearly doubled, and the overall bottom line was nearly $1 million in the black. “You’re kind of bucking the trend that
SEE NVH | PG. 3
PUD updates Chamber on licensing efforts for Enloe Dam BY GARY A. DEVON MANAGING EDITOR
OROVILLE – Representatives from Okanogan County PUD made a presentation at the Oroville Chamber of Commerce on the utilities efforts to license Enloe Dam to once again generate hydroelectric power. The dam and powerhouse, which are about 3.5 miles up the Similkameen River from Oroville, have not generated power since the mid-1950s. The PUD has been trying to license the dam with a new modern powerhouse and generators, this time located on the opposite bank of the river. Dan Boettger, Director of Regulatory and Environmental Affairs for the utility, started the presentation with a slide show of then-and-now photos and illustrations. The photos showed the various stages of the dams construction as well as the different powerhouses that were located on the to generate power in the early years of operation. They also
showed where new facilities would be located. “The PUD’s new proposal has been in the works since 2005, as have our licensing efforts,” Boettger said. “The new plan would move the powerhouse to the parking lot area now there. The intake structure would have wide screening. One reason is that wider screes slow water and won’t cause fish to become impinged against the screen.” Boettger explained the new location of the powerhouse is to meet requirements for fish because of the Endangered Species Act listing of steelhead and certain species of salmon. He said placing it where the old powerhouse is would not be favorable to water circulation and temperature at the exit. The new plan calls for water to exit at the falls. “How’s the water temperature going to be affected?” asked Walt Hart, an Oroville City Council member. “We hope it may actually improve, as well as the TDG, Total Dissolved Gasses and oxygen. Temperature is probably our
OKANOGAN VALLEY GAZETTE-TRIBUNE Volume 108 No. 25
biggest challenge. We’ve studied current temperatures above, below and at the dam. Our priorities are fish first... one way to ensure fish survival is to enhance oxygen levels.” Another high priority is recreation, especially where other agencies and the public are concerned, according to Boettger. He said the PUD’s plan includes a park, a boat ramp, four camp sites, picnic areas, parking and a restroom. The project will be run-of-the-river, generating the most electricity when the natural spring runoff occurs. At times that production may be reduced by low streamflows and Boettger said one or both the turbines can then be shut off. When asked if the $31 million project made economic sense to ratepayers, Boettger said the purpose of the dam would be to ensure a more consistent source of electric power over the next 40 years and improve the delivery of power to Oroville. He said the Oroville area is currently served by one line coming from
Dan Boettger, Director of Regulatory and Environmental Affairs for Okanogan County PUD and Glenn Huber, Area Manager for Oroville, were among the PUD representatives discussing the public electric utilities plans to license Enloe Dam at the Thursday, June 14 Oroville Chamber of Commerce meeting held at Trino’s Restaurant. Other representatives included PUD Commissioner Ernie Bolz and Environmental Coordinator Nick Christoph. Photo by Gary DeVon
SEE CHAMBER | PG. 3
INSIDE THIS EDITION
CONTACT US Newsroom and Advertising (509) 476-3602 gdevon@gazette-tribune.com
Community A2-3 Letters & Opinions A4 Valley Life A5-6
Community Bulletin A6 Father’s Day Fly-In B1 N. Country Car Show B2
Valley Life B3 Classifieds/Legals B4-5 Obits B5-6