New signs to revive Coulee Corridor

by Lynne Lynch<br> Herald Staff Writer
| June 23, 2010 1:00 PM

LAKE LENORE — People interested in improving tourism in the Columbia Basin are invited to the dedication of four interpretive signs at Lake Lenore.

The event is 11 a.m. on Friday at Lake Lenore, located on state Route 17, north of Soap Lake.

Event speakers are Corinne Isaak, Coulee Corridor Byway coordinator, and Denis Felton, Coulee Corridor Consortium (CCC) chairman and Sun Lakes State Park manager.

Attending the event would be a good way to show support for the byway and local area, Isaak said.

The panels show information about the landscape, history and culture of the area. A map of the Coulee Corridor National Scenic Byway is also displayed.

“These panels reflect the design guidelines that the Coulee Corridor Consortium (CCC) will use on all projects that are accomplished,” Isaak said.

The CCC created the panels by working with vendors and Washington State Parks and Recreation.

Amy McDougall, an interpretive specialist from the Dry Falls Visitor Center, helped compile the content for the panels. The Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation also assisted.

Sandra Noel, of Noel Designs in Vashon Island, developed the graphics for the panels.

Keith Young, of Young’s Welding in Electric City, worked on the basalt bases and construction of the panel bases.

A New York business called Fossil Company produced the panels.

Staff from nearby Sun Lakes State Park installed the signs.

Isaak thanked CCC volunteers for their time in applying for the grant and serving on the committees to oversee the project.

“The CCC is a grassroots organization and the panels are a great example of how by working together you can accomplish your goals,” she added.

The panels were paid for with a National Scenic Byway grant through the Federal Highway Administration, which also funds two gateway signs along state Route 17 near Othello and Omak.

The byway is 150 miles long and stretches from Othello to Omak.