The Times - Serving Waitsburg, Dayton and the Touchet Valley

Ten Years Ago

September 6, 2007

Seventeen-year-old Daniel Wies, the son of Joe and Kathy Weis of Waitsburg, was one of 26 individuals from the Spokane Dioceses to make an early August sojourn to Mississippi to contribute to Katrina relief efforts.

With fingers crossed that a forest fire won’t break out in the next couple of weeks, plans for the 50th Annual Commercial Club Salmon Bake are coming together for the event on Saturday, September 22. Last year the feed moved to McGregor Co. because firefighters were using the DRS grounds as base camp, but this year the event returns to the familiar site, the Don Thomas Community Building.

Twenty-Five Years Ago

September 3, 1992

High school class enrollment surged 27 percent this fall, from 77 to 98 students in grades 9 through 12, and school officials say they are short of desks. “Our classrooms are full,” Burton Dickerson, superintendent of schools in Waitsburg told the members of the school board Aug. 26.

Berger Chase, who delighted readers of The Times with his witty “Berger Sez” column has dies. He was 79.

Members of the Waitsburg Lions Club are becoming “roadies” for the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, scheduled to play at the Columbia County Fair on Sept. 11. Sixteen Lions are being asked to help set up and dismantle the popular musical group’s equipment before and after the show, Waitsburg Lions Scott Johnson said.

Fifty Years Ago

August 31, 1667

Gilbert Hundleby, Waitsburg’s nonagenarian philosopher, will be 92 years old at 2:00 a.m., August 31. Gilbert claims that he is the oldest law student that ever slept in Waitsburg. Living in a house by the side of the highway, just watching the world go by, Gilbert has words of wisdom to dispense to any passing person who wishes to take the time to hear.

There will be a meeting on Wednesday, Sept. 6 at 8:00 in Ginny’s Grill dining room of the Waitsburg Mixed Couples Bowling League. This meeting is open to any interested bowlers. The purpose is to set up league play for the fall season. Bowling will start at Dayton on Tuesday, September 12 beginning at 9:00 p.m.

Forty-one Waitsburg Cardinals have turned out for varsity football this season, reports coach Dick Kinart.

Seventy-Five Years Ago

September 4, 1942

The wedding of Miss Maxine Dunn to Mr. Guy Atteburty took place last Thursday, Aug. 20 at the Methodist Church parsonage in Walla Walla.

Mr. and Mrs. W. F. Hawks left Thursday morning by auto for Reno, Nevada, where their daughter, Miss Helen, will become the bride of Mr. Clarence Hall. Following the wedding, Mr. and Mrs. Hawks will vacation in San Francisco.

A beautiful piece of handwoven linen has been presented to the Home Economics Department of the Waitsburg Hi School by Leona Southard Franklin who graduated from the school in 1914.

Bobbie Bill Wright celebrated his seventh birthday Wednesday at the home of his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Jack Wright, on Main. Guests were Marilyn and Janet Veatch, Linda Harris, Rodney Dilts, Connie Hill, Walter and Willie Pasley, Bruce and Dickie Brunton, David and Rosemary McConnell, Bobbie Bill and Judy Wright.

One Hundred Years Ago

September 7, 1917

We are able to announce this week that the City has purchased the right of way on the John Miller place to the four big springs originating on this ground, and all the rights owned by Mr. Miller; to 500 gallons per minute of the Coppei water.

Mrs. Smith Hoops has purchased part of the stock of goods of the Cash Bazaar from Miss Viviane Ernstberger and will at once increase the stock by adding new and novel lines of goods.

Today will mark the 75th day without rain in the Walla Walla Valley.

The Dahl Jones harvesting crew completed a 25-day run in the valley Wednesday and moved up onto the mountains where the grain is now ripening fast and where the crew will have a 10 or 12-day run.

Miss Fleeta Kinder has been hired to teach the school on Jasper Mountain. There are 15 pupils enrolled with all grades represented except the 8th.

One Hundred Twenty-Five Years Ago

September 9, 1892

The jute mill at the penitentiary has suspended operations for a few days owing to a lack of raw material fo which there is lots on the way. Already 170,000 sacks of superior quality have been made there this season and sold at 6 ½ cts. The Statesman adds “The day of high priced grain and wool bags in the northwest is a thing past.”

Next Sabbath morning, the pastor of the first Presbyterian Church will preach on Education with special reference to the opening of our schools and the subject of the evening sermon will be ‘what the Cholera scourge may teach us.’”

The Misses Ingraham gave a pleasant “spider web” party on Wednesday evening.