The Times 

2015: Dayton and Columbia County Year in Review

 

Times File Photo

This log home on Bowman Hill, west of Dayton, was destroyed by fire on July 22. It was one of four major fires in Dayton last summer.

DAYTON – The news in Dayton and Columbia County in 2015 was highlighted by fires and marijuana legalization and updates from the Columbia County Health System and Columbia Pulp. Here's a brief review:

January

Keep Kate: A group of Dayton area residents formed a group whose purpose was to encourage the Dayton School Board to retain interim middle and high school principal Kate Wenzel permanently in that position. Wenzel was hired for the 2014-15 school year only, to replace outgoing principal Andy Maheras. In December, the board chose to open up the position and solicit applications for the fall of 2015.

Hospital Consultant: After a $5.5 million bond levy measure passed in November by only five votes, the Columbia County Health System board moved forward to make more specific plans for a complete renovation of Dayton General Hospital. The board, staff and community members held an all-day retreat on Jan. 14, and then at their regular January meeting the board chose to hire a consultant, Stroudwater Associates, at a cost of approximately $60,000, to help them determine the best way to reconfigure the hospital.

Columbia Pulp Delay: John Begley, CEO of the firm hoping to establish a straw pulp processing plant near Lyons Ferry, said that the company now planned to break ground on the new facility in the spring of 2015. This was a delay of about six months from the original schedule when plans for the facility were first announced a year earlier.

February

Slack Joins Prosecutor's Office: Columbia County Prosecutor Rea Culwell announced the hiring of Public defender Dale Slack to serve as her deputy, replacing Abbie Broughton Marsh, who was leaving to take a position in Arizona. Slack was to start April 1.

Sales Tax Increase: On February 3, by more than a 2-1 margin, voters in Dayton approved a measure to increase the sales tax rate in the city by 0.2%. The funds, expected to be approximately $69,000 per year, were to be used to establish a Transportation Improvement District in the city to help fund street and sidewalk repair projects.

Pot Store Visit: The Columbia County Commissioners visited a marijuana retail store in Prosser called Altitude on February 23, to get a first-hand look at the reality of legal marijuana in Washington. "All three commissioners expressed surprise at how clean, upscale, controlled and professional the operation appeared," The Times reported.

March

Pot Moratorium: After a public hearing on March 16, the Columbia County Commissioners voted to extend the county moratorium on marijuana business for six more months. This increased the total length of the moratorium from 18 to 24 months. Part of the reason for the extension was to wait for completion of the legislative session in Olympia, since potential legal changes were in store.

Museum Leadership: The passing of long-time Dayton Community leader Elizabeth Thorn brought to light the need for new leadership among Dayton's historic museums. Thorn led the Blue Mountain Heritage Society for many years and was the driving force behind Dayton's Palus Museum and Smith Hollow School House museum.

New Principal: The Dayton School Board selected Paul Shaber as the new middle and high school principal beginning the 2015-16 school year. A math and science teacher in Idaho, Shaber was selected over three other candidates, including 2014-15 interim principal Kate Wenzel. Wenzel served for one year, replacing former principal Andy Maheras.

April

BMS Solar: Installation began in late March on eight solar panels which were installed on the roof of Blue Mountain Station, the Port of Columbia's Artisan Food Center. The port partnered with Walla Walla FREE, a solar energy cooperative, on the project. The panels are expected to provide nearly all of BMS's power free.

REA Switch: After months of deliberation, the Columbia County Board of Commissioners voted on April 15 to switch from Pacific Power to REA to provide power to the Columbia County Courthouse and the county's public works building. County Engineer Drew Woods estimated that the change would save the county about $4,800 per year in electricity cost.

School Levy Loss: The Dayton School District's $800,000 capital improvement levy was narrowly defeated in an April ballot. The measure lost by 23 votes out of 1,160 cast. The funds would have been used to address safety, security and efficiency needs., including entry and exit doors, a remodel of the front wall of the gym entryway, roof projects, updates to communications systems and a new irrigation system for the athletic fields.

May

Girls' Softball to State: In the second round of the state girls' softball tournament, the Dayton Lady Bulldogs lost to eventual state champions, Adna, 13-0. Dayton won their first tournament game, beating Okanogan, 13-8. The Lady 'Dogs lost their first losers' bracket game to Colfax, 10-7.

CCHS Accepts Design: The Columbia County Health System board agreed at their April meeting to move forward with the hospital remodel design recommended by Stroudwater and Associates. The board agreed that the design should focus on urgent care, swapping emergency room and administrative entrances, and constructing a physical therapy pool.

Mule Mania Moves: Memorial Day weekend was even more memorable, as Dayton's Mule Mania celebration moved to the May holiday weekend, from its previous spot in July. The combined Dayton Days and Mule Mania Parade Saturday morning was followed a wide range of mule-related activities throughout the weekend. The switch to the new date was considered a great success.

June

Lyons Ferry Park: The Washington State Parks celebrated the reopening of Lyons Ferry Park, north of Starbuck, on June 5. The park had been closed due to budget cuts for several years, though it was opened for a couple of years by volunteers from the Starbuck area. During the celebration, visitors heard several speakers, including three Washington state legislators.

All Wheels Weekend: The weather was perfect and the crowds were huge as the Dayton Chamber of Commerce put on its 21st annual All Wheels Weekend car show event. More than 300 cars lined Main Street for Saturday's Show N Shine.

Home Fires: Fire engulfed a home on Dayton's north side on June 28, and then spread to the home next door. The cause of the fire in the abandoned house on the corner of 1st and Washington Streets, which was completely destroyed is unknown. The next door home on Washington street was damaged beyond repair. This turned out to be the first of a string of fires in the Dayton area over the summer.

July

More Structure Fires: Three more major fires destroyed structures in the Dayton area in July. Early on July 15, the home of George "Bill" Waltermire, on East Commercial Street as badly damaged by fire. The caused was determined to be electrical. Two days later, a fire at the Columbia County Transfer Station caused irreparable damage to the facility's structure and much of its operating equipment, including a dump trailer. The cause is unknown. On July 22, a nearly completed and unoccupied log home on Bowman Hill west of Dayton was destroyed by fire. The fire was determined to be caused by faulty wiring in the garage, which was under construction.

CCHS Resignations: Two leaders at Columbia County Health System announced their resignation in late July. Jon Smiley joined CCHS as interim CEO after the resignation of Charley Button in 2012 and left at the end of September. CCHS board president Ted Paterson also announced his resignation at the July meeting. The resignations came at a critical time for the health system, as it embarks on a major renovation of Dayton General Hospital.

August

ATV Ordinance: On August 10, the Dayton City Council approved an ordinance allowing wheeled all-terrain vehicles on city streets. Washington State passed similar legislation in 2013 that automatically applied to all county and state byways. However, cities retained the right to regulation the application of the law individually, which Dayton did.

Grizzly Bear Fire: Lightning strikes on the night of Aug. 13 ignited a series of fires in the Wehaha-Tucannon wilderness east of Dayton that soon merged into what became the Grizzly Bear Complex Fire. The fire spread into Oregon and grew to more than 116 square miles. By early September, more than 1,000 people were either working on the fire or supporting the firefighting effort, including a large contingent working out of Columbia County Fire District 3 headquarters.

No Pot Ban: On August 19, the Columbia County Board of Commissioners voted down a motion, by a 2-1 margin, to ban marijuana businesses in the county. The vote ended a two-year moratorium on those businesses. The commissioners then directed the county's Planning Department and the Prosecutor's Office to draw up guidelines for establishment of growing, processing and retail operations.

September

Pot Regulations: The Columbia County Commissioners moved forward in September with plans to regulate marijuana businesses. Their plans were complicated by the fact that they must integrate state regulations for recreational use with a separate set of state regulations for medical marijuana use.

Hospital Plan Finalized: The CCHS Board of Directors approved the final site plan for the renovation of Dayton General Hospital at their September meeting. The design calls for moving the emergency room to near where the current main entrance is located; establishing a new main entrance on the north side of the building, near the current ER entrance; and expanding the physical therapy facility in the area where Booker Annex is now located. An new physical therapy pool will be located adjacent to this area. The administrative offices for CCHS will also be moved to the Booker Annex area.

October

Seneca Property: The Columbia County Board of Commissioners announced that they are in negotiations with Seneca Foods to purchase between 15 and 20 acres of land and buildings adjacent to the County Engineer's office and County Shop. The property includes the Seneca Activity Center building as well as the former labor camp buildings. Those buildings will all likely be razed.

November

Elections: Former Dayton Elementary School Principal Katie Leid was elected to a position on the Dayton School Board on Nov. 3, and took her seat in late November. Leid defeated incumbent board member Joe Huether. Ken Dyball defeated incumbent CCHS board member Jime Kime, and will join the CCHS board in January.

McGuire Hired: The Columbia County Health System board of directors announced the hiring of Shane McGuire as new CEO. McGuire, who has been Chief Operating Officer for CCHS for 5 ½ years, will replace Jon Smiley, who left at the end of September. McGuire joined CCHS in 2010 after spending eight years as COO for OneEighty Networks in Walla Walla.

December

Times File Photo

Lyons Ferry Park, north of Starbuck, reopened in June.

School Levies: The Dayton School Board authorized putting a four-year M&O levy, which would collect $1.46 million per year, before voters in February. This levy would replace an existing M&O levy, which will run out at the end of 2016. The Board also authorized a four-year capital projects levy on the February ballot. That levy would collect $437,500 per year for the first two years, and an additional $75,000 annually for the final two years.

Columbia Pulp: The development schedule for Columbia Pulp's straw pulp processing plant near Lyons Ferry was delayed throughout the year. In December, CEO John Begley told community leaders that the plant will still happen. "It's not if, but when," he said. Begley said he now anticipates groundbreaking in early 2016 with the plant in operation in early 2017.

 

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