The Times - Serving Waitsburg, Dayton and the Touchet Valley

Ten Years Ago

January 24, 2008

Following four think-on-your-feet interviews and a short executive session, three members of the Waitsburg City Council couldn’t agree on a replacement appointee for the Council seat made vacant by the death of Councilman Jim Helm. Candidates Marty Dunn, Mark Shively, Sarah Groffman and Karen Gregutt will have to tap dance their way through another audition on February 6.

The congregation of the First Christian Church of Waitsburg substantially voted approval of a $131,000 sanctuary renovation project, Pastor Mike Ferrians announced last Sunday. The vote, taken at a congregational meeting on January 13, was announced during the January 20 worship service.

Twenty-Five Years Ago

January 21, 1993

A month ago a hunter killed a 120-pound cougar 1 ½ miles east of the Dixie Elementary School. Jamie Kibler, 29, who shot the female cat, said the cougar presented a potential danger to the school children because 1 ½ miles is “just a short walk for a cougar.”

An era has ended in Waitsburg. For the past 10 volleyball seasons Waitsburg High school varsity volleyball coach Dinah Lindsey has led her teams to a winning season every year, including a trip to the playoffs in each of the last eight years. Last week, she announced her resignation and, she said, “retirement” as high school volleyball coach.

Sharon Miller, the school district’s financial officer, has been complimented by the state of Washington public employee retirement systems for maintain first-rate records at the district level.

Fifty Years Ago

January 18, 1968

One of Waitsburg’s enterprising young businessmen is Jerry Smith who carries The Times each Wednesday afternoon. Jerry has a regular route and several loyal customers who buy their paper exclusively from him.

Short Yellow Stop Signs in Waitsburg have been replaced by taller, Red Stop Sighs, at a total cost to the city of $554.00 plus installation costs.

A perfect theme song for D. R. “Whitey” Candaux of Waitsburg would have to be “Time on my Hands,” because he has in his horological stable some 44 clocks – all of which run because of his efforts. The Candaux family lives in the Glen Hofer home north of Waitsburg, and Whitey is an avid clock collector while his wife, Ruby, is interested in antique furniture. The special room in which all these clocks are kept has more ticks than a mountain hound dawg in the month of May – and the area nearly explodes when the hands read an hour simultaneously and the clocks all begin their individual chimes, bells, gongs and what ever else they do.

Seventy-Five Years Ago

January 22, 1943

Miss Roberta Leid, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Gordon Leid, joined the Army nurses and left Tuesday for Yuma, Ariz. where she will report for duty as a 2nd Lieutenant.

Thursday afternoon, Jan. 14, was chosen as the wedding date of Miss Bertha Estes and Wesley M. Lloyd. The ceremony took place in the South Chapel of Christ Presbyterian Church in Madison, Wisconsin.

Mrs. Gladys Keve has been doing substitute teaching in the grade school.

A group of eight couples called at the country home of Mr. and Mrs. Jim Hodgen Saturday evening for a house warming. The Hodgens are newcomers to this community and are living on the Ginn farm north of town. They have completed the remodeling of their home into a most attractive residence.

One Hundred Years Ago

January 25, 1918

The Dickinson-Shaffer Hardware Co. has been appointed local agency for the Oldsmobile cars and already have a waiting list for this very popular automobile.

John Free has accepted the position of Street Commissioner, vice J.J.S. Milligan resigne Mr. Milligan who has held this position for the past two years or more, is going to a ranch near Endicott. The 1917-18 Basketball girls team is composed of Helen Keiser, Audrey Shaffer, forwards; Wilma Shaffer, center; Imogene McKinney, side center; Mildred Dickeson and Naomi Pulliam, guards.

The Red Cross rooms are open for all workers every afternoon at one o’clock. Workers in gauze are especially needed. There is still urgent calls for knitted garments.

One Hundred Twenty-Five Years Ago

January 27, 1893

They say that the school ma’m at Huntsville has introduced a new feature in her school, and a novel feature it is, too. When one of the girls misses a word, the boy who spells it gets permission to kiss her. As a result, the boys are improving rapidly, in their spelling while the girls can’t spell worth shucks.

The backbone of winter seems to be broken, but then you can’t sometimes generally most always tell what you least expect the most.

On Tuesday evening while Miss Angie Lloyd, youngest daughter of Hon. and Mrs. A. G. Lloyd, was on her way home from school in a cart she met with a quite painful accident. In some way, she hardly knows how, she was thrown from the cart, and rendered unconscious by the fall. She was not however, seriously injured though a bad gash was cut in her face above the left eye.