Serving Waitsburg, Dayton and the Touchet Valley
Serving Waitsburg, Dayton and the Touchet Valley
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WAITSBURG – 2016 in Waitsburg could be called The Year of Contention. The year kicked off with the city council responding to public outcry by abandoning plans to approve a one-year trial lease with Brandon Kelly, who wanted to operate a race car track at the city fairgrounds. But that was just the beginning of citizens making their opinions known. Voters rejected the school's capital improvements bond and community members shared their views about fairgrounds usage, removal of trees by the c...
WAITSBURG – Should students be allowed to access their cell phones during class? As it currently stands, Waitsburg students must store their phones in a holding box prior to entering their classes. But that may change. Or not. During the public/board comment portion of December’s regular school board meeting, board member Christy House suggested that the district take a closer look at its cell phone policy. House said that the primary way coaches communicate with athletes is via Facebook, but...
WAITSBURG – With no one, aside from one board director's wife, willing to brave the cold and attend the Dec. 7 Town Hall Association Annual Meeting, the board remains unchanged for 2017, according to board secretary Jim Davison. The 2017 board includes: President Ron Standring, Vice President Jim Romine, Secretary Jim Davison, Treasurer Larry Johnson, and board members Ron Griffen. Karl Newell, and Jim Walsh. Waitsburg's Town Hall is operated on a 100-percent volunteer basis, and is supported s...
Local photographer's love of the outdoors is evident in his work WAITSBURG – Having spent more than 50 years working as a professional photographer, Waitsburg native Vance Price is at the point in life where he can focus on doing only what he enjoys most – shooting the great outdoors. "I've never once had a tree complain," said Price, who spent many years working with people, as a portrait and wedding photographer. Many of Price's photos are now lining the walls of the 10 Ton Press building at...
WAITSBURG – One, two, cha-cha-cha... one, two, cha-cha-cha. Chant that phrase to a Preston Hall middle school student and they will probably grin as they showed you just how it's done. Waitsburg middle school students spent mornings last week learning the popular Latin dance, the Cha Cha, as part of a holiday homeroom activity geared toward teaching social skills. This year, middle school students spend the first 20 minutes of each day engaged in a homeroom activity, according to junior high s...
WAITSBURG - Neither sleet nor rain could keep Waitsburg townfolk from enjoying the city's annual Hometown Christmas celebration last weekend. Visitors filled Town Hall to listen to local musicians, enjoy a meal or Christmas cookie, and browse the many tables of wares for sale. About 60 children (and an adult or two) found their way to Santa's lap where they shared their Christmas wish list, got their picture taken, and received a goodie bag, courtesy of the Waitsburg Commercial Club. Children...
WAITSBURG – The Waitsburg Elementary School multipurpose room was hopping before school last Friday, as students and families flocked in to enjoy cocoa, a photo, and a chat with Waitsburg's resident Santa. For the last three years, the Waitsburg lunch ladies have taken it upon themselves to transform the lunchroom into a winter wonderland. "We do this every year with a different theme," said food services manager Susan Wildey. "We usually start preparing and planning a year in advance. We l...
WAITSBURG – For many Christians, pulling the nativity set out of storage and placing it prominently on display signifies the start of the Christmas season. That's one task that Ginny and Joe Just don't have to worry about. Theirs are on display 365 days a year. Over 300 of them, as a matter of fact! The Justs began collecting nativity sets about 16 years ago, and haven't stopped yet, though they say they have gotten significantly more picky over the years. The collection fills a b...
WAITSBURG – For Bill Fether of SteelFeather Auto, located at 615 Preston Ave., Christmas dreams came true a bit early this year. Fether is excited to announce that he has expanded his former one-bay shop to three bays, and he plans to install a lift within the next six months. Fether opened his shop just over a year ago, but said his business was relatively unnoticed until The Times ran a story on him last July. Fether said that once word got out, business started pouring in and hasn't stopped....
WAITSBURG – The 2017 Waitsburg Celebration Days Queen has been selected and will make her official debut at the Hometown Christmas Parade on Sunday. Incoming queen Cheyanne Shoun will lead off the parade, riding alongside reigning WCD queen Emily Adams. Earlier this year, the WCD committee decided to move from an entire court to just a queen, due to cost, flexibility and lack of applicants. Cheyanne applied for the position, was recommended by WCD court advisor Ann Adams, and made a presentation...
WAITSBURG – Three Waitsburg High School musicians will play with the Walla Walla Symphony Youth Orchestra at their Winter Concert on Dec. 14. Tuba players Jacob Elder and Scott Leamy, and clarinetist Leena Baker, are looking forward to their first symphony performance. "I am delighted! What a special bunch of students," said WHS band director Brad Green, who plans to show support by taking a van-load of WHS band students to attend the concert. Seventeen-year-old Jacob Elder was the first to j...
The former Times publisher's family recalls his humility and devotion to his community WAITSBURG – It wasn't unexpected, but the void is large. Waitsburg is mourning the loss of former Times publisher and longtime civil servant Tom Baker, who passed away after an extended illness on Nov. 14. Tom not only spent 27 years writing about life in Waitsburg, but he gave wholeheartedly to the town and its folk, becoming a local institution, and leaving behind a lasting legacy. Tom grew up in Colorado a...
Commission vote is split 3-2 WAITSBURG – Following a Nov. 17 public hearing, the Waitsburg Planning Commission voted 3-2 to recommend rezoning property located at 503 W. 2nd, just off Highway 12, from residential to CR4 residential-commercial mixed-use. They plan to submit their recommendation, along with conditional use permit recommendations for the landowner, at the Dec. 21 city council meeting. The rezone was the result of an application submitted last spring, by property owner Marvin A...
WAITSBURG – Waitsburg was host to the November knowledge bowl meet on Thurs., Nov. 17 at the First Christian and Presbyterian Churches. A total of 14 teams competed from Dayton, DeSales, Pomeroy, Prescott, and Clarkston. Dayton Team 1 was a dominant first place with 98 points. Dayton Team 1 members include: Benjamin White, Cal Martin, Zech Bryan, Jennifer Warren, and Kylee Harris. They are coached by Doug Yenney. "I'm very pleased with our team's performance at Waitsburg. Anytime we can score n...
WAITSBURG – Each year, on the first weekend in December, Waitsburg families flock to Main Street to enjoy Waitsburg’s annual Christmas celebration. This will be Waitsburg’s 31st Hometown Christmas. Main Street will be decked out with a large community Christmas tree, decorated by Waitsburg students, in front of the Plaza Theater. Garlands and wreaths will hang festively from the light poles. Smaller themed trees, from the FFA’s Festival of Trees, will line the sidewalks. Saturday, December 3 On...
WAITSBURG – Local 4-H members were recognized in a Walla Walla County 4-H Achievement Night Award Ceremony at the Walla Walla Fairgrounds Community Building on Sun., Nov. 12. The Home Grown Go Wild group walked away with the Best Window Display award for their impressive display in the Ten Ton Press building window on Waitsburg’s Main Street. Timothy Daves received the Wayne Stambuagh Memorial Award, with Emily Adams receiving Honorable Mention. The award is given to members enrolled in a plant...
WAITSBURG – Final counts are in, and voters approved a $3.8 million bond to improve and upgrade Waitsburg school facilities with a 62.99% approval vote. The funds will be used to upgrade the HVAC system in all three schools, including adding air conditioning to the elementary school, renovating the school kitchen, and constructing a field house at the athletic field. The bond will also allow the district to access $40,000 in funds given by an anonymous donor for the construction of the field h...
Directors say challenging music and a hilarious script are a delight DAYTON – Theater fans will be in for a treat as they enjoy the exploits of nine-year-old Ralphie Parker, as he pines for his one Christmas wish – a Red Ryder Carbine Action 200-shot Range Model air rifle – in this years' Touchet Valley Arts Council's fifteenth annual fall musical. "A Christmas Story: The Musical," begins Thurs., Nov. 17 on the historic Liberty Theater stage. Co-directors Brenda Henderson and Mike Ferrians teame...
WAITSBURG – "The last time I spoke before this student body was in 1967, when I had to give the valedictorian speech. I'm about as nervous now as I was then," said Dr. Lewis Neace as he addressed students and community members during a Veteran's Day program in the Waitsburg High School gymnasium last Thursday. The statement is surprising coming from a man who spent a good portion of his career parachuting behind enemy lines to rescue military personnel as commander of the 920th USAF p...
WAITSBURG – The Waitsburg Leos and Lions Clubs joined together to collect 868 pounds of food for the Waitsburg Resource Center last week. The Resource Center donates approximately 7,000 lbs. of food to families in need each year. The food drive was organized as a competition between high school classes, with the seniors taking home the win by collecting 347 lbs. of non-perishables. The junior class came in second with 267 lbs. followed by the sophomores with 134 lbs. and freshmen with 130 lbs. S...
WAITSBURG – Waitsburg High School seniorTimber Frohreich will be sworn in as Waitsburg City Council's student representative at the regular Nov. 16 council meeting. Frohreich said she applied for the position to take advantage of the opportunity to better learn how the community operates and runs. "Many of our students are deeply involved in our small town's life, and I'd like to become even more involved by joining the city council's team. I feel I am well prepared for this position from my e...
WAITSBURG – Visitors to Dynamite Art + Coffee, located on the north end of Waitsburg's Main Street, will be able to enjoy the art of Walla Walla artist Leiv Fagereng, whose works will be on display through Nov. 27. Fagereng's large, richly colored oil paintings are a feast for the eyes that provide food for thought. "I like to have more questions than answers in my artwork, which is why I give it a surrealistic twist. I appreciate hearing what viewers think of my work, more than what I have to s...
WAITSBURG – The doors to Hubbard Law Office remain open, but second-generation Waitsburg Attorney Michael V. Hubbard may be a little harder to find these days. He’s not retiring, but Hubbard said he is no longer keeping office hours. He is available by appointment, and will accept work on a case-by-case basis. Hubbard said the law office has been operated by a succession of attorneys since territorial days, according to late Waitsburg historian Bettie Chase. Hubbard will continue to meet wit...
Waitsburg car collector, Herb Mettler, is a 2017 car calendar favorite WAITSBURG – It's a rare event for one collector to have three separate vehicles showcased in three different Hemmings Motors calendars in the same year. In fact, according to a Hemmings representative, this may be the first time in history that it has ever happened. The honor goes to Waitsburg vintage car collector Herb Mettler whose has a bright red '52 Ford pickup in the 2017 Vintage Pickups Calendar, a 1950 Buick S...
WAITSBURG – When asked to pick one word to describe their experience attending last month's National FFA Convention, all four WHS attendees agreed that "breathtaking" best described the experience. "It was just amazing to see that huge sea of blue and gold jackets and to be reminded that we're a part of something bigger than what we're used to. And to know that, as members, we're contributing something to society through FFA," said Chapter FFA President Emily Adams. On Oct. 17 Adams, Loren N...
