Serving Waitsburg, Dayton and the Touchet Valley
Serving Waitsburg, Dayton and the Touchet Valley
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WAITSBURG – Four outbuildings were devoured by flames on Timpey Road, behind Lewis & Clark Trail State Park on Saturday afternoon. Homeowner Tim Baker said the sound of explosions and his wife's yells woke him from a peaceful nap at exactly 1:55 p.m. About 30 minutes prior, Baker had been doing some grinding outside. As he worked on his first project, a spark flew and started a grass fire. Baker said he stomped it out and made a point to be extra diligent as he completed his second project. H...
WAITSBURG – No one from the community spoke at the school district’s sparsely attended July 27 budget hearing, leaving it to the board to approve and adopt a $4.2 million budget for the 2016-17 school year. At the same meeting the board authorized the district to run a revised capital improvements bond levy of $3.8 million on the Nov. 8 general election ballot. Next year’s budget was based on a projected enrollment of 270 students in grades K-12. This is down from the 2015-16 projected enrol...
WAITSBURG – "I understand that when an announcement is made that Nestle' is evaluating business opportunities in a community, it raises a lot of emotions. Water is an emotional topic," said Nestle' Waters Natural Resource Manager Bruce Lauerman as he opened his presentation at the city's July 20 city council meeting. In the case of Waitsburg, that may be an understatement. Even harvesting farmers left their fields early to join the nearly 100 people who filled the chairs, lined the walls, and f...
WAITSBURG – You won't find to-go cups at Dynamite Art + Coffee, and that's not simply out of concern for the environment, though it is a factor. Proprietor Claire Johnston opened the coffee shop, located at 119 Main St. in Waitsburg, with the intent of creating an environment where customers can escape the hustle and bustle of modern society and take a few minutes to just relax and enjoy. "We have this beautiful space and I want people to come in, relax, enjoy the lovely environment, drink f...
WAITSBURG – Waitsburg’s city council approved an action plan endorsed by the Waitsburg Fairgrounds Committee, that will allow Terry Hofer to manage RV parking and camping at the Waitsburg Fairgrounds. The plan was approved at the July 20 meeting pending the approval of a more detailed lease agreement. In his introduction, Hofer said he has lived in the area his entire life, owned the Palm Club Tavern for several years, managed the American Legion for several years, was actively involved in the...
WAITSBURG – Having grown up in the wheat country of Condon, Ore. and after living in Waitsburg for over 20 years, you would think I would have taken advantage of the opportunity to spend a day in the harvest fields. Sadly, I hadn't, until this year. It took the enthusiasm of Janean Struckmeir, who eagerly invited me ride shotgun while she drove harvest truck, to get me curious enough to see what she was so excited about. Janean typically spends her days working as a dietary assistant manager at...
WAITSBURG – Nestlé Natural Resources Manager Bruce Lauerman will discuss the company’s exploration of Waitsburg as a potential new site for a water bottling facility at Wednesday’s city council meeting. In a statement released Tuesday, Nestle said the facility, which would support the Arrowhead Spring Water and Nestlé Pure Life brands, would provide an estimated 50 jobs at full build-out. Nestlé estimates their projected water use at 150 million gallons annually, which they say “is a small fract...
School board responds to survey results by dropping capital improvements bond by $1 million WAITSBURG - A $4.8 million Waitsburg School District capital improvements bond fell a mere 13 votes shy of reaching the required 60-percent supermajority vote needed for passage in February. The Waitsburg School Board returned to the drawing board, sought additional community input, and will drop two projects – at a reduction of $1 million – and re-run the bond in November. At June’s regular meeti...
WAITSBURG – Lane Hill debuted her newly remodeled 10 Ton Press studio, located on Waitsburg's Main Street, to a full house while hosting an ArtWalla Creative Network event on July 13. Artists from across the Touchet Valley showed up to see firsthand what is happening in the new space and to learn more about the burgeoning art scene in Waitsburg. In his introduction, ArtWalla board member Ted Cox referred to Waitsburg as "Artsburg" because of the number of artists living and working in the c...
When I decided to take my boys to Walla Walla's virtual reality theater, Maskerade, I had no intention of writing a column about it. It just sounded like a cool experience that we would all enjoy. But after spending a few minutes talking with the theater's creator, Riley Clubb, I was pretty sure it was something that our readers would enjoy learning about, if not taking the time to visit themselves. Maskerade touts itself as "the world's first virtual reality theater." Clubb said most people...
Clarence Stearns sits beside a box of newly delivered Hermiston melons at his produce stand off of Harmon Avenue in Waitsburg. The family has been selling produce from in front of their Preston Avenue home for several years. Over the last couple of years, they built a commercial kitchen, smoker, and cooling room behind the house and have expanded the business to include smoked meats and cheeses and wild and domestic animal processing. See story on Page 7....
WAITSBURG – Nestlé Natural Resources Manager Bruce Lauerman will discuss the company's exploration of Waitsburg as a potential new site for a water bottling facility at Wednesday's city council meeting. In a statement released Tuesday, Nestle said the facility, which would support the Arrowhead Spring Water and Nestlé Pure Life brands, would provide an estimated 50 jobs at full build-out. Nestlé estimates their projected water use at 150 million gallons annually, which they say "is a small frac...
WALLA WALLA – Six candidates are in the race seeking election for the Walla Walla County Commissioner District 2 seat, currently held by Perry Dozier (R) of Waitsburg. Dozier is serving his second four-year term in office, which expires Dec. 31, and is not seeking re-election. District 2 covers the east side of the county and includes the cities of Dixie, Waitsburg, and Prescott. Republican candidates seeking Dozier’s position are Don Gibbard, Melissa Hansen, Todd Kimball and Jacob Radke. Mic...
WAITSBURG – Rows of brightly colored pumpkins and a cheery wave from Clarence Stearns have been familiar sights to Preston Avenue travelers each fall. But this year, the produce can be found around the side of the house, off Harmon Street, where the operation has expanded to include much more than just fruits and vegetables. Clarence Stearns says Mr. C's Smokin Co., located at 405 Preston Ave. in Waitsburg, is a true family endeavor. What started out as a simple produce stand several years a...
WAITSBURG – Council members spent a large chunk of the June 15 Waitsburg City Council meeting evaluating current city codes to be considered for revision or repeal. City Administrator Randy Hinchliffe said the last comprehensive code review was approximately ten years ago and about half the code was stripped away at that time. Some of the proposed modifications were word changes, such as substituting the words “City Administrator” for “City Marshal” since the city no longer has a marshal....
WAITSBURG – "I'm great with cars, I'm just not the best at marketing," said Bill Feather, owner of SteelFeatherAuto, located at 615 Preston Avenue in Waitsburg. Feather opened his auto repair shop last October, but many residents are unaware of his shop and the services he offers. The 38-year-old mechanic says he has always had an obsession with anything running. Feather grew up in Walla Walla and said he was lucky enough to have a neighbor who took him under his wing and taught him what he k...
WAITSBURG – Local residents Rebecca Hoffman, Christy Poirier, and Waitsburg High School FFA Advisor Nicole Abel joined others throughout the region to help determine how they could better support agricultural education and their local FFA chapters at an Alumni Regional Development Conference in Burbank on June 25. The National FFA Alumni Organization hosted the conference to provide professional, personal, and alumni program development to local and state members. The conference was also a t...
WAITSBURG – The creek may not have overflowed, but the church pews sure did on Sunday when 190 people crowded into the Waitsburg Presbyterian Church to watch local kids perform the musical 'Down by the Creek Bank.' The performance served as the big finale for a popular, week-long Vacation Bible School created by co-directors Bethany Moser and Pam Conover. Moser said she and Conover were having a hard time deciding on what to do for VBS this year when they hit on the idea of a musical. Moser a...
WAITSBURG – After falling just 13 votes short of the required 60-percent supermajority approval needed to pass a $4.8 million capital projects bond measure in February, the Waitsburg School District is making one more attempt to determine which items voters will support. Mail surveys were sent to district patrons on June 24 with the hopes that the responses will allow the board to craft a bond proposal that voters can get behind. The school board will review the voter responses at their July 1...
WAITSBURG – Colorful waving flags, cheery baskets of hanging flowers, and bright signs welcome locals and passers-by to the newly opened Homestead Farms produce stand located just off Highway 12, at Waitsburg's east end. Owners Debra and Jim Callahan have big plans for the little space and invite the community to join them for their July 1 grand opening event. "This is something we've always thought about doing once we retired," Debra said. "We've been making plans for the last year and a...
WAITSBURG – The Waitsburg City Pool is an even cooler (literally!) place for parents and caregivers to hang out this summer thanks to Friends of the Waitsburg Pool. The recently formed nonprofit purchased several items to combat the number-one complaint of pool visitors – lack of shade. The group, which operates under the umbrella of Rural Youth Enrichment Services, used funds from last fall's Pie-Oneer Fall Festival Invitational Pie Baking Contest to purchase a shade sail, two large picnic tab...
WAITSBURG – At the June 8 Waitsburg School Board meeting, Waitsburg Athletic Director Stephanie Wooderchak received approval to pursue discussions about possible high school baseball, and middle school baseball and softball combines with Dayton beginning with the 2017 season. Both schools, which recently formed high school and middle school football combines, are now looking more closely at the proposals. Waitsburg track coach Jeff Bartlow said end-of-year spring sports sign ups returned with 1...
WAITSBURG – Waitsburg Lions Ken Miller and Brian Richards were selected as recipients of the Melvin Jones award and Lion of the Year, respectively, at the club's annual year-end ceremony on May 31. Miller was nominated for the prestigious Melvin Jones Award by fellow Lion, close friend, and former award recipient Glynn Davis. Davis shared a brief history of the award, named after the founder of Lions Club International, and the highest award one can receive in Lions. Davis explained that the M...
WAITSBURG – Dayton-Waitsburg Head Football Coach Troy Larsen is enthusiastic about the 53 student athletes signed up for the newly formed DW football team. Larsen said the largest number dressed down on the field during spring football was 46 and 32 DW players attended spring camp in the Tri-Cities where the larger turnout allowed DW to schedule camp games for both a JV and varsity squad. "During the three weeks of spring football, coaches were able to coach a team that quickly came t...
PRESCOTT – Sixteen members of the Prescott graduating Class of 2016 proudly made their way down the aisle during Prescott High School's commencement ceremony on the evening of Fri., June 10. "When you want to succeed as bad as you want to breathe, then you'll be successful," a quote by Eric Thomas, was selected as the class motto. Once the class was seated, the crowd stood as PHS student Angel Prado sang a stirring rendition of the national anthem. Class Valedictorian Jaqueline Velazco w...
