Serving Waitsburg, Dayton and the Touchet Valley
Serving Waitsburg, Dayton and the Touchet Valley
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WAITSBURG – The City of Waitsburg has a new tool to help with future planning related to the city’s water system. Anderson-Perry Technical Manager Howard Boggs introduced the city’s newly developed water model at the Oct. 29 city council meeting. The city requested the water model earlier this year, initiated partly by the proposed Whoopemup Meadows housing development and also to help the city identify weaknesses in the current water system. “We always had a good idea of what the city’s...
WAITSBURG – From pumpkin producers to pool plungers, Rural Youth Enrichment Services (RYES) is intent on giving local kids a helping hand. RYES is a nonprofit organization, founded in 2009, with the goal of providing a wide variety of activities to youth of all ages, with a primary emphasis on entrepreneurial activities, self-sustaining gardening, green technologies, and bringing arts and music into the community. "The original view was that we would provide the programs ourselves, but that h...
WAITSBURG – Nearly 250 student musicians, from eleven area schools, joined together to perform at a mass band and choir concert held at the Waitsburg High School gymnasium on Wed., Oct. 21. The mass choir was directed by Kraig Scott, who teaches organ and directs the choral studies program at Walla Walla University. Scott has played organist recitals throughout North America, Europe, and the Far East. His most recent travels as a choral conductor took him to a choir festival in Kiev, Ukraine, w...
DAYTON – Dayton Memorial Library children's librarian Carolyn Laib doesn't need a watch to know what time school lets out. The library's newly remodeled basement quickly filling with children is clue enough. The new kid-friendly space is now filled with fun activities and will soon see the addition of a LEGO robotics program, courtesy of a Washington State Library/Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation grant. The library's newly reconfigured space makes the downstairs more kid-friendly while k...
WAITSBURG – Preston Hall students in Lynn Martin's seventh and eighth-grade science classes have been studying the impact of humans on ecosystems. Those studies have focused largely on negative impacts, but last Tuesday the students visited the Pasco wastewater treatment plant and The REACH natural history museum in Richland, and learned that humans can have a positive impact as well. Martin said that former middle school teacher Russ Knopp arranged, and helped chaperone, the field trip, w...
CLARKSTON – Emily Adams took first place at the D9 Championship in Clarkston on Oct. 24 and the boys team all set personal records. "Emily ran a smart, strong race, passing the lead runner on the hill and sprinting to the finish for a huge personal record of 18:55.77 and the league title. This is the first league title for Waitsburg girls in several years," Coach Ann Adams said. Adams placed first out of 28 runners. On the boys varsity side, Landon Callas placed in the top of the pack, f...
For me, the best part of being a reporter is that I get to hear people's stories. Almost every time I interview someone, I'm amazed by what I learn. In fact, that's somewhat of a job detriment because I often want to learn more about something that has nothing to do with what I'm supposed to be reporting on. Reporting is a good excuse to get to know people, and getting to know people is often full of surprises. Everyone has a story, and they're often not what one would expect. I think that's a...
WAITSBURG – Folding chairs replaced fire trucks in the bays of the Waitsburg City Fire Station during a well-attended open house on Wed., Oct. 14. Community members, fire officials, and city and county representatives discussed three issues: the annexation of the City of Waitsburg into Walla Walla Fire District No. 2, the EMS levy on the Columbia County portion of Fire District No. 2, and upcoming changes for ambulance service in Waitsburg. Annexation of Waitsburg into Walla Walla County Fire D...
WAITSBURG - After serving 24 years on the Waitsburg School Board, Greg Zuger will step down in November. Two candidates, Russ Knopp and Margaret Terry, are running for the School Director Position 5, being vacated by Zuger. Former Waitsburg Elementary principal and teacher, Russ Knopp, says his four decades as a teacher, principal, and school board member, along with his commitment to putting students first, make him a well-qualified as board member. Knopp attended Seattle Pacific University...
WAITSBURG - They say the grass is always greener on the other side of the fence, and Waitsburg hair salon owner Teresa Hinchliffe will soon discover if that holds true for the other side of the street as well. Last week, Hinchliffe opened her hair salon, Tricho Cuts, in the building next to The Times on Waitsburg's Main Street. She had previously operated a salon by the same name, for many years, on the west side of Main next to the former Farmer's Café (Ginny's Grill, before that)....
WAITSBURG – For several months the Waitsburg School Board has been actively seeking taxpayer prioritization input on district facilities upgrades through a series of planning sessions and two recent community forums. The board now hopes to reach a broader spectrum of district voters by using an online survey to solicit opinions. The district will be asking voters for a new capital improvements bond in January to replace the 1999 $1.62 million bond that is nearly paid off. The online survey w...
WAITSBURG – The Farmer's Café, formerly located at 216 Main Street, was once a favorite gathering spot for locals; the perfect place to grab a cup of coffee and catch up on the news about town. Over the next couple of months, new building owner Lane Hill hopes to transform the space into a new community gathering spot, though one of an entirely different kind. Lane and her husband, Dr. Charles Hill, live in Seattle, where Dr. Hill is a professor at the University of Washington business sc...
PRESCOTT – Unlike city pools in the neighboring towns of Waitsburg and Dayton, which are funded by tax dollars and maintained by the cities, the Prescott pool is funded through an annual levy and maintained by the Prescott Parks and Recreation District (PJPRD). Each November the PJPRD must seek community support to pass a maintenance and operations levy that will keep the pool, and Field View Park, operating for another year. "Funds from our yearly tax levy run the pool and the park," said p...
WAITSBURG – Leadership comes in all shapes and sizes, and this year's WHS Associated Student Body (ASB) team is decidedly different from last year's. But that doesn't mean they don't have big plans for the school and students. Last year's outgoing and energetic ASB team, led by President Owen Lanning, focused on getting students to participate in school spirit with the theme "Be True to Your School." This year's more reflective representatives include President Stuart Walsh (senior), V...
DAYTON – It was dogs against cats last week as the Lady Bulldogs took a win from the Prescott Tigers on the Bulldog court on Thurs., Oct. 8. The Lady Dogs won the southeast 2B league match in three sets: 25-10, 25-9, 25-10. Dayton continued to show strong at the serving line with perfect service from Josilyn Fullerton (14/14), Jenna Phillips (10/10), Mia Becker (13/13), and Megan Robins (7/7). Heidi Dobbs, who hasn't seen much time on the serving line this season, dished out an impressive 2...
WAITSBURG – The Cardinals boys made their first team placement, taking second at the D9 League Meet in Waitsburg on Oct. 7. Emily Adams took first place in the girls' 5K and Landon Callas took second in the boys'. Callas ran a strong race with a time of 17:51.15, finishing second behind College Place's Kenneth Rooks who finished in an impressive 16:32.09. Nate Prior, of Asotin, took third place behind Callas, with a time of 18:44.03. Cardinal Skylar Wood placed fifth out of 36 runners with a per...
WAITSBURG – With the demise of horse racing at the Waitsburg Fairgrounds, and the agreement that future racing events are unlikely, the city of Waitsburg is looking at how to make the space more usable and relevant. At the Sept. 16 City Council meeting, board members approved a three-year plan to transform the fairgrounds into a space they hope will meet many current community needs. A major change to the facility will be the development of a Little League baseball complex. The complex will c...
WAITSBURG – The Waitsburg School District is inviting community members to join students for lunch on Oct. 14, as they celebrate Taste of Washington. This is Waitsburg's second year to participate in the statewide event that introduces students to fresh, local foods. Last year's event was wildly popular, with approximately 250 students, staff, and community members in attendance. Through Taste of Washington, schools partner with farmers to include fresh Washington-grown foods in cafeteria m...
WAITSURG – The Columbia-Walla Walla Fire District #2 will hold an open house on Wed., Oct. 14 at 7 p.m. at the Waitsburg Fire Station at 234 Main St. Officials and representatives will be on hand to answer questions about two items that will come before voters on November ballots: fire department annexation and an EMS levy. After 70 years of service, the Columbia-Walla Walla County Fire Protection District #2 is looking at some major changes. While it will continue as a volunteer fire department...
DAYTON – Watching a movie or live event at Dayton’s Liberty Theater will soon be even more enjoyable than it already was. This week, the theater was closed to allow for the installation of new, modern seating, complete with cup holders. The new seats replace historic chairs that came from a western Washington theater in 2001. “Those chairs served the community well this past fourteen years, but the internal springs, difficult and costly to replace, have broken down over time,” theater manager Ki...
DAYTON – One of Dayton's favorite events – Dayton on Tour – will take place Saturday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Residents and visitors are invited to bring the whole family and participate in this free event, sponsored by the Dayton Chamber of Commerce and the Dayton Historical Depot Society. This year's free activities include an Art Crawl, kids' fall festival, museum tours, wagon rides, artist demonstrations and horse drawn wagon rides. Tickets for the historic home tour, featuring four exceptiona...
PRESCOTT – Some may consider Prescott the middle of nowhere, but in the late 1800's, many considered it halfway to somewhere. Beginning in 1869, Prescott residents Benjamin and Malinda Flathers provided a forage station and accommodations for travelers along the Mullan Road. Their station was called Halfway House because it was located halfway between Fort Walla Walla and the road's Snake River crossing near Lyons Ferry. Last Friday, Walla Walla 2020 Historic Sites & Markers Project c...
WAITSBURG – "Being flung unwillingly through the air has a very specific feeling. Like you're stuck inside a lurching brutal gyroscope, with flashes of light and color, but no image you can process." Those words, written by Suze Wood in a blog post entitled "Cheating Death," describe the feeling of being hit by a speeding truck, while riding her beloved Bay gelding, Duke. Both Wood and Duke miraculously survived the traumatic event, but Wood is now trying to raise funds for necessary d...
WAITSBURG – “As a board, we have made a decision that it is our goal that it will not raise taxes,” said Waitsburg School Board Chairman Ross Hamann. The statement was made during the Sept. 23 community forum held to determine community priorities for future capital improvements. With the 1999 $1.62 million capital improvements bond nearly paid off and the 2016 expiration of the 2014 maintenance & operations levy, the district must determine what projects to tackle next as they ask resid...
WAITSBURG – Nearly two dozen parents – more than board chairman Ross Hamann said he'd seen in attendance in his 12 years on the board – showed up at the Sept. 16 Waitsburg school board meeting to voice concerns about work crews from the Washington State Penitentiary performing work on the school grounds. The public comment session of the meeting was moved from the small Preston Hall Board Room to a larger classroom to accommodate the crowd. Parent Melanie Gagnon initiated the discussion by sa...
