Serving Waitsburg, Dayton and the Touchet Valley
Serving Waitsburg, Dayton and the Touchet Valley
Sorted by date Results 276 - 300 of 805
For Dayton Resident Joanne Poolman, participating in the Touchet Valley Trail design charrette this past weekend is part of "being a good human." As a resident of this area for 50-some years, she became involved with the trail design process because "I was trying to bring the local element into it. I've been here longer than most, and I don't want our history to be forgotten." Poolman joined other community members, architects from the Washington Chapter of the American Society of Landscape...
DAYTON—The Columbia County Health System is planning on a large Medicare take-back payment of around $1.15 million, which is not particularly unusual since the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) operate on a cost-based reimbursement model. That is to say they front load money for patient care every year, based on the previous year’s data, and they can either collect the amount they overpay or make additional payments, if they underpay. It could be a “wash” if CCHS manages to coll...
DAYTON-Molly Weatherill-Tate has been a busy person since she started work as Dayton's new Chamber of Commerce Manager on October 7. "I'm trying to learn QuickBooks, and all kinds of things," she said. "I've jumped into the Awards Banquet and Christmas Kickoff with all the little parts that go along with that. I've hit all downtown in the last week, or so, handing out Halloween trick or treat banners." "My next step is to reach out to all the Chamber members," she said. "I'm getting myself up...
DAYTON-Last week, Mayor Zac Weatherford toured the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation's Touchet River Flood Plain and Flow Restoration project, on the north fork of the Touchet River. Representatives from; CTUIR, Washington Water Trust, the state Department of Ecology, the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, and Anderson/Perry & Associates, were also on the tour. They also toured the city's wastewater treatment plant, listened to a presentation on instream flow...
DAYTON-In The First 45 Years: A History of Cooperative Extension in Washington State, published by Washington State University press, in April, 1961, author Russell M. Turner discusses the importance of early efforts by state college and experiment station researchers to get their research into the hands of farmers. Turner wrote that Dr. W. J. Spillman at the State College of Washington, in Pullman, said in his 1897 station report that the demand for information exceeded the ability to meet it....
DAYTON—Three candidates running for a four year term as Dayton’s mayor spoke at the AAUW Candidates Forum, which was held at the Liberty Theater in Dayton last week, followed by a question and answer session. Delphine Bailey, City of Dayton Mayor Zac Weatherford and write-in candidate Cindi John spoke about their experience, vision, and goals, if elected to be Dayton’s Mayor, on Nov. 5 Delphine Bailey, who has served on the Dayton City Council for the past eight years, and has served as Mayor...
DAYTON—Seth Bryan is running for Dayton City Council Position 6 against incumbent Byron Kaczmarski in the Nov. 5 General Election. “This is my first time running for public office,” Bryan said. “I believe it is important to serve the community I live in, and I am grateful for this opportunity.” Bryan said he likes the fact that Dayton doesn’t have big city amenities, big city attitudes, big city prices or big city taxes. “There is a sense of pride here that can seldom be found in more populous...
DAYTON—If you think state Initiative 976, better known as the $30 Car Tab Initiative, will only affect Sound Transit, on the west side of the state, think again. If I-976 is approved by voters, Columbia County Public Transportation stands to lose forty percent of the state’s portion of its largest source of funding, which is through the Washington State Department of Transportation’s Consolidated Grant program, said Steve Mertens, CCPT Finance Manager. He said if I-976 is approved by voter...
DAYTON-If the Flood Control Zone District is approved by the voters on Nov. 5, County Engineer Charles Eaton will be its administrator. Eaton has released the following statement: "Since 1964, Columbia County has been declared a federal disaster area six times due to flooding. The flood of 1996 caused over $30 million in private and public damages. A flood of this severity today would take a serious toll on general fund budgets, even with the FEMA, Federal Highways Administration, and Army Corps...
DAYTON-Since becoming the WSU Dayton Extension Agent fifteen years ago, Paul Carter said youth enrollment in 4-H has increased from 75 to 102, this year, and remains steady. "It is very important to know that we still view the youth of the county as our primary program area," Carter said. "These kids are the future of the community and we see that every day as many of them stay here, or leave, and then return to make this home." "If I could I would have every kid in the county in 4-H sometime...
STARBUCK-With generous donations from Columbia Pulp and the Blue Mountain Community Foundation, the Starbuck School District is now able to provide 37 K-8 graders with lunches, five days a week, until the end of the school year, according to Martha Lanman Columbia County Public Health Director. A donation of $1,000 from Columbia Pulp and another $5,000 from the Blue Mountain Community Foundation will more than meet the original request, which was for $1500 to provide lunches four days a week....
DAYTON-The Historic Dayton on Tour will take place on Sat. Oct 5. Activities include; the works of local artists displayed at various locations, around town, the Annual Historic Home Tour, the Main Street Open House, wagon rides, Oktoberfest at the Blue Mountain Station, and artists Paul Henderson, Alison Oman, and Sandra Haynes at the Wenaha Gallery. The Boldman House Museum will also be open to the public for tours between the hours of 1-4:00 p.m. Master Gardener Susie Rogers will be in the...
Jake Holopeter, a physical engineer with Anderson Perry & Associates, spoke at a special city council meeting, last Monday, about the terms of the one million dollar Public Works Board Pre-Construction Loan, which was granted to the city to buy property for its land acquisition discharge wastewater treatment plant facility project. Because the City has been looking into a different method of treating effluent, Holopeter said he would recommend turning the loan back to the Public Works Board and...
During the Columbia County Fire District Three open house on Sunday EMT Darvin Parvinen demonstrated Lucas, the new mechanical chest compression machine, which was purchased with EMS levy funds. Lucas attaches directly to the patient and provides uninterrupted, steady compressions while en route to the hospital, Parvinen said. He said before purchasing Lucas it took seven to eight EMTs to provide chest compressions on patients during a forty-five minute run to the hospital. With the help of...
DAYTON-Roughly ninety people attended the Touchet Valley Trail open house, at the fairgrounds Pavilion, in Dayton, on Monday, Sept. 16. Joy Smith President of the Waitsburg Commercial Club spoke to the attendees about the importance of outdoor recreation and trails to the economic vitality, health, and safety, of the local communities. Smith said she ran an overnight rental for seven years, in Waitsburg, and two thirds of the overnight guests came with bicycles. Also ten percent of renters were...
DAYTON—During their regular session on Monday, Sept. 16, the Board of Columbia County Commissioners adopted the county’s 2019 Comprehensive Plan Update, and its three new ordinances regarding; water availability for the new building, critical areas, and zoning. Some of the Hirst decision language was incorporated into Ordinance 2019-04, regarding water availability for the new building, said Dena Martin, Planning Associate. “It generally doesn’t affect us, but it is in there,” she told the...
DAYTON—There was no unfinished or new business at the Dayton City Council meeting last week. The majority of the meeting time was spent addressing a letter written by Dayton residents Chuck and Peggy James about the alleged lack of qualifications of the City’s new Planner, Meagan Bailey, and the allegedly poor conduct of the City’s Administrator, Trina Cole, when Ms. James reached out to her by phone, the first week of September. The James’ letter was published in the Dayton Chronicle on Sept. 12. Councilman Mike Paris said, “I was appalled...
DAYTON— With the budget deficit in mind the Dayton School District Board of Directors and Administration have agreed not to fill the vacant position for elementary school principal. At their monthly work session last week, Superintendent Doug Johnson discussed with them his plan to reassign some of the duties and responsibilities of that position. “Fortunately, there are many experienced and talented employees willing to accept new responsibilities,” Johnson said. At that meeting the board approved a plan for compensating those who are accep...
DAYTON-"Timeless Traditions" is the theme of the 130th Columbia County Fair, and from the time of the opening ceremonies at 9 a.m., on Fri. ,Sept. 6, until the fair close, at 5 p.m. on Sun., Sept. 9, young and old alike are sure to enjoy this year's line-up. Entertainment Freddie Prez's popular Crazy Contests will return this year. See Freddie Prez at 10 a.m. and 1 p.m., on Friday, at 7 p.m. and 9 p.m., on Saturday, and at noon and 4 p.m. on Sunday. Also, catch Freddie Prez's $5,000 Frisbee...
DAYTON-"It's been a long time coming," said Ed Terry last Friday, when a jury returned verdicts of "guilty" to all three charges in the Benjamin Orozco case. Orozco has been charged with second degree murder of Ed Terry's son, Lance, first degree assault of David Eaton, and unlawful possession of a firearm in a shooting that took place in Columbia County, on July 7, 1996. Terry's father said every human has his doubts, but he had faith that Orozco would be brought to justice. Lance Terry's...
DAYTON-At last week's Dayton City Council meeting Mayor Zac Weatherford said he has received three applications for the position of Community Development Planning Director, and he has formed a committee to interview the applicants. He said a special council meeting will be called, within the next week, to ask the council to confirm his appointment to the position. Mayor Weatherford has met with the City Planning and Economic Development committee and received support for his letter of intent to...
DAYTON—At last week’s Dayton City Council meeting Planning Director Meagan Bailey talked about the perception most people have regarding what defines affordable housing, saying most people think it relates to low-income housing. Housing is considered affordable if the household is paying no more than 30% of their income, for housing costs, for rent or mortgage plus utilities, she said. She said subsidized housing is made affordable to occupants through direct government financial support, tar...
DAYTON-At their regular meeting last week, Port Commissioners Earle Warren and Fred Crowe appointed Dan Aschenbrenner to fill the remainder of Gene Warren's term on the commission, which was to end on Dec. 31, 2019. Port Executive Director Jennie Dickinson said Warren and his wife, Mary, have moved to the Warren Farm, outside of town. In May, Aschenbrenner filed for the District 1 position, and is running unopposed for the six-year term, which begins on Jan. 1. "Since he is the one that will be...
DAYTON-Dayton Cut and Wrap has a new name and is under new management. Derek Katsel and his wife, Savana Cole, have received their custom meat facility and custom farm slaughter license through the state Dept. of Agriculture, along with their business license, and are now open under the name Katsel's Cut and Wrap. Derek Katsel said his interest in the meat business began when he worked for Jim and Connie Westergreen, as their main meat cutter. The Westergreens operated Dayton Cut and Wrap,...
DAYTON-The Dayton Dog Park has been a godsend for Dayton's four-legged friends and their owners, since it officially opened in Sept. 2017. The early morning hours, and the hours after supper are a testament to its popularity, said Charlie Oribio, the Friends of the Dayton Dog Park's (FDDP) board chairman, who is also a happy Labrador owner. Oribio said during the summer months it is common to see four or five people, and their dogs, in the park, on any given day. Since its inception in 2017...
