Serving Waitsburg, Dayton and the Touchet Valley
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DAYTON – The Columbia County Emergency Management Department issued a power outage alert to Dayton-area residents for Tuesday and Thursday this week. Public information officer Dian McClurg said Columbia REA’s work on the replacement of a electrical substation may interrupt power service to Dayton residents between 11 am and 4 pm on Tuesday and very early on Thursday morning between midnight and 5 am. “This information may be critical to people relying of life-support devices,” said McClurg, whose agency’s announcement was also designed...
I t's been really, really hot lately. Hotter than I can remember it being at any point last summer. And humid, too. The quarter-mile trek from my house to my grandparents' farm has become nearly unbearable. The freshly widened (read: less shady) West Seventh Street is about as hot as your aver- age kitchen range. Of course, this isn't the first summer I've struggled with temperatures. Previ- ously though, I've been able to make this commute on my bike, which both mini- mizes my time in the sun... Full story
Dropbox L ast month I shared about Evernote, a note storing and syncing application that can be used in a variety of ways. This month I'll be talking about DropBox which, while similar in many respects, has some distinct differences. Like Evernote, DropBox also offers cloud-based stor- age. For those of you who don't know what "cloud- based" means, don't feel bad. The first time I heard the term I was referred to as a "little cloud girl" by a co-worker. From the tone, I took it to be a... Full story
Michael Pollan Collection T his time of year most of my free time is devoted to tending the family gardens. The veg- etable garden covers roughly a half acre while a 12 foot wide by 300 feet long band of asparagus defines the edge of our yard. Raspber- ries hide the ugly retaining wall be- hind the house and six "trial" blueberry bushes will yield fruit for snacking soon. It seems my fingernails are never completely free of dirt during the summer months but growing a portion of the food we eat...
DAYTON - Sixty- plus aspiring golfers aged 7- 17 took to the links last Wednesday through Tuesday at Touchet Valley Golf Course to learn golf basics from a professional- club pro Max Reinland of Veteran's Memorial Golf Course in Walla Walla. The 60 young people learned grip, swing mechanics, and etiquette in groups of about 20 in three morning sessions. Lessons took place on a make-shift driving range at TVGC-the fairway of the seventh hole inside the race track at the Columbia Country fairgroun... Full story
A soft morning mist floats just above the waterline as the sun begins to paint ridge tops with blending hues of orange and yellow, highlighting cliff swallow nests: pin-dot shadows in stark relief upon the dun features of the bluff. The smell of the river is clean, earthy, moist, alive. The hiss and burble of water flowing among rock and root fills the senses with wonder at the beauty of the morning. A thick white line floats on the surface of the river, bending with the current, wending its...
DAYTON - Dayton turned a one-match lead over Waitsburg on Friday into a rout by the end of Saturday and cruised to a 28 ½ to 23 ½ victory Sunday in claiming its third straight Ryder Cup championship. The competition, in its third year of existence, mimics the format of the bi-annual competition between professional golfers from Europe and the United States. On Friday, the two valley rivals competed in two-person alternating shot matches. The two sides were knotted at four match wins apiece aft...
The First Friday Bluegrass Jam at Jacobi's has moved to Mace Mead Works at 250 East Main Street, Dayton, WA, at 6:30 p.m. Have a bite to eat and pick a few tunes on the holiday weekend. Kids are welcome.... Full story
DAYTON -- At approxi- mately 3:30 a.m. on Saturday, June 22, responders located the body of 52-year- old Gary Spainhower at the scene of a fire that destroyed a travel trailer at Shangra-La RV Park just west of Dayton on Highway 12. On July 1, Columbia County Coroner Rea Culwell released the results of an autopsy per- formed on Mr. Spainhower. Initial results indicated the death was caused by smoke and soot inhalation and carbon monoxide poisoning caused by an acci- dental fire. Whether drugs or alcohol contributed to the accident will be... Full story
DAYTON - The Port of Columbia is joining in a partnership with a group called Walla Walla Flat Roof Educational Energy - or "WW-FREE" - to install a solar power generation system on the roof of the first Blue Mountain Station building. The building - the first at the Port's new artisan food center here - is cur- rently under construction, and is expected to be com- pleted by October. Port Manager Jennie Dickinson says the installation could save the Port as much $2,800 in energy costs each... Full story
WAITSBURG - At the June 19 meeting of the Waits- burg City Council, Richard Hines of Touchet Valley Restorations approached the city regarding the possible purchase of a small strip land running along Garden Street. The piece runs adjacent to the property. Hines is currently in the process of restoring on Highway 12. Hines acknowledged the potential acquisition would require the addition of sidewalks and asked about the required specifications. City Administrator Randy Hinchliffe noted that past attempts by individuals to purchase small pieces...
As a result of the Fire Weather Watch issued by the National Weather Ser- vice, Walla Walla County is declaring a temporary burn ban, to run from 10 a.m. July 2, 2013 through 6 a.m. Friday, July 5. The Walla Walla County Emergency Manage- ment Department has already issued a citizen alert regard- ing the fire watch, in view of the combination of dry air and high temperatures resulting in extreme fire danger for 4th of July time period. For the period named, Walla Walla County will be imposing the temporary burn ban on ALL burning, agricul-...
WAITSBURG - There's something new cooking at Ye Town Hall these days - tamales! Anita Hernandez of Granny's Hot Tamales is utilizing the commercial kitchen at Town Hall as home base for her new ta- male business. No stranger to the food business, Anita, who is origi- nally from the Grandview/ Prosser area and her hus- band, a Walla Walla native, have spent the last sev- eral years in Corpus Christi, Texas. There they helped Anita's mother, the "Gran- ny" behind Granny's Hot Tamales, manage... Full story
Ten Years Ago July 3, 2003 Construction work on the renovation of Coppei Avenue from about Ninth Street to the Preston Avenue Bridge will begin July 7 with removal of trees and wrap up in late Septem- ber when the finished roadway is painted with fog and center lines. During the construction, Highway 12 traffic will be routed on Main Street. "The two words to remember this summer are patience and cooperation," said Mark Shively, City Councilman who will serve as the liaison between the City of Waitsburg and its citi- zens and the Washington...
July 5: Gina Wilson, Karen Gilson, Neil Carpenter, Sierra Segraves. July 6: Roger Beckel, Leo Cobb, Donna Groom, Milt Priggee. July 7: Joann Willis, Margaret Wilson, Tim Presler, Lloyd Keith, Louie Branson, Tawnya Richards. July 8: Allan Wilson, Rick DeVaney, Susan Archer, Aricka Huwe, Kylee Henry. July 9: Michael Henze. July 10: Bob Butler, Billie Leroue, Patricia Dunn, Roberta Osborne, Bob Swenson, Michael Kiefel, Rami Feryn, Al Thompson. July 11: Susa Roberts.... Full story
Bellowing across the Palouse, thundering into Touchet Valley comes summer. The grandkids running through the sprinkler while parents and grandma sit on the patio squeezing wedges of juicy fresh lemon into tall glasses of sweet tea. Yes, summer is here and so is the temptation to quickly load the family into the boat and go for a run around our rural waterways. The problem with quickly boarding a water craft is safety; is it in place for all aboard? The U.S. Coast Guard recently announced they lose ten children a day during the summer months... Full story
Better than expected bushel-per-acre yields are being reported for the US wheat harvest, as of this week. And harvest is very close to halfway completed in the US. The USDA says the 18 states that represent nearly 90% of the wheat produced in this country are normally at 52% of harvest by this week each year. We are just a tad behind normal and the Pacific Northwest states, all three on the top-18 list, have yet to turn a header, although with the high temperatures of late, this will change very soon. Harvest at the halfway mark gives the...
Dr. Matt Lyons and Elizabeth Sheets were married on June 8, 2013 at Saint Mark’s Episcopal Cathedral in Seattle. The reception was held at the Rainier Club in Seattle. Elizabeth’s parents are Mr. and Mrs. Edward Sheets of Seattle. Elizabeth graduated from Brown University followed with a Nurse Practitioner’s degree from Yale University. She is currently employed by the University of Virginia, Charlottesville as a pediatric nurse practitioner in the department of Urology. Matt’s pare... Full story
Tickets are available for the Plaza Theater Fundraiser on Saturday, July 6. Doors open at 6:30. Wine, hors d’oeuvres and an auction will be featured in addition to the sign-along version of the movie “Mama Mia!”. The cost per person is $10.00 and includes a glass of wine, appetizers, and entertainment. Non-alcoholic beverages will be available and additional wine by the bottle or glass will be available for purchase. Items available for auctions include gift certificates for Waitsburg businesses, a day of fishing at a Mill Creek Cabin, o...
July’s Christian Women’s Connection Brunch will be held July 10 at Judy Jackson’s home at 825 Jackson Lane in Starbuck, WA from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. Speaker Victoria LaMar of Lake Stevens, WA will share how she discovered; even through the twists, turns and detours of life, that home is where the heart is. 15-year- old Angie Dedloff will share her crafting creations and Deb Hoilman and her sister Cari Yamane will provide musical entertainment. The brunch, catered by Louann Truesdale Catering costs $10. Call Judy Jackson at 509-39... Full story
The Washington State Department of Transportation South Central construction, maintenance, and utilities travel advisory for the week of June 30 to July 8, 2013 is now posted. We invite you to visit our website often, as the report is updated frequently: www.wsdot. wa. gov/ Regions/ SouthCentral/Construction/ Our travel alerts and slowdowns website is a good place to see if there may be an incident on your route: wsdot.wa.gov/traffic/trafficalerts/ SouthCentral.aspx New / High Impact projects this week: I-90 Hyak to Keechelus Dam MP 54 to...
Waitsburg 6-28 Attempted burglary reported on Preston Avenue. Dayton 6-25 Employer received threats from ex-employee. An injuredanimal was found on Tucannon Street. Reckless driving wasreported on Highway 12. 6-26 Storage units on Highway 12 were broken into; furnitureand other items were stolen. A vehicle prowl was reportedon S. 5th Street; change and CDs were taken. Vehicle prowlon W. Patit Avenue; cigarettes taken. Neighbor dispute onS. 5th Street. Malnourished puppies were reported at an unknown location. Neighbor dispute reported on N.... Full story
here's what i think E arlier this week, The Times received an editorial column from the office of Congresswom- an Cathy McMorris Rodg- ers. As we sometimes do with contributions from politicians who represent us, we included it on our opin- ion page. It's right up there; above this one. As I read her column I could immediately re- late. Like Hayley - and like Cathy - I too worked my way through college. I didn't work at McDonalds, but among several jobs, I worked for awhile at the University of...
On July 2, 1776, the Continental Congress of the 13 British colonies in North America approved a resolution to establish The United States of America as a free and independent nation. Two days later it adopted what has come to be known as "The Declaration of Independence." In honor of the Independence Day holiday, we republish the first part and the last part of that declaration. In between the Preamble and the Denunciation is a section commonly known as the Indictment - a (long) list of specific grievances. The Declaration was drafted by... Full story