Serving Waitsburg, Dayton and the Touchet Valley
Serving Waitsburg, Dayton and the Touchet Valley
Sorted by date Results 1088 - 1112 of 1333
A ugust promises to be a busy and exciting month for Waitsburg. Harvest, if it even starts for some farmers before the end of July, will go well into August. The slow maturation from cooler spring and summer temperatures promise bigger yields. Some observers estimate this year's harvest could set a record in the region. That means that a month that's usually marked by high heat and slowing farm activity could see the fields around town and elsewhere in the Touchet Valley buzzing. But the rolling hills that surround us won't be the only scene of...
I t keeps our wheels rolling through town. It keeps rain water from flooding our streets. It keeps drinking water coming to our homes. It rarely makes headlines. Yet a decent infrastructure is one of the most important assets for small towns and we believe the governments of Waitsburg and Dayton are doing an excellent job keeping our communities' roads, sewer, water and so on in shape despite tough economic times. The Dayton City Council recently approved some $120,000 worth of projects, including the reconstruction of the Second to Third...
Harvest may not quite be underway yet for most farmers in the Touchet Valley, but it should get started soon. This week, we're devoting our edition to harvest with our annual salute to the growers in our area. It hasn't been an easy year leading up to this moment with rust and unusually cool spring weather. More recently, many farmers found portions of their crop flattened by heavy rainfall from a thunder storm. That, and the heavier stalks may slow cutting and make the tiring harvest even more tedious. Yet world prices for wheat are good and...
WAI T SBURG - This latest column in our series, appearing just before we actually open the Coppei Coffee Co shop for business, is a little bit like taking the wrapping off a Christmas present. Last week, the crew from Northstar Construction started taking some of the old aggregate siding off the front of what we've been calling the "Mock" building, the one that will function as the coffee shop's main entrance and has the espresso bar. This is the last phase of the project. Ninety-five percent of...
Heart BEAT About Needs & Good Deeds T HORNTON, Wash. - Dennis Nostrant had not been feeling well all day. It was April 7, 2010. As an engineer for Hardcon Co based in Spokane, he was getting together with county officials, engineers, contractors and subs for a bridge construction project near Kettle Falls in Stevens County. But when it came time for the site meeting, he had to step behind one of the pickup trucks to throw up. He was shocked to see it was mostly blood. His liver had stopped...
We don't comment very often on letters submitted by readers, but in the case of the correspondence from Sharon Spenard of Dayton published on our opinion page this week we'd like to make an exception. This seems as good a time as any to shed a little more light on the situation in which Ace Landscaping owner John Palmer finds himself. County officials have approached him about possible zoning violations involving his new nursery off Highway 12 between Waitsburg and Dayton, following several complaints, presumable from local residents. Mr. Palme...
While I very much enjoy your publication, I was disturbed by the article on Ace Landscaping. Columbia County, and in particular Dayton, needs all the commercial business we can get. Bringing jobs to the county is of vital importance Ace Landscaping is trying to improve our county. Their business property is very well done and improves that portion of Highway 12. It will look even more attractive as it progresses. The Palmers are very knowledgeable in the nursery and landscaping business, having been doing this for a number of years. They give...
My daughter and I were very disappointed to find out as we headed to the Waitsburg swimming pool on a recent Saturday that it is closed on the weekends. I am a mom with a full time job and I am unable to take my child to the pool during the weekdays. I was looking forward to spending quality time with my daughter which I was able to do by driving to the Prescott Pool. During the time we spent at the Prescott pool two Parents and four children from the Waitsburg community came to swim. I would prefer not to have to drive to another town when I...
The last time I wrote about my friend and his son with Ewing's sarcoma, the teenager was just going into treatment. This was back in early fall, when Niko and I went hiking with Michael and Orion, my friend's older son, while Tally, his youngest, was at the hospital as part of his prolonged preparations for his eventual surgery. We just walked up an old logging road near Snoqualmie Pass, my four-month-old Dizzy weaving between our feet along the path. Michael and I listened to Niko and Orion's...
We promised we would open the Coppei Coffee shop this summer and we are. In just a few weeks, we'll have our soft opening and later on our grand opening for what we hope will become Waitsburg's "third space," your living room away from home. This week, we're introducing the members of the team - general manager Marc Bru and the core staff, including Nichole Wood, Lindsey Thomas and Sarah Groffman (see story on page 7). It's been a great journey so far. Ron Smith of Northstar Construction and his crew have done a phenomenal job transforming...
Recently I had the opportunity to look through some interesting travel books about the state of Washington. Among them, I found "Exploring Washington's Past," written by Ruth Kirk and Carmela Alexander. Kirk and Alexander's book gives an excellent background into the history of the state, especially rural areas. In this book it has a section that discussed the town of Waitsburg, its size and the local community. " In 1871, a visitor to Waitsburg described the little town as "The most enterprising and thrifty of any town, except Walla Walla, in...
WAITSBURG - On one of the nights of the Salt & Light youth choir's state tour last week, the group of 23 young singers from the Touchet Valley came together in a circle to share what they felt was special about the Christian ministry. The theme of this year's tour was "Got Hope?" Kyla Ihle, a senior from Dayton High School, was already in tears before it was her turn to share. " I've been struggling with hope throughout my life," Ihle said. "Salt & Light helped me find that hope." Feeling safe...
Here's a challenge the Times is pleased to put out there. If you or your business have been on the fence about snapping up one of four available 10-year corporate sponsorships of the Cardinals press box and sports equipment storage facility on the Waitsburg football field, you better act fast. The Times has decided to buy the next-to-last sponsorship package - priced at $2,500 - that includes the placement of its logo on a 2x6-foot space on the building, weekly public recognition during home football games and once-a-year exclusive seating in...
BACK WITH A SPLASH PRESCOTT - The Prescott swimming pool is hosting a free swim with free food in conjunction with National Pool Safety Day on Tuesday, June 28. The "Back With A Splash" session will be from 6-9 p.m. and feature barbeque foods. CHAMBER NEEDS HELP DAYTON - The Dayton Chamber of Commerce is still looking for volunteers to perform parking direction duties during the upcoming performances of the Carson & Barnes Circus on Thursday, June 30. The Chamber is also promoting the opportunity to local businesses to advertise during the...
Editor's Note: Navy Commander Stefan Xaudaro gave the keynote address during Memorial Day at the Waitsburg Cemetery. It is reprinted here in its entirety with only minor editing. This is the second and fi- nal installment of his speech. H ere I witnessed the durability and dedication of the mostly 19 to 20-year-old Sailors, the vast majority enlisted. With only four and a half acres to operate on, those Sailors would routinely sweat and toil for 16 hours or more per day to prepare, taxi, launch and then safely recover fast moving aircraft. The...
Ethiopia. The birth place of arabica coffee. According to legend, shepherds in this north African land noticed how their goats danced and burst with new life after sampling the fruit from a bush that grew wild. They tried the beans from this bush and found themselves invigorated. Ethiopian coffee still grows wild across the green hills and roasters say it's known for its gamey and spontaneous flavor profile. Many Ethiopians offer coffee to visitors in an ancient ceremony that makes it much more...
A lthough it may not be obvious from the cool and blustery weather around here, but this week marks the beginning of summer and the start of the farmers' market season. As we point out on our cover this week, Dayton will have two farmers' markets groups this year: the original Dayton Farmers Market and the new Saturday Market. For a small town like Dayton, it may seem somewhat strange to have two groups with the same purpose, but at least for the moment, it may not be a bad idea to live with it as long as both groups can be fully accommodated i...
A t 11 am on Thursday, July 14, the Honorable William Acey, Columbia County Superior Court Judge, will hear a request from this newspaper to become eligible to publish legal notices in Columbia County. The Times filed a request to be heard on Thursday, June 9, and made a brief appearance before the judge but he delayed a ruling on the matter. Instead, Acey ordered its publisher, Touchet Valley Publishing, to run a notice of a new hearing in the Dayton Chronicle twice before July 14. We agree that this is only fair. The residents of Columbia...
Terry and I just completed our ninth season coaching for the Dayton High School Fastpitch team, ending with our third trip to the State Tournament. I grew up in Dayton playing sports and have been around it for a lot of years. But each year I am amazed and humbled by the support and generosity of our community, parents, fans and friends. We received excited texts and phone calls, hugs and high-fives, donations of all sorts and help with planning and packing of 18 girls to the state tourney. From local businesses to parents of long-ago players...
