Serving Waitsburg, Dayton and the Touchet Valley
Serving Waitsburg, Dayton and the Touchet Valley
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WAITSBURG - As of July 1, 25 of the empty horse stalls at the Waitsburg Fairgrounds will welcome equine tenants -- the first step in what is to become the Blue Mountain Equestrian Center. At Waitsburg's City Council meeting Wednesday night, council members vot- ed unanimously to enter into an agreement that transfers management of the horse facilities at the Waitsburg Fairgrounds to a 501c.3 or- ganization that will oversee the creation and develop- ment of the Blue Mountain Equestrian Center....
WAITSBUG - They say that, "Behind every good man is a good woman." That statement certainly holds true for the group of women behind Waitsburg's American Legion Post #35. Waitsburg's Auxiliary is a very active women's service organization, af- filiated with the Legion and dedicated to helping veterans and their families. They strive to live out the club motto, "Service, not self." The Auxiliary consists of mothers, wives, sisters, daughters, granddaughters and great-granddaughters of veterans...
WAITSBURG - Though their numbers have declined over the years, the dedi- cation and patriotism of Waitsburg's American Le- gion members has not. Cur- rent club members, mostly World War II vets, are hop- ing younger generations of men and women will join them in their quest to support veterans and families. One of Waitsburg's oldest service clubs, the Samuel W. Southard Post #35 was char- tered in August 1919. The post was named in honor of 23-year-old Samuel W. Southard, the first Waitsburg...
DAYTON - Columbia County Planning Director Kim Lyonnais told county commissioners last week that his office may have to devote more than 2,000 additional hours in the next two years to planning and inspection efforts related to construction of Phase II of the Lower Snake River Wind Energy Project. He asked the commissioners to consider adding a full-time planning position to his office to cover the increased workload. "I don't think of this as a 'part-time temporary' posi- tion," Lyonnais said....
WAITSBURG - There are few occasions in life more filled with expectation than high school graduation. This ceremony, more than any other in our society, marks the shift from childhood to adulthood. The parents and teachers who have thus far provided care, authority and tutelage, step into a background role and watch as the young adults take the lead. Waitsburg Valedictori- an Samantha Moss (3.972 GPA) spoke to those ex- pectations as she addressed the crowd and the 29 other graduates of the WHS...
DAYTON - The Day- ton school district will say farewell to three very spe- cial ladies at the close of this school year. Elemen- tary school principal Katie Leid, first grade teacher Julie Howard, and school secre- tary Dallas Dickinson are all set to retire. Combined, these women have well over fifty years experience in education, and for them the decision to begin a new chapter in their lives is bittersweet. Leid, who was born in Walla Walla and raised in Waitsburg, has served as principal...
DAYTON - Portland General Electric Company announced Monday that it has agreed to purchase development rights for a portion of Phase II of the Lower Snake River Wind Energy Project in Columbia County from Puget Sound Energy. PGE is a utility based in Portland that serves more than 800,000 customers in Oregon. In a press release issued Monday, PGE said the portion of the project they are taking over includes 116 wind turbine sites on land north of Dayton and west of Highway 12. It will use 2.3...
WAITSBURG - Gail Gwinn and Joe Patrick's yard on the corner of Sev- enth and Orchard looks a bit bare. Not only did crews leave "a pretty big hole" when they removed a 135-year- old maple to widen Seventh Street, but the couple just re- located here from Whidbey Island after remodeling their new Waitsburg home and they haven't had much time to devote to a garden. "There are three plants in our yard and some grass," said Gwinn, who had a lush botanical spread at their home near Coupeville and...
DAYTON – Pam Lindsley, of Spokane, will be Dayton Elementary School’s new principal next year, according to Dayton Superintendent Doug Johnson. She replaces Katie Leid, who resigned this year. Lindsley has been a kindergarten and fifth-grade teacher at Spokane’s Cooper Elementary School for 16 years. She recently completed training to become an administrator. A committee from the Dayton schools inter- viewed three candidates earlier this month before selecting Lindsley. Last week, Johnson also confirmed the hiring of two new elementary teach...
OLYMPIA - Thanks to a small Dayton delegation making the case before the state's Department of Com- merce here last week, Blue Mountain Station will get new funds to hook up to Dayton city sewer and en- sure that its largest prospec- tive tenant can operate in the business park. While construction of the first 6,900-square-foot build- ing began last week, Port of Columbia Manager Jennie Dickinson, future BMS tenant Reggie Mace, Dayton Chamber Director Brad Mc- Masters and Pacific Power's Bill Clemens traveled to the state capital to present...
WAITSBURG - In the spring of 1999, Karen Mohney, then president of the Waitsburg American Legion Auxilia- ry #35, presented the group with the idea of erecting a Veteran's Memorial Wall in Waitsburg. "I just had a passion for wanting to see our local veterans hon- ored and remembered," said Mohney. "We thought the idea was fantastic, but it seemed like 'Mission Impos- sible,'" Auxiliary member B.A. Keve re- called. The American Legion jumped on board and the two groups joined forces to bring...
DAYTON - The regular week-long candidate filing period for local elections ended Friday, with most po- sitions receiving one filer. Five positions in Colum- bia County went unfiled and will be subject to a special filing period. They are: CITY OF DAYTON COUNCIL MEMBER #5 4-year term COUNCIL MEMBER #6 2-year unexpired term DAYTON SCHOOL DISTRICT DIRECTOR #5 4-year term COLUMBIA COFIRE DISTRICT 2 COMMISSIONER #1 6-year term COMMISSIONER #1 2-year unexpired term A special filing period will be held June 3-5. Filing closes June 5 at 4 p.m....
-LESS-THAN-0096-Author's note: Current Times publisher Imbert Matthee asked me to pen a few words about the Days of Real Sport since this does appear to be the 100th anniversary of the event. My perspective is mainly from the point of view of our participation in producing the programs for each year's races and how that changed over the years.-GREATER-THAN-0096- O rin Walker, a former county commissioner and local historian, explained to me where the title of the meet came from. A cartoonist for...
SPOKANE - After beating their first opponents in the regional District 7 & 9 softball tournament, the WP Lady Tigers and Dayton Lady Bulldogs advance to the state tournament scheduled in Yakima next weekend. WP beat Mary Walker, while Dayton pulled out a victory against Colfax. In the second game, WP beat Dayton 8-4. The teams were scheduled to play for the regional title and final seeding later in the afternoon Saturday....
PRESCOTT - The city of Prescott has selected Steven Heimbigner as its new mayor. The decision was made at the last city council meeting, which took place April 8. Heimbigner fills the slot left open after the death of Mayor Darlene DeCoria in January. A graduate of Eastern Washington University, Heimbigner has been a resident of Prescott for 42 years. He majored in business and began teaching business classes at Prescott High School in 1971. He also taught computer applications and journalism, even taking up the position of yearbook advisor....
DAYTON - Saying that it was a "draft" and a "work in progress", Dayton city council member Dain Nysoe agreed Monday evening to return a "Special Event Application" proposal to the Public Safety Committee for more consideration. A resolution to adopt the application and permit was on the agenda for that evening's council meeting. Nysoe, who is chair of the Public Safety Committee, spearheaded development of the permit process earlier this year. In front of a large crowd at the St. Joseph's parish...
WAITSBURG - As the newest and youngest member of a country rock band, Shane Ugalde may not know all the rock classics. When asked at a recent practice if he had ever heard of Aerosmith's Sweet Emotion, he drew a blank. But when it comes to the "country" in country rock, Ugalde is the genuine article, so genuine you might imagine a hint of burning leather around him. "He's a real cowboy," band manager Wendy Richards said. "And he feels like he's always been part of the group." Together with the o...
WAITSBURG - Volun- teers from the Waitsburg Historical Society have spent recent weeks at the Wilson-Phillips house, bus- ily readying it for the upcoming Waitsburg Celebra- tion Days. The home was purchased in 2008 by Mary Phillips, who made significant im- provements, including new paint, a roof replacement and repairing and re-routing broken sewer lines prior to renting it out for a brief time. In 2011 Phillips donated the home to the Waitsburg His- torical Society. The Society faced con-...
WAITSBURG - On a sunny Tuesday afternoon last week, Waitsburg Cel- ebration co-organizer Lisa Naylor got a taste of what's to come on the third weekend in May when the town marks the first century of its downhome "one-of-a- kind" horse extravaganza, the Days of Real Sport. In the shade of the grand stand at the fairgrounds, somebody flung a hat down and three cowgirls launched their mounts around the track, hoofs thrashing the soft dirt, smiles flying above the saddles. "The expression on these...
DAYTON - The Colum- bia County Commissioners last week voted unanimously to reject a plan to create a joint planning commission that would serve both Co- lumbia County and the City of Dayton. A tentative agreement to combine the commissions was worked out last month between Commis- sioner Mike Talbott and City Council member Arthur Hall, who is chair of the council's planning committee. The Planning commission is an advisory board that makes recommendations to the city council or county...
DAYTON - In a special meeting last week, the Port of Columbia commissioners agreed to issue bonds through Banner Bank of up to $300,000 to complete construction of the first building at Blue Mountain Station. The vote was 2-1, with Commissioner Earle Marvin dissenting. The move will allow the Port to proceed with construction of the first phase of the artisan food center planned for the site at Dayton's west end. Five firms have signed letters of commitment to rent the eight spaces in Building 1...
WAITSBURG - Edward Hopper could have painted it. The little Victorian on Preston Avenue, most re- cently owned by the late gar- lic grower Travis Weedman, sits back from the highway shaded by evergreens. Its porch and porch roof are sagging. But its structure, dating back to 1895 and placed on a new foundation after the 1996 flood, is good, ac- cording to its new owners. Those kinds of "bones" make it a good candidate for restoration, and that's how it became the first project of Touchet Valley...
