Serving Waitsburg, Dayton and the Touchet Valley
Serving Waitsburg, Dayton and the Touchet Valley
Sorted by date Results 314 - 338 of 997
WAITSBURG – 2013 has already delivered an early heat wave, a late hard freeze, a mostly dry spring and a week long deluge to start the summer. For most residents of Columbia and Walla Walla Counties, these weather anomalies are at best a pleasant change, and at worst a minor annoyance. For area dry-land farmers, these weather events can mean the difference between a wind- fall year and a zero-profit annum. Walla Walla and Colum- bia County climates vary dramatically depending on location. S...
WAITSBURG - The horse facilities at the Waits- burg fairgrounds are expe- riencing new life, thanks to revitalization efforts of local citizens who are forming the nonprofit Blue Mountain Equestrian Center Board specifically for that purpose. A bit shy of the 25 hors- es Councilman and Board Business Manager K.C. Kuykendall had originally anticipated boarding as of July 1, there are currently 16 horses making use of the boarding stalls. In addition, Doug Phipps, currently the only trainer at...
STARBUCK -Thanks to more than a dozen vol- unteers who rolled up their sleeves at Lyons Ferry Ma- rina Thursday, the project that gives wheelchair users waterfront access is one step closer to completion. "It will be good once it's all said and done," Lyons Ferry Marina manager Jim MacArthur said. "This will be a nice addition." MacArthur said the facil- ity for persons with disabilities is still waiting for some additional funding to install a transition strip and safety barriers before it can...
DAYTON - The Longears return to town this year with an expanded schedule over two weekends. The third annual Mule Mania event starts this weekend with workshops for mule and donkey owners Saturday and Sunday at the Columbia County Fairgrounds. More than 150 mules and their owners - and sev- eral hundred visitors - are expected in town for the nine-day event. All events at Mule Mania are free and open to the public. Except for the downtown parade, all activities will be held at the Columbia...
WAITSBURG - "Nei- ther snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night stays these couriers from the swift completion of their appointed rounds." While the United States Postal Service creed inscribed on the James Farley Post Office in New York City still holds true, it's eastern Washington customers -- not postal workers -- that will need to be a bit more "swift" in getting their mail to the box, come Saturday. That's when mail previ- ously sorted in Pasco will be routed to Spokane for processing...
DAYTON - Dayton May- or Craig George was elected President of the Association of Washington Cities last week during their Annual Conference in Kennewick. He will serve a one-year term. The AWC is a non-profit group that represents all of Washington's 281 cities and towns. It is currently in its 80th year. During the past two years, George has served as secretary/treasurer and then vice president of the group's board of direc- tors. George says that the AWC provides many impor- tant services for...
WAITSBURG - Two new steps have been taken on the path to memorialize the site of the former Wait's Mill, which was de- stroyed by fire in September 2009. At Waitsburg's June 19 City Council meeting, city administrator Randy Hinchliffe noted that debris from the W. 7th Street Project was being transferred to the mill site and that a contractor had been selected to build an informational kiosk at the mill. Opp & Seibold has con- tracted to build an informa- tional kiosk, incorporating the brick...
DAYTON - Fire fighters from Columbia County Fire Districts 2 and 3 responded to a 911 call at 3:30 Satur- day morning and found a travel trailer fully engulfed in flames at the Shangri-La RV Park west of Dayton. A man's badly-burned body was found inside the RV after the blaze was ex- tinguished. The victim was identified as 52-year-old Gary Spainhower. Spain- hower's dog also died in the blaze. Kandi Dame, who lives in the space next to Spain- hower's with her husband and daughter, said she...
DAYTON - Karen Scha- rer spent 29 years working for the King County plan- ning department. During that time she worked in of- fices in downtown Seattle, Renton and Snoqualmie. More recently she worked as a city planner in Auburn and Sea-Tac. "This is the first time I've ever been able to walk to work," Scharer said of her ten-minute commute on foot to her new job at Dayton City Hall. "I love it." Scharer took over as Day- ton City Planner in late April. She replaces Kim Lyonnais, who was hired...
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....
PRESCOTT - An au- dience filled with Mylar balloons, colorful floral bouquets and excited chatter made for a party-like atmo- sphere in Prescott High's gymnasium Thursday night as smiling seniors leaned over the mezzanine, scan- ning the crowd of friends and family below. Prescott High's 2013 graduation cer- emony was most definitely going to be a celebration. Prescott High's 22 gradu- ating seniors entered by twos, taking measured steps to the traditional strains of "Pomp and Circumstance."...
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...
Class Motto: "Life begins at the end of your comfort zone" - Unknown author DAYTON - Graduation ceremonies are typically solemn occasions steeped in tradition and pomp, so the audience was at first star- tled, then delighted when the entire Dayton High School class of 2013 started singing "Ain't No Mountain High Enough" during salutatorian Samantha Harting's commencement speech. Harting was describing various shared memories of the class that, for the most part, has been together since...
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....
DAYTON - Portland General Electric Company announced Monday that it has agreed to purchase development rights for a por- tion 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 por- tion 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...
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...
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...
-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....
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-...
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...
