Serving Waitsburg, Dayton and the Touchet Valley
Serving Waitsburg, Dayton and the Touchet Valley
Sorted by date Results 1331 - 1355 of 5662
While continuing to shelter at home, we have tried to be productive; working, unpacking and organizing the homestead. We have been working in the yard, dragging flagstone, bricks and cinderblocks from scattered locations to one area. Now when I look at the Northeast side of our backyard it looks like a mason resides here. We have also been unpacking Daniel’s boxes, mostly cookbooks, (30 boxes to be exact). It’s difficult to unpack the books and not look at the titles since I am a cookbook fan, and it certainly beats looking at my ret...
Some wannabe philosopher on the internet – the quarantine seems to be bringing them out of the woodwork in droves – recently commented that all this isolation is forcing people to face their true selves and some folks aren’t handling the introduction very well. I’d beg to differ. In the nearly three weeks I’ve spent hunkered down, the only thing I’ve learned about myself is that my bangs don’t fluff up overnight if I brush them out before bed. Granted, I was a fairly solitary person before...
The first book I ever read cover to cover was Winnie the Pooh by A.A. Milne, and now, many decades later, it remains the best book I ever read. I mention this because the special relationship between Christopher Robin, and Edward Bear, aka Winnie the Pooh, is very much like the relationship I enjoy with my dog Cookie. Like Pooh, who adored honey, Cookie has a nose for good food, especially bacon, but also whatever happens to be cooking at the moment in the kitchen. And much like Pooh, Cookie...
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Waitsburg Resource Center (Food Bank), is working to ensure that their volunteers and neighbors (clients) are all safe. As a result, they are currently open on Thursday afternoon from 2-4 p.m. Items are pre-bagged now, and the Resource Center will not be observing weight restrictions based on the number of people in each family group at this time. Neighbors will not be allowed in the building for self-selecting items. Neighbors are asked to wait outside on the s...
“On the Beach”, “Outbreak”…”The Last Ship”…these were all suspenseful, entertaining fictional escapes that many of us enjoyed watching. However, the current pandemic is manufacturing a surreal reality that is anything but entertaining. We all know the purpose of social distancing, but what about the cost? As the social distancing continues to govern most communities, we are seeing a rise in negative, but not unexpected, psychological/emotional reactions. What can we as individuals, as families, and as a community do to help? First recognize...
Early morning strolls through the summer garden at our little McKay Alto homestead can only be described as an angelic wakeup call. The capacious songbird melody wafts on a gentle breeze as the golden rays of sun push through the cool air that has settled in our little draw. The dahlias, peonies, sunflowers, yarrow and lupine bloom rich burgundy, cotton candy pink, canary yellow, snow white, and intense purple. The flowers are abuzz with bees busy at their morning routine. As the steam rises...
One of the Dayton Depot Gallery exhibits this year is called “Romping in the Blues,” and features photos, camping gear and journal entries from the early 1900s. Membership and Events Coordinator Shellie McLeod has kicked that off on Facebook with a Caption Contest. This photo from the G.F. Jackson Family Photo Album from 1910, yielded the most likes for Paisley DeSiga’s caption, which read “When It Came to Setting Up Camp, Harold was always draggin’ his behind.” DeSiga won a $10 gift card t...
DAYTON—On Tuesday, Martha Lanman, Columbia County’s Public Health Director, discussed the Health Department’s response and activities regarding COVID-19 with the Board of County Commissioners. She stated that there has only been one positive case of COVID-19 in Columbia County as of March 30. This individual has since recovered. Thirty-five tests have come back negative and there is one test pending. The department goal is to “be prepared”, she said. Department staff has been getting the word...
OLYMPIA, Wash.,-On Monday, March 23, Governor Jay Inslee spoke directly to Washingtonians to announce he will sign a statewide order that requires everyone in the state to stay home. The order will last for two weeks and could be extended. This Stay Home, Stay Healthy order is similar to orders that other governors, in places such as California and New York, issued last week. This proclamation will: •Require every Washingtonian to stay home unless they need to pursue an essential activity. ...
WAITSBURG-Former Waitsburg Mayor Walt Gobel passed away on Wednesday, March 19, 2020. A very active member of the Waitsburg community, Gobel was a well-loved leader in our small town. A retired Washington State Patrol trooper, Gobel was elected as Waitsburg's mayor in 2010. Gobel would go on to serve the community until 2016, tackling well-known issues like the clean- up of the former bunkhouse and passing the beloved golf cart road laws. "Walt was one of Waitsburg's finest," Mayor and fellow...
Ballots are in the mail for Waitsburg’s next City Council and Mayoral election. Although current councilmember Kate Hockersmith is listed as a candidate for Mayor, at the March 18 City Council meeting Hockersmith announced that she was taking herself out of the race and was throwing her support behind current Mayor, Marty Dunn. “Mayor Marty Dunn and I have been working together for four years and I feel very confident with the current city leadership. We are lucky to have a talented group of citizens returning to and running for City Cou...
WAITSBURG—The Waitsburg City Council met Wednesday, March 18 at the Waitsburg Lions Building. All members of the council were present, and all attendees practiced social distancing measures for a safe environment. During public comment, Karen Gregutt spoke on behalf of the Planning Commission. At the February meeting, Gregutt informed the council that the commission would be making recommendations pertaining to the Waitsburg comprehensive plan each month. Gregutt updated the council, letting t...
WAITSBURG—On March 17, Waitsburg School District’s Food Services began delivering breakfast and lunch to children under 18 years of age, in Waitsburg. Hoping to help ease stress for families following the state’s mandated school closures, Food Services Supervisor Susan Wildey and Erin Elsey prepared enough grab-and-go breakfasts and lunches for more than 100 kids. The Waitsburg School District’s meal drop off service has gone better than Wildey had anticipated. More than 200 meals have been served in a single day. “The numbers are climbing...
WAITSBURG—On Thursday, March 19, the Waitsburg School Board met for their regularly scheduled meeting. Superintendent Mark Pickel, Board Chair Ross Hamann, and board members Lisa Morrow and Sarah Boudrieau were present. Members Christy House and Pam Chapman were present via phone call. Due to COVID-19 concerns, the board will be meeting via conference call at the next meeting. All persons attending the meeting practiced social distancing. Superintendent Pickel swore in new school board member S...
DAYTON—Washington State Governor Jay Inslee’s March 15th proclamation calling for the mandatory closure of bars, restaurants, recreational facilities and large social gatherings, is scheduled to run through March 31. The Port of Columbia County’s Executive Director, Jennie Dickinson and the Dayton Chamber Manager, Molly Weatherill-Tate, are busy locating resources for business owners who are impacted by the closures and are making a plea to the community to shop locally. “Many local busines...
DAYTON—Government, businesses, and services are being impacted by COVID-19. Here’s a run- down of impacts: On March 18 the Dayton City Council closed the Dayton City Public Works Facility and the City Hall to the general public. Permit applications, and other City business can be conducted via telephone at: (509) 382-2361. Utility bills can be placed in the payment drop box located along the alleyway adjacent to the City Hall. The City will waive any late fees for utility accounts as a result of...
In a meeting held virtually, the Dayton School Board met to discuss a few items including the impact of the health crisis on the schools. When discussing the budget, board members noted that district costs have gone down with travel out of district being cancelled, and there being no substitute teacher costs to pay. The key date for the Dayton School Board is April 27. That is currently the scheduled date that all students are expected to return to school following Governor Inslee’s mandatory school closure. The return date is important to s...
I am not complaining about our "new normal;" I believe the doctors and the scientists, I will adhere to social distancing guidelines, I have been washing my hands until they are raw, I will not travel, I will do my best to help mitigate the spread of this virus. But I will not succumb to becoming a couch potato or a hermit. I am luckier than so many; I don't have children in school, no worries about day care, home schooling, aging parents or compromised immune systems. I have a fully stocked...
You're stuck with me for a bit longer, I'm afraid – as of last Wednesday, in-person classes at Notre Dame Law School are cancelled for the rest of the school year. I should probably finish unpacking my suitcase. My mom's birthday was on Sunday. Not being able to leave the house to buy her an expensive present, even on the spurious assumption that I could afford an expensive present in the first place, I did the next best thing and made her a cake shaped like an expensive present. One batch of f...
Self- isolating during a pandemic isn't easy. Throw a very social, extremely busy toddler in the mix, and self-isolating suddenly seems impossible. After spending a couple of years as a full-time stay at home mom with my daughter, Gracie, I've got a few toddler-tested and approved projects up my sleeve. One of our favorite projects is a simple one. Shaving cream 'paint' is super inexpensive and the ingredients are typically already in your home. All you need is shaving cream and food coloring....
Mayor Marty Dunn is once again up for re-election as mayor. Dunn, who has served on council since the early 2000s and served as mayor from 2004-2007 and 2016-present is running against Debra Callahan. When asked about Waitsburg's recent flood event, Dunn credited the City's Flood Response plan, the fact that the Main Street bridge had been replaced, and that the dike at the fairground area had been armored with helping to limit the damage to the town. "We still have more work to do, hopefully we...
I am Debra Callahan. I moved to Waitsburg almost 40 years ago with my husband, Jim. We have two sons and a daughter, and a deceased daughter Missy. Brian lives in Waitsburg and Bill, who lives in Selah, WA. He and his wife have two children, granddaughter, Kyrsten, a junior at Selah High and our grandson Daniel who attends Embry Riddle Aeronautics College in Prescott, AZ. TJ lives in Prescott and Maranda lives in Walla Walla with our granddaughter Arya. Jim and I live on the property that Jim's...
SECLUSION-"You're handling this almost too well," a friend said to me. Sure, I've always been the upbeat type, it usually comes pretty naturally, but these days serenity isn't achieved without purposeful intention. Stressing out about what you can't control won't help anyone. In fact, stress tears away at the immune system, weakening one's defenses against infection. Instead, I'm managing what I can control: myself. It is paramount to maintaining good health. Yes, it is important to stay...
DAYTON-Closing the doors of the Liberty Theater, clearing the marquee, wiping everything down with sanitizer, cancelling all our film bookings for the time being and issuing notices of postponement for all the live shows we have been planning...none of this is happy work. It is sobering. It wakes you up to the things you took for granted and hope you won't ever take for granted again. Michael and Cathy Lee Haight of Dayton, have generously responded to the crisis with a gift of $10,000 to...
DAYTON—The thought never crossed my mind that COVID-19 would infect anybody at the senior living center where my 92-year-old mother lives. I just didn’t think it was likely because most of the infections have been concentrated on the West side of the state. But, last week an 80-year-old resident at the Bonaventure of Tri-Cities, senior living community in Richland, Wash., where Mom lives, died after contracting the infection probably through travel to the West side of the state. Mom said she...
