Serving Waitsburg, Dayton and the Touchet Valley
Serving Waitsburg, Dayton and the Touchet Valley
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The Washington State Department of Financial Institutions (DFI) developed a list of financial resources for Washington consumers impacted by the Coronavirus. Resources include information on mortgage assistance, student loans, emergency loans and more. Links to each resource are listed below. Unemployment Assistance If you are out of work, Washington State’s Employment Security Department at https://esd.wa.gov/newsroom/covid-19 provides support services to individuals affected by COVID-19 in Washington. The Employment Security Department has a...
WALLA WALLA, Wash. — Due to the demand for services at the Sudbury Landfill, the City will reopen the facility to the public from 8:30 a.m.-4 p.m. on weekdays beginning tomorrow, Thursday, April 9, and also on Saturdays beginning April 18. Due to a variety of health-related issues, the facility has been operating with reduced staffing. In addition, personal protective equipment (PPE) has been in short supply because the Public Works Department gave most of its PPE to the Fire/Ambulance Department for use by first responders. Based on these f...
This much green is a hopeful sign. Spring is here!...
WALLA WALLA-Providence Medical Group is now offering drive-through screening and testing at Urgent Care for people with symptoms of COVID-19. The Fast Track Clinic is located at the white tent on the north side of Urgent Care, 1025 S. Second Ave. in Walla Walla. The drive-through is open 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. seven days a week. The Fast Track Clinic allows people to be rapidly screened and, if appropriate, tested without leaving their cars. They also receive COVID-19 information and directions for...
DAYTON—At the Columbia County Health System board meeting last week, CEO Shane McGuire shared his concerns about financial stability, emergency preparedness, and possible impact on patients and health system staff, in light of the potential for a serious local outbreak of COVID-19. McGuire said, “We have stopped all non-essential visits in physical therapy, imaging, and the clinics. This volume generates about half of our monthly revenue. . .This is happening at the same time that we are spe...
WAITSBURG-Electric and hybrid cars continue to grow in popularity. The City of Waitsburg recently embraced this growth, and in early February, City Administrator Randy Hinchliffe oversaw the installation of a public-access electric vehicle (EV) charging station at the city shop. "My goal was to give people traveling through the city another reason to stop," said Hinchliffe. "With more and more electric cars on the road, I thought a charging station between the Tri-Cities and Clarkston was a...
WAITSBURG-The Waitsburg City Elections are scheduled to be held on April 6, 2020. The City Council has three seats open, after council members K.C Kuykendall, Kate Hockersmith, and Terry Jacoy decided not to run for re-election this year. Karen Gregutt is on the ballot for a return seat on the City Council. She hopes that by contributing her professional experience, she will bring fresh ideas to Waitsburg and its citizens. Gregutt's career includes 30 years as the managing partner at Kaye-Smith...
Since the statewide directive to shelter-at-home, the streets of Waitsburg have become eerily quiet. The Times has received information that the streets may not be as empty as they seem. Several anonymous sources have sent photos of encounters with what appear to be beasts who walk upright on oversized feet. Could these springtime sightings be proof there are hatchling Sasquatch in our area?...
DAYTON-Shellie McLeod brings her experience as an innkeeper to her new job as Events and Membership Coordinator for the Dayton Historic Depot Museum and the Boldman House Museum. She said she worked at the Weinhard Hotel for Dan and Ginny Butler for ten years, before she and her husband, Gary, bought the hotel from the Butlers in 2008. "As an innkeeper I organized events for our guests such as Murder Mystery Weekends, private retreats for clubs and organizations, as well as weddings, memorials,...
DAYTON-What does it mean to be the new Boldman House Museum manager in a museum that is closed through May 1 because of the concerns around the novel coronavirus? Amy Rosenberg is now conducting virtual live tours of the museum on Facebook, every Saturday at 2 p.m. "I'll be exploring different areas of the house and the collection every week," Rosenberg said. "There's so much to see, I'm sure I have months of content." Rosenberg has been a museum volunteer for the past couple of years and is...
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...
