Serving Waitsburg, Dayton and the Touchet Valley
Serving Waitsburg, Dayton and the Touchet Valley
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DAYTON-Women with Edwardian hairstyles, men in waistcoats, and trained horses were seen waiting patiently outside Dayton's Depot Museum last week. They were not waiting for an arriving train but to film their scenes for a short film produced by Walla Walla University. As the actors waited, the producers, Walla Walla University film students, and production staff, including director Richard Ramsey, were busy preparing for location filming. I met with one of the producers, Matt Webster, on the...
COLUMBIA COUNTY—On June 21, 2023, Jessica Ruffcorn submitted a petition to dissolve the Columbia County Rural Library District to the Columbia County Auditor’s Office. The auditor’s office began the process of verifying the signatures on June 22. Addresses and signatures were compared to those stored on the Secretary of State’s official voter information database. Voters can register, update, and verify their voter information on the official database at VoterWA.gov. In a letter to the Rural Library District Board Chair, dated June 27, 2023, C...
WAITSBURG—The Waitsburg City Council held its regular meeting at city hall on June 21, 2023. City council members Jillian Henze, Jim Romine, Kevin House, Court Ruppenthal, Mayor Marty Dunn, and City Administrator Randy Hinchliffe were present. Council member Randy Charles was absent. Washington State Senator Perry Dozier presented a recap of the recent legislative session. He discussed the capital, operating, and transportation budgets. Dozier worked to replace $21 million diverted from the 2015 “Connecting Washington” transportation packa...
DAYTON – The Dayton School Board met at 6 p.m. on June 14, 2023, in the High School library. Members of the school board present included Chair Jeffrey McCowen, Grant Griffen, Aneesha Dieu, and Zac Fabian. Superintendent Rich Stewart was also present. Korinda Wallace resigned from the School Board before the meeting. Jamie Trump, who spearheaded the sixth-grade camp at Camp Wootan, reported on this year’s camp. Sixty-seven sixth graders participated, supervised by 13-15 adult helpers and 16 day-instructors. Trump discussed camp activities, inc...
PRESCOTT-The Prescott Library had some unusual visitors last week, thanks to April Jackson, known as the Reptile Lady. She brought a variety of unique creatures to delight and educate kids and parents at the library. "I began as the Reptile Lady, following in the footsteps of my father, the Reptile Man. I am motivated by a vision of reaching all the children in Washington state in order to educate and inspire a love of and respect for reptiles," explained Jackson on her website, reptilelady.org....
DAYTON-Numerous cars dragged the "gut" Friday night as car enthusiasts walked the streets to watch the cars zoom by. Vendors were available for food and drinks, and Main Street businesses welcomed patrons throughout the evening. The band Cruz Control played on the courthouse lawn as people danced and little kids practiced their hula hoop skills. Saturday was the Show 'n Shine where vehicles of all types and years lined Main Street. Visitors and car enthusiasts were able to see everything up...
DAYTON – The Port of Columbia Commissioners held their regular meeting at 5 p.m. on June 14, 2023, at the Lyons Ferry Marina restaurant and on Zoom. The commissioners typically hold the June meeting at the marina, which is leased from the port. Commissioners present were Genie Crowe, Seth Bryan, Johnny Watts, and the Executive Director, Jennie Dickinson. Dickinson reminded the commissioners that they had budgeted for a new staff position, an Economic Development Coordinator. At the time of the m...
DAYTON- The Dayton City Council held its regular meeting on the evening of June 13, 2023 at Dayton City Hall. Mayor Zac Weatherford and council members Teeny McMunn, James Su’euga, Laura Aukerman, Kyle Anderson, Dain Nysoe, and Shannon McMillen were present; Tiger Dieu resigned on May 16, 2023, and his post remains vacant. Sheriff Joe Helm gave his report in which he covered call statistics and mentioned some past and planned activities, but summarized his report by saying, “no major changes.” Director of Emergency Management Tina Bobbi...
DAYTON—Columbia County Prosecuting Attorney C. Dale Slack requested and received an informal opinion from the Washington State Office of the Attorney General clarifying the voter eligibility to petition and vote on the issues concerning the Columbia County Rural District Library. A group of residents dissatisfied with the library’s Request for a Reconsideration of Materials policy, are circulating a petition to place a proposition on the ballot to dissolve the library district. Should voters decide in favor of dissolution, all of the books and...
Adult Fiction "The Swimmers" by Julie Otsuka This short novel begins with the unspoken rules and norms used by a community of swimmers at an aquatic center. A crack that forms in the pool's floor unhinges the rules and coincides with one swimmer's battle with dementia-a powerful and heartfelt story. "The Covenant of Water" by Abraham Verghese The follow-up to Verghese's bestseller "Cutting for Stone," his new book follows three generations of a family, from 1900 to 1977, that suffers a peculiar...
MidSchoolMath addresses a critical time for students in relation to math education. DAYTON—The Dayton School Board held a work session meeting in the high school library at 6 p.m. on June 7, 2023. School board members present were Jeffrey McCowen, Zac Fabian, and Aneesha Dieu. Superintendent Rich Stewart and Business Manager Jana Eaton also attended. Korinda Wallace attended using Zoom. Grant Griffen was absent. The only action item on the meeting’s agenda was to approve the adoption of MidSchoolMath (MSM) for the 6-8 grades math cur...
WALLA WALLA-Blue Mountain Land Trust partnered with the Umatilla National Forest to bring BioBlitz to children in the Walla Walla Valley. This Nature Kids event was supported by Blue Mountain Audubon Society, Sustainable Living Center, Tri-State Steelheaders, WWCC Water and Environmental Center, US Army Corps of Engineers, Walla Walla County Conservation District, Whitman College, Walla Walla Basin Watershed Council, and Outside the Lines Art Studio. The event, held at Rooks Park in Walla Walla...
Congratulations to the Waitsburg Elementary School students who celebrated moving up at a celebration held on Monday, June 5. The public is invited to the elementary school's Spring Concert on Wednesday, June 7, from 6:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Join music teacher Elizabeth Jagelski and her students for an evening of music. Preston Hall Middle School students will enjoy a day of fun at the Milton-Freewater Park and Pool on Thursday, June 8. They are scheduled to depart from the school at 10 a.m., retu...
WAITSBURG-Weller Public Library began its Summer Reading Program on June 1, 2023, offering every K-12 student in the Waitsburg school district a summer reading kit. Students received a nylon drawstring backpack, a Bingo Summer Reading Activity sheet, a pencil, a booklight for reading, a journal notebook, and a quilt-square coloring page. When students participating in the Reading Bingo activity complete a line across, up, down, diagonal, or a blackout they will receive a free book and be...
WAITSBURG-The Waitsburg FFA held its annual Awards Banquet on May 24 in the elementary multi-purpose room. FFA President Garret Palmer began the opening ceremonies before guests and members enjoyed dessert. A list of names, including parents, community members, and businesses, was read in appreciation for all they do for the Waitsburg FFA Chapter. FFA members of numerous career development events were honored and received certificates and pins. The guests heard the FFA Creed before members were...
WAITSBURG-Dayton native Dave Woolson and Waitsburg's Paul Gregutt founded their band - the DavePaul5 - in 2015. Accomplished songwriters and lifelong guitar players, they weren't afraid to dream big - hence the band name for an upstart duo. Sometimes dreams take a while, and as the band prepares to celebrate the release of its first studio recording this Friday at the Royal Block, some long-awaited goals are about to come true. During the past eight years, the duo grew to a trio with the...
DAYTON – The Dayton School Board met on May 17, 2023, in the High School library: School Board Chair Jeffrey McCowen, and members Grant Griffen, Aneesha Dieu, and Zac Fabian, and Superintendent Rich Stewart were present. Board member Korinda Wallace was not present. Several student and teacher groups gave presentations at the beginning of the meeting. Cole Kenney, a Title 1 Para, gave a presentation on Title Small Groups which offers individualized instruction in reading and math in grades K-5. The program uses “Read Well” to track the stude...
DAYTON – The Columbia Port Commissioners held their regular meeting at 5 p.m. on May 10, 2023, in the Port of Columbia conference room and on Zoom. Commissioners Genie Crowe, Seth Bryan, and the Executive Director, Jennie Dickinson, were present. Johnny Watts was absent. During public comment, Joann Patras from All Saints Thrift Store thanked Dickinson for her help in the thrift store’s successful grant application to Sherwood Trust. Patras addressed Dickinson, saying, “What a blessing you were to me. You were so kind and so helpful.” She sai...
DAYTON- The Dayton City Council held its regular meeting at 6 p.m. on May 10, 2023. Mayor Zac Weatherford and Council Members Teeny McMunn, James Su’euga, Laura Aukerman, Kyle Anderson, Dain Nysoe, Shannon McMillen, and Tiger Dieu were present at Dayton City Hall. Belinda Larsen from the Chamber of Commerce gave an update on chamber activities. She reminded the council that Dayton Days is scheduled for Memorial Day weekend and All Wheels Weekend will be in June. Sheriff Helm reported that two deputies graduated from the state’s police aca...
WAITSBURG–This weekend, Burgers, Bands, and Brews features alternative country band Frog Hollow Band and some family lore. Band member Ty Lane plans on playing his grandfather Norval's Gibson ES-125 on a few numbers. The distinctive sunburst, hollow-body electric guitar holds a special place in Lane's family history. Norvel most likely purchased it in the late 50s and performed with it through the following decades. The guitar was played by Lane's aunt Leah in a band with Norval and Ty's f...
WAITSBURG-The Celebration Days Committee will honor Bill and Linda Stonecipher as the 2023 Parade Marshals this year. The couple are fourth-generation farmers related to Waitsburg's early pioneer families. When Bill was young, he was involved in 4H, FFA, and activities on his family's farm. As an adult, he was on the FFA Advisory Board for many years. He attended Waitsburg Schools, later graduating from St. Patrick's High School, Walla Walla, in 1958. Bill graduated from Seattle University in...
WAITSBURG-The Waitsburg high school and middle school bands and choir, with director Elizabeth Jagelski, presented a spring concert on Monday, May 8, in the Waitsburg High School Auditorium. The sixth-grade band began the program by playing "Symphony No 1" by Brahms, "Erie Canal Capers," and "Bungo." The choir sang "The Old Mill" and "Shenandoah." The sixth and seventh grade mixed intermediate band presented "Frere Jacque" in a round, "Sawhill Mill," and "Jump Street Boogie." Senior Natalie...
DAYTON – The Dayton School Board met for a work session at 6 p.m., on May 3, 2023, in the High School library. School board members present were Grant Griffen, Zac Fabian, and Aneesha Dieu; Korinda Wallace did not attend. Superintendent Rich Stewart and Business Manager Jana Eaton were present. Included in the Consent Agenda, the board approved hiring Clayton Strong as HS Boys Head Basketball Coach and Owen Lanning as HS Boys Assistant Basketball Coach. The board also approved Kelly Steinhoff as a volunteer MS Track Coach and approved a GEAR U...
WALLA WALLA-CEO Brian Hunt announced that Sherwood Trust would disburse $1,057,000 in Core grants to 11 local organizations. The awards include Sherwood Trust's annual competitive Core grants and Invitational grants awarded outside of competitive yearly grant programs. "We are grateful to build on the example set by our founders to invest in local nonprofits and the critical work they do every day to support local people," said Hunt. "These grants support our vision that everyone in the Walla...
WAITSBURG - The Royal Block Reading Series celebrates World Collage Day with its inaugural CollegeCollage event at the Royal Block in Waitsburg on Saturday, May 13, 2023, from 2:00 to 8:00 p.m. The event is free to 21+ public. CollegeCollage is the Royal Block's inaugural contribution to World Collage Day to celebrate the poetry, wine, art, and food created by local college students and their professors. This year's line-up includes: • 3:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m. - Walla Walla Community College stu...
