Serving Waitsburg, Dayton and the Touchet Valley
Serving Waitsburg, Dayton and the Touchet Valley
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WAITSBURG – With a declining general fund balance and staffing well over state apportionment allocations, Waitsburg School District Superintendent Carol Clarke informed school board members that they have a deadline of May 15 to make decision regarding possible staff cuts for the 2016-17 school year. Nearly all of the district’s certificated teaching staff was in attendance at the April 13 regular board meeting. Clarke reminded the board that “75-80% of any school’s budget is based on personnel,” and that enrollment generates staffing allocatio...
WAITSBURG – Waitsburg Elementary School students spent the last two weeks gathering pennies to help former WHS student Cody Washburn in his battle with cancer. The drive is an offshoot of a coin drive inspired by the high school Leos club, who raised $150 for Washburn in March. The competitive elementary school penny drive was organized by teacher Gabe Kiefel and students have been enjoying the ability to sabotage other classes. Students get credit for pennies donated, but silver coins added t...
DAYTON--Since their arrival in Dayton on April 15, forty-four juniors from Yamate High School in Yokohama, Japan, have been living with host families in Dayton and experiencing life in rural eastern Washington. In July, ten to fifteen Dayton High School students will travel to Yokohama, live with host families and attend Yamate High School, according to teacher Kristine Warren, who is the Yamate Program coordinator. Activities planned for the students from Yokohama while they are in Dayton were...
Mom looks outside system to get help for her son DAYTON-Sherri Huwe said she will be forever grateful to the many people who helped her wage a long and complicated battle to help her developmentally challenged son, Ben, keep his business intact. Ben lost the funding for his job coach in January 2015, when his greeting card business at Elk Drug in Dayton was deemed unviable by developmental disability services experts. "We were upset about that, of course," Huwe said. Huwe said she tried for...
DAYTON—Port of Columbia County commissioners heard from Port Manager Jennie Dickinson and Economic Development Coordinator Brad McMasters about their recent trip to the 2016 Natural Products Expo in Anaheim, Calif. There they spent three days with over 70,000 other attendees, looking at products and learning about the connection between producers and distributors. Most people at the expo were seeking distributors for their products, Dickinson said. “Many natural and organic food labels have bee...
WAITSBURG – With the logistics of the 2016-17 Waitsburg-Dayton football combine largely decided, it is time for the cheer squads to do the same. At the April 14 regular Waitsburg School Board Meeting, Athletic Director Stephanie Wooderchak shared the in-process 2016-17 cheer combine proposal with board members. Varsity Cheer Squad Through negotiations with Dayton, it has been agreed that Dayton will host the varsity squad of no more than 12 athletes, with Dayton providing the coach. Practices w...
WAITSBURG – A group of students and parents attended last week’s school board meeting to vocalize their support for high school girls’ basketball coach J.T. Elsey, whose performance was on the agenda for review during executive session. Sophomore athlete Chloe Pearson served as spokesperson for fellow players Taylor Hays, Devon Harshman and Tayler Jones. Pearson read the following prepared statement on behalf of the team. I have played both years in this program and J.T. has improved our team...
The Tour of Walla Walla cycling race came to Waitsburg last weekend, and Times reporter Dena Wood was there to catch the action during the Kellogg Hollow Road Race on Sunday....
WAITSBURG – A multi-topic meeting of the Waitsburg Fairgrounds Committee ended with an agreement that the group’s first priority is to get a clear mandate of authority from the city. While members varied in opinion on everything from retaining the metal horse-race rail to whether or not buildings should be torn down, the committee was united in the idea that group needs to be able to function in a capacity similar to the city’s planning commission. “We want our mandate to be an advisor...
WAITSBURG – When former Waitsburg School Superintendent Robbie Johnson watched kids at Home Depot learning to make birdhouses one Saturday morning, he realized most kids from Waitsburg wouldn't be able to take part in those types of projects. He also knew just what group could make it happen locally. Men from the Waitsburg Christian Church started a "Second Saturday" group several months ago, and invited local men and boys to join them monthly for a hearty breakfast, good company, and often, a...
WAITSBURG - Representative Maureen Walsh (R-College Place), has announced she will run for the State Senate seat currently held by Mike Hewitt, who is retiring. Hewitt has been in the Senate for 16 years. Walsh was first elected to one of the two House seats representing the 16th legislative district, in 2004. "I've been so fortunate to work in the House on behalf of the people in our district for the last 12 years. My seatmates in the Legislature include former Rep. Bill Grant, who passed away...
A group of local military men took a break from coffee at the Waitsburg Hardware Store on Tuesday morning to replace the worn United States and Waitsburg flags with new ones....
DAYTON-Ken Leiske calls Colville, Wash. his home, but his work as a signmaker takes him pretty much everywhere, he said. Last week Leiske was in Dayton to paint a mural on the wall outside the Moose Creek Café and Bakery for business owners Aimee McGuire and Paul Mackay. With a degree in Fine Arts and Communications from Walla Walla University, a master's equivalent from Western Washington University, and various certifications including a Washington State Teacher Education Certificate,...
DAYTON-A new HVAC system is going in at the pavilion building at the Columbia County Fairgrounds. The project is on target for completion by May 26, according to Public Works Director, Andrew Woods. Contracts have been awarded to two firms, Woods told the county commissioners at their meeting last week. "The bids were great. Bids came in pretty much what we expected," he said. Woods said College Place Heating and Air Conditioning will be supplying the heat pump and ducting, at a cost of $21,400....
WALLA WALLA - The Port of Walla Walla Commissioners have announced that four candidates will be interviewed to become the Port's next executive director. Final interviews will be held Thursday. Among the finalists are Port of Columbia Manager Jennie Dickinson and Waitsburg City Council member KC Kuykendall. An interview panel will meet with the candidates on Thursday in executive session, and then forward their recommendation to the Port commissioners, who will meet and make their final...
WAITSBURG – The Waitsburg Garden Club had a busy Saturday morning with tours of the Callahan home on Preston Avenue, and Terry and Bettie Hofer's property off Highway 12. The Callahan's shared recent improvements including a bee hive awaiting its first inhabitants, an orchard, berry bushes, and raised vegetable beds. Strawberries grow protected, above ground, in rain gutters atop a Pinterest-worthy arbor. Brian Callahan explained his method of large-scale composting and Deb demonstrated how she...
WAITSBURG – Waitsburg's favorite rodeo songstress spent a long and tiring day auditioning at the Moose Lodge in Ellensburg, Wash. last weekend, but returned home with the title of Washington Little Rodeo Queen. Ten-year-old Makenna Barron said she "had a lot of fun" as Miss Rodeo Washington Sweetheart for the Miss Rodeo Washington Pageant in 2013 and wanted to gain more royalty experience. Makenna's mom, Tracy Barron, said the Miss Rodeo Washington Pageant has dropped titles for younger contesta...
WAITSBURG – Strong community support sends incumbent Waitsburg Mayor Walt Gobel into his sixth term after receiving 213 votes in Waitsburg’s preliminary city election results calculated Monday night. First-time mayoral challengers Debra Callahan had 63 votes and Delores Nettles had 34 votes. Based on preliminary results, the council will remain unchanged, with the exception of Kate Hockersmith, who will replace Callahan. Hockersmith gave longtime Waitsburg council frontrunner Kevin House a run for his money this year by receiving 254 votes to...
DAYTON – Columbia County Prosecutor Rea Culwell announced on Friday that Mexican law enforcement officials have arrested 42-year-old Benjamin Orozco, who is wanted for a 1996 murder in Dayton. Orozco was taken into custody last week in San Francisco, Nayarit, Mexico. He is expected to be extradited to Columbia County within the next two months. Orozco faces a charge of second-degree murder in the shooting death of Lance Terry in downtown Dayton on July 7, 1996. He is also charged with first-degree assault for wounding David Eaton. In a press r...
WAITSBURG – Spring is in the air and Waitsburg Celebration Days is a mere six weeks away. Tickets are already on sale for several highlight events of what looks to be a fun-filled family weekend, May 20-22. The weekend's signature event – the 35-mile Karen's Ride ATV Poker Run – has been adapted to allow participants to play an unlimited number of poker hands this year. Hands may be purchased at a discounted $10 rate through May 16, and will be $15 each after that date. And an additional ride,...
(l to r): Drew Farley, Austin James, Riley Witt, and Scott Leamy (back row with tuba) blew some tunes at the SEWMEA High School Large Group Band Festival at Clarkston High School last month. See story on Page 2....
WAITSBURG – On Thurs., March 17, the Preston Hall 7th-8th grade band traveled to Colfax to compete in the Middle School Large Group Band Festival. They performed their concert pieces, "Forge of Vulcan" and "Jump Street Boogie" and received a superior rating, with top scores from both judges, according to Band Director Brad Green. On March 22, the WHS band took their turn, competing in the SEWMEA High School Large Group Festival at Clarkston High School. The band played their concert pieces: "...
A group of Waitsburg folks (and a WSU student from India) kicked off spring break by running the 62- mile Palouse 100K Relay in Pullman on Sun, April 3. The race was originally called the Washington State University 100K Relay & Solo Race and was started by the Palouse Road Runners and WSU in 1990 as part of the WSU centennial celebration. Waitsburg resident Christy House said a group from Waitsburg, with the name BEERRUN, has participated in the race for the last five years, though the...
Jacci's Yarn Basket was Jacci Wooten's Third Career DAYTON – After several failed attempts to sell her business over the last three years, Jacci's Yarn Basket owner, Jacci Wooten, is closing her doors. The store's stock and fixtures are marked at 40% off now through April 16, when Wooten will officially retire. Wooten said the yarn shop is her "third career." She spent three years as a librarian at the University of Idaho Law Library, and then spent 16 years as a hairstylist in Moscow, Ida. Woot...
DAYTON – Alder Family Dental has announced that Dr. Rachel Deininger has begun serving patients in their Dayton office and will soon become the primary dentist in that office. Dr. Deininger will take over the practice that Alder purchased from Dr. Norm Passmore last year and continues to operate at its Main Street location in Dayton. Dr. Deininger has been in practice for about seven years, and joined Alder Family Dental in September. She is a California native and a graduate of Walla Walla Univ...
