Serving Waitsburg, Dayton and the Touchet Valley
Serving Waitsburg, Dayton and the Touchet Valley
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Meet Touchet Valley Golf Course's new pro on Saturday, August 27 DAYTON-The Dayton Valley Golf course has a new golf pro. Tyler Huff brings his experience working with novices to experts, golf pros, and college players to Dayton. Over the past five years, Huff has been a teaching professional and a nationally recognized club fitter at the Reserve Golf & Vineyards in Hillsboro, Oregon. He has taught top Pacific Northwest players, including Spencer Tibets and most of the former division-one...
Board discuss special education contract WAITSBURG–The Waitsburg School Board met Thursday, August 18, for a regularly scheduled meeting. After serving the district for 25 years, board members and attendees said ‘thank you’ one last time to Human Resources and Assistant Business Manager Linda Henze, who retired the following day. The district presented Henze with a plaque, and later she went out for a celebratory dinner with district employees and friends at Whiskey C’s. Teachers and staff a...
DAYTON—The Friends of the Pool (FotP) and the Focus Advisory Group seek volunteers to serve on the proposed Columbia County Metropolitan Park District. The proposed district would be a new, unfunded taxing district to support the construction, maintenance, and operation of a new aquatic facility and other recreational facilities in Dayton and Columbia County. Five volunteers from the community are needed to make up the Park District Board of Commissioners. The Board will initially guide the management of the new district, complete contracts f...
DAYTON— Comments made at the August Columbia County Rural Library Board of Trustees meeting has left many in the community unsettled. During the public comment period elected officials County Commissioner Chuck Amerien and Dayton City Councilmember Laura Aukerman joined others to challenge the board and ask for certain books to be removed from the library’s collection. Since the meeting, comments on social media, including the Facebook page “Dayton (WA) Uncesnsored”, have been critical and often generating anger directed at the library board a...
WAITSBURG-Waitsburg's business community has been growing. Empty buildings have found new owners, and the town has a hotel again. New ventures are joining established businesses to bring food, drink, hospitality, art, and unique products to town. On Thursday, September 1, new and old businesses will participate in a city-wide open house with special events, treats, and glimpses into what is available to residents and visitors. From 4 pm to 6:30 pm, The Royal Block Wine Bar and Hotel will...
DAYTON—Columbia County Sheriff Joe Helm spoke at length in his report to the Dayton City Council last week. Most notably, he reported about traffic stops and criticism he has received from some who say there have been way too many. Since January 1, the road deputies have made 748 traffic stops. Helm said the stops are not only for safety reasons but also to prevent crime and drugs from entering the community. According to the sheriff, Columbia County is a major drug route from the west coast t...
WAITSBURG—On September 21, 2022, Waitsburg City Council will consider bids for 147 Main Street, which until recently housed City Hall. The city decided to surplus the building last year and accepted a bid for the assessed value of $205,000. The accepted bidder planned to build apartments upstairs and create retail space on the ground floor. Unfortunately, the sale fell through in June. The city reopened the bidding process on July 5, 2022, requesting proposals (RFP) for the historic building. Bidders must submit proposals by 2:00 p.m. on S...
DAYTON – The Columbia Port Commissioners held their regular meeting at 5 p.m., July 13, 2022, at the Port of Columbia and on Zoom. All Commissioners were present in person, Genie Crowe, Seth Bryan, and Johnny Watts, along with the Executive Director, Jennie Dickinson. Members of the public attended using Zoom and in person. Dickinson reported that Dayton Electric will vacate its lease at the Port to move into a duplex the company purchased. Red Band Cellars has agreed to expand its operation into the unit vacated by Dayton Electric. D...
DAYTON-On Monday, Columbia County Health System CEO Shane McGuire led The Times on a tour of one of the four cottages at Rivers Walk Assisted Living. The nearly completed cottage we toured was the "Palouse," which will soon house the memory care residents currently living at the Booker Rest Home. The new buildings provide all the same safety requirements but are quieter, brighter, and feels more homelike. "Palouse" has ten spacious and airy apartments. There are nine single occupancy rooms, and...
WASHINGTON—The small town of Lind, located approximately 75 miles from Spokane, was temporarily evacuated on August 4 as a fast-moving wildfire swept through the town of roughly 500 residents. The Adams County Sheriff’s Office warned residents to evacuate the town because of the ‘ongoing threat from the flames.’ The fire destroyed six homes and eight other structures before being contained. Nearly 2,500 acres were destroyed by the fire, according to Adams County Sheriff Dale J. Wagner in a Fa...
WALLA WALLA COUNTY—A fire broke out in a standing wheat field just north of Walla Walla on Friday, July 29. The fire was contained around 8 p.m. that night. The flames consumed more than 1,000 acres in a matter of hours, drawing responses from nearly all Walla Walla County fire districts, with aid coming from Walla Walla and College Place rural units. This fire has been dubbed the “Van Ausdle Fire” due to its starting point near Van Ausdle Lane. The cause of the fire is under investigation, and fire district officials said no injuries were repo...
DAYTON-Shere Kan, Mowgli, and Baloo will take center stage at the Liberty Theater this weekend, in Dayton. Missoula Children's Theatre is back with their summer production of "The Jungle Book." The Missoula Children's Theater (MCT) visits all 50 States, five Canadian Provinces, and 16 different countries. With the exception of 2020, the Missoula Children's Theater has visited Dayton each summer for a week-long production of their choosing for many years. This year, a record-breaking amount of...
Rosie Warehime has retired as the Weller Public Library manager. She was a grandma figure for many children in Waitsburg and will miss helping people find books, reading with kids, and engaging them in crafts. She had always been excited to go to work and stated it was the most wonderful and rewarding job she had ever had. Before going to work at the library, Warehime worked at Grain Growers for 20 years. She also worked at the AG Link store, in the office at the Green Giant Company, and the Nat...
DAYTON—The Dayton School Board met for its regular meeting at 6:03 p.m., July 20, 2022. School board members Zac Fabian, Grant Griffen, Chair Jeffrey McCowen, Korinda Wallace, and Superintendent Rich Stewart were present at the auditorium. Aneesha Dieu attended on Zoom. The regular meeting followed a budget hearing held at 5 p.m. The board began the meeting by approving the Consent Agenda. During the public comment period, Jeremy Trump, a parent, and member of the Dayton-Waitsburg Athletic Combine Committee spoke. “Thank you for the opp...
WAITSBURG—The Waitsburg School Board met on July 21 for a quick business meeting followed by a budget hearing. All board members were present. Board members went over the revised DW Wolfpack Athletic Code of Conduct. Dayton and Waitsburg school districts received the code revisions before the meeting. Dr. Carol Clarke brought up some editorial issues with the current code version, but the consensus was that the content was acceptable. Board member Stephanie Cole gave a brief update on the l...
The Bruce Museum has been spruced up for the summer thanks to two generous grants received by the Waitsburg Historical Society (WHS) this year. The funds allowed repairs to the Juliet balconies, widow's walk, the replacement of rotted support beams, and a complete exterior repainting of the building. Secretary Rebecca Wilson said that historical Society members began working on grant applications in January of this year, and it was an intensive process. The organization identified two grants,...
WAITSBURG-The Six-Year Transportation Plan was approved and adopted at the July 20 Waitsburg City Council meeting. All council members were present during the meeting. The council heard comments from community members before the business portion of the meeting. Comments included concerns about dips in the newly-chip sealed roads in town and statements regarding the library. The six-year plan included eight projects that the city plans to start and complete between 2023 and 2028. Projects include...
DAYTON--Diane McKinley, representing the Advisory Committee for the Friends of the Community Pool, was a special guest at the Dayton City Council meeting last week. The Advisory Committee is seeking a resolution from the council to place a proposition on the November ballot asking voters to approve the formation of a nonfunded county-wide Metropolitan Park and Recreation District. If the proposition is approved, grants will be sought to build the pool, and the District will then ask voters to...
DAYTON--Jim Su'euga was appointed to Position 2 on the Dayton City Council at last week's regular meeting. He applied for the city council position to serve the community. Su'euga said he would be a good steward of community resources and act with integrity. Su'euga told the council that his method of handling conflict and controversy is to "talk it out" without being confrontational, polarizing, or divisive. His top priorities for the community are moving forward with the wastewater treatment...
DAYTON – The Columbia Port Commissioners held their regular meeting at 5:00 p.m., July 13, 2022, at the Port of Columbia and on Zoom. Port Executive Director Jennie Dickinson attended remotely using Zoom. Members of the public attended using Zoom and in person. The Commissioners approved the last meeting minutes, budget report, and vouchers. Dickinson reported on port properties. She said the non-profit Southeast Washington Alliance for Health would rent two suites at the Cameron Street Coworking, and Columbia River Detailing is moving into 521...
WAITSBURG-On Tuesday, July 19, 2022, a fleet of county law enforcement vehicles, including a Mine-Resistant Ambush Protected All-Terrain Vehicle (M-ATV), took over the parking lot at Waitsburg High School for the best possible scenario: Training. The Walla Walla Regional SWAT team, made up of officers from Walla Walla County Sheriff's Office and the Walla Walla Police Department, took advantage of empty classrooms for an active shooter drill. The training began at 7:30 a.m. and finished around 2...
The Port of Columbia County and tenants of Dayton's Blue Mountain Station held its annual Foodstock event on Saturday, July 16. Port manager Tracy Clark, with the help of administrative assistant Kelly Hinds, took the lead in organizing the event this year. The set-up and tear-down of the stage, tents, and seating areas are done with the help of friends, family, and BMS tenants. Local handyman Tim Bren makes himself invaluable each year by delivering, setting up, and taking down the towering wat...
DAYTON-The Dayton High School Alumni Association gathered in Dayton over the weekend, celebrating their first official reunion since 2019. The COVID-19 pandemic postponed the gatherings. Betty Ann and Cecil Fletcher were this year's Alumni Parade Marshalls. "We pick somebody active in the community, and who are alumni and active within our group, and who actively promote Dayton and our community," said Tammy Ketterman, DHS Alumni Association Secretary. "Both (Betty Ann and Cecil) are alumni and...
Anonymous donor gives $10k. WAITSBURG –A movement is growing in Waitsburg to see a municipal pool return to town. Waitsburg Parks and Recreation received responses from 110 community members to its survey asking the community to weigh in on potential programs for the city. Results showed respondents overwhelmingly prioritized a new swimming pool for the community. Waitsburg Parks and Recreation District (P&R) and Rural Youth Enrichment Services (RYES) are set to take action. Results from the P...
DAYTON – The Dayton School Board met at 6:08 p.m. on Wednesday, July 06, 2022, in the High School Auditorium and on Zoom. The meeting was delayed for eight minutes because of technical problems with Zoom. All board members were present except for Grant Griffin. Rich Stewart was in attendance for the first time as part-time interim superintendent. The newly hired secondary principal, Guinevere Joyce, was not present. Stewart discussed developing a three to five-year plan to construct a budget that reflects the priorities of the school d...
