Serving Waitsburg, Dayton and the Touchet Valley
Serving Waitsburg, Dayton and the Touchet Valley
Sorted by date Results 153 - 177 of 1899
DAYTON—The Port of Columbia will hold a Zoom meeting on Monday, August 31, from 6 – 7:30 p.m. to share information about their proposed broadband project in the City of Dayton and some adjacent outlying areas. Attendees will hear a presentation on the project, be able to ask questions, and will also be asked to fill out a short survey regarding their current service. The Port contracted with PocketiNet, a Walla Walla-based company, to conduct a broadband feasibility study that was completed in February of this year. “Port Commissioners hoped...
DAYTON—The Dayton School Board met Wednesday, August 19, for a regularly scheduled meeting. As the district prepares to welcome students back to in-person classes, they are adjusting their protocols and procedures to stay aligned with the Department of Health recommendations. Principal Kristina Brown began her report by thanking the school board for being patient with staff and administration as they prepare for the school’s opening. The district is anticipating a ‘Red and Gold’ schedul...
David Ocampo, General Manager at Columbia County Public Transportation (CCPT), is proud of what the agency has done over the years, but even prouder of the way it has found its niche during COVID-19. And now, to add to its unique role in the community, CCPT has added two new "XL Hybrid" vehicles to its fleet. XL stands for "extra large." "Before COVID, on a really busy day, we were putting as much as 5,000 miles a month on a transit bus," Ocampo said. "We were running twelve round trips a day. N...
DAYTON—The Friends of the Dayton Memorial Library have installed their first free Little Library in the courtyard of the Historic Dayton Depot Museum. Books for children and adults stocked in the Little Library are provided by the Friends of the Library. The books come from donation and from library books which have not sold in their book sales. People who take a book can also leave a book. The main goal is to get books into the hands of the public and let them travel among readers instead of be...
Virtual activities planned DAYTON—It has been “overwhelmingly” decided by The Club’s board of directors, not to open to coincide with the Aug. 25 start of school, but to delay opening for up to four weeks, depending on the local COVID-19 situation. “I agree with their very thoughtful decision. It wasn’t an easy one to come to,” said Jim Pearson, Director of The Club, on Monday. The board met on Aug. 11 and discussed all the complicating factors, as they considered whether to open or not. He sa...
Paige's Floral and Gifts to open the end of Sept. DAYTON-"Who can go into business with their daughter? How often does that happen?" asked Laura Auckerman, who took time out from learning the business at SnapDragon Floral and Gifts for an interview last Friday. Laura Auckerman and her daughter, Paige Auckerman, will be taking the business over from mother/daughter dynamic duo Vicky Beckmeyer and Cara Watts at the end of September. The Auckermans have to jump-in the same way Watts and Beckmeyer...
DAYTON—During the regular Dayton City Council meeting last week, special guests Judi Pilcher and Dianne McKinley requested and received authorization to move forward with a research and compatibility study to use the two most southern bays of the City Hall Fire Department garage for expansion of the Food Bank. The Columbia County Food Bank has seen an increase in service from 40 families each week to 185 families, and the current facility is not adequate to meet the increase of needed food stock...
DAYTON—Museum Event Coordinator Shellie McLeod said the Sat. Aug. 1 benefit for the Dayton Historic Depot was a resounding success. A game was played where attendees were shown an architectural element of a particular Dayton building, and then asked to identify it, using the chat function on Zoom. The first person to answer correctly won a pair of Depot wine glasses, beer glasses, or coffee mugs, of their choosing. McLeod said Emcee Shawn Brown did an outstanding job of keeping things light and...
DAYTON—The Columbia County Youth Livestock Sale Committee announced on Monday that there would be a youth livestock sale. The fair board has had to make some significant changes to comply with state restrictions. The sale will be held on Sunday, September 13, at 1 p.m. Traditionally, the sale is held on Saturday following the Fair BBQ. There will be no food vendors on the grounds, so buyers and supporters will need to plan accordingly. All attendees must wear a face mask or covering. The physical sale will be held in an outdoor ring, and the s...
DAYTON—With less than two weeks before the beginning of the 2020-2021 school year, Jan and Sterling Leonard are concerned about sending their two children, Leann, and Christian, back into the classroom, considering the COVID-19 outbreak. “I constantly question if we are making the right choice to have them return to school,” Leonard said. “It’s my biggest hope that all school personnel will do whatever they can to take social distancing and mask-wearing seriously, to keep everyone safe.” Pa...
DAYTON-In a diary entry dated March 5, 1933, Marie Boldman mentions making the "Flower Garden Quilt," similar to the raffle quilt, which was on display at last Saturday's quilt show at the Boldman House Museum. Sylvia Beuhler said Marie Boldman saved quilt patterns from newspapers during the 1920s and 1930s. Ruby Short McKim published the "Flower Garden Quilt" pattern, sometime in 1929 or 1930. The Spokesman-Review published in their newspaper between 1930 and 1933 and Boldman saved it. "She...
DAYTON-Jurors are seeing some changes in the county courtroom layout, practices, and procedures, now that trials are resuming in Superior Court, and in Municipal Court, after a long recess due to the COVID-19 shut-down. Jury Coordinator Jessica Atwood said Superior Court Judge Gary J. Libey has visited the courtroom and taken measurements to make certain social distancing requirements will be met. The state's Chief Justice Debra Stevens has appointed Libey to Presiding Judge for the Columbia,...
DAYTON-What better location for the County's Public Health Department than the building on North Second Street, which has been a medical clinic, serving Dayton residents, since the 1930s? "I think it's going to be a great move for the community," said County Public Health Director Martha Lanman standing inside the building at the end of July. When the full-scale interior remodel is finished, there will be enough room for all the Health Department staff. Some of the team are working at the County...
DAYTON-Several members of the Dayton's National FFA Organization (Future Farmers of America) excelled at both local and state-level Career Development Events (CDE's) in the 2019-20 school year. There are five degrees that an FFA member may earn. The degrees, which can be awarded as early as 7th grade, recognize member growth within the organization. This year, Dayton had two members, Nolan Korslund and Mason Garcia, earn their Discovery Degree. The Discovery Degree, which is awarded to students...
Continues supporting the community DAYTON—This week, Bette Lou Crothers is wrapping up a forty three-year career as an insurance agent in Dayton. Not to worry, our Town Mother is not leaving us. “I’m still going to be downtown bugging everybody, doing All Wheels and Christmas Kickoff,” she said. There is nothing retiring about this hard-working Dayton booster. In high school and during college breaks, Crothers worked at Dorsey’s restaurant waiting tables. After she and Gene Crothers got married...
DAYTON-Guy Strot presided over his first school board meeting last week. Strot is the new superintendent for the Dayton School District, replacing Doug Johnson, who retired on June 30. Strot told the Board of Directors the Dayton schools would reopen on August 29. He said the goal is to have all the students back for all five days. He has met with and will continue to meet with, Public Health Director Martha Lanman, regarding COVID-19 requirements. "She is going to be a great partner for us. I...
DAYTON—The Port of Columbia Board of Commissioners is seeking interested candidates to submit applications to fill the District 1 position vacated by Dan Aschenbrenner. Dan and his wife have moved to a new residence in Columbia County that is not located in District 1. Commissioner Ashenbrenner was elected to the District 1 position last November. According to Port Executive Director Jennie Dickinson, Washington State RCW 42.12.070 states that the remaining commissioners of the Port District have 90 days to fill the vacant position with a q...
DAYTON—Dayton residents can phone the Dayton City Hall with non-emergency animal control complaints, and leave a message for staff in the city shops, who will be handling those calls said Mayor Zac Weatherford at last week’s meeting of the Dayton City Council, He said staff have been trained in handling those types of calls, and complaints will be investigated the following business day, including calls that come in after hours, or on weekends. The number to call direct is 382-4571. Wea...
DAYTON—Garry Snyder, owner of Christy’s Realty in Dayton said local home sales remain strong, in spite of the state mandated restrictions on in-person meetings, put in place to help prevent the spread of COVID-19 . “I’ve had a very good year,” Snyder said. “It has been very busy. We’ve had a lot of sales under contract.” Snyder said there are fewer current listings, but that was true for this time of year even before the COVID-19 restrictions. Snyder has thirteen active listings with home prices...
DAYTON—County officials are dealing with projected shortfalls, state required cuts, and are trying to maintain adequate funds to cover expenses. In her second quarter financial report to the Board of County Commissioners on Monday, County Treasurer Carla Rowe offered a dire forecast for state revenue collections over the next few years due to the COVID-19 situation. She said the Washington State Economic and Revenue Forecast Council announced an estimated decrease in revenue collection for the 2019-21 budget of around $4.5 billion. “It is rep...
DAYTON—The Dayton School Board met July 1 for a regular monthly work session via Zoom. The board reviewed the middle and high school principal contract, and the 2020-2021 budget. This work session was Superintendent Guy Strot’s first regular meeting for the district. The board reviewed the middle and high school principal’s contract. Board member Fred White noted that there was one area with non-inclusive language within the contract, and the board agreed to fix the language to read ‘his/...
DAYTON—Finances for the Columbia County Health System continue to be impacted due to the COVID-19 situation, which caused a significant reduction of patient services during the first months of the year, according to CCHS CEO Shane McGuire. An average of 771 patient visits were recorded at the Columbia Family Clinic, during the first three months of the year, but only 542 visits were recorded in May. However, the month of May saw an increase in patient volumes in several areas; including R...
DAYTON—Doug Johnson is a man who loves kids and he will be involved with them, in some way, even after he retires at the end of June. Johnson has been in the field of education for over 41 years, teaching history to middle school students, serving as a school principal, and as a school superintendent. For the past year, he has performed a balancing act at the Dayton School District, as school superintendent and principal of the elementary school. Johnson stepped in to fill the vacant e...
DAYTON—The Touchet Valley Trail Steering Committee has released a detailed concept plan for the trail which is in the planning stages between Dayton and Waitsburg. The committee conducted a weekend of workshops, a semester of design work, and several virtual review sessions in the process of developing the plan, which currently has no funding attached. The plan incorporates all public comments received during last year’s survey, and from numerous public and private meetings about the trail. Aft...
DAYTON—This is year two of the Dayton Country Club’s five-year strategic plan to achieve financial independence and sustainability for the Touchet Valley Golf Course, said Sean Thurston who has led the charge for securing grants for Club projects. The primary goal in year two is the installation of an underground irrigation system, which will reduce labor expenses and decrease electrical expenses for the County while increasing the quality of the golf course and fairgrounds. Saving water for...
