Serving Waitsburg, Dayton and the Touchet Valley
Serving Waitsburg, Dayton and the Touchet Valley
Sorted by date Results 326 - 350 of 476
WAITSBURG-How do you make tired volunteer firefighters smile in the middle of one of the worst fire seasons on record? If you ask the local Girl Scouts, it is as easy as donating a few cases of cookies. Columbia-Walla Walla County Fire District 2 happily accepted a generous donation of twelve cases of Girl Scout cookies last week, as a 'gift of caring through the council.' While donating leftover cookies is a normal thing, according to troop leaders Brandi Hollingsworth and Amber Lambert, the...
WAITSBURG-Nancy's Dream Garden Center has moved closer to main Main Street. Owner/operators Janet Lawrence and Doug Biolo said the move has been great for business, with a new surprising customer base picking up. At the new address, 124 Warren Street, the brother-sister duo now have room to grow Nancy's Dream bigger than they ever imagined. The former site had just enough room for a single greenhouse and an outdoor display, but limited parking, especially for semi-trucks, was a problem. The new...
WAITSBURG—The Waitsburg School Board met Thursday, Aug. 20, via Zoom call. Representative Skyler Rude attended the meeting. Principal Stephanie Wooderchak shared documents on class schedules in grades six and up. She also shared an online staff schedule that laid out the periods, virtual office hours, and more. Wooderchak reported that the teachers have written letters for the parents that explain their virtual classrooms, attendance plans, assignment days, and more. The school has begun s...
WAITSBURG-The Walla Walla Regional SWAT Team raided a home on Main Street in Waitsburg last Thursday. Skylar I. Glasby, 32, originally from Dayton, was arrested on suspicion of unlawful imprisonment and domestic violence assault charges following an investigation performed by the Walla Walla County Sheriff's office (WWCSO). The regional SWAT team included deputies from WWCSO, officers from the Walla Walla Police Department, and a police K9 from the Pasco Police Department. Armored SWAT...
WAITSBURG—Waitsburg Elementary will hold preschool-5th grade registration for Fall of 2020 on August 25th-27th from 9-11 a.m. and 1-3 p.m. Registration will be held in the Multi-Purpose Room (MPR) at the elementary school. The registration dates are for new and returning students. Face masks will be required for entry into the building. If you cannot wear a face mask, the school will deliver a registration packet to you outside of the building. All children who turn 5, on or before, August 3...
WAITSBURG—The Waitsburg City Council met August 13 via conference call. The Council discussed many resolutions and agreements, and heard public comments from concerned citizens. Former Councilmember Terry Jacoy spoke during the public comment, with questions about the recent utility tax increase. At the July meeting, the Council approved a $5/month utility tax that would increase in January 2021. The Council approved the tax increase to help fund flood control efforts. Jacoy stated that he was o...
Many Waitsburg youth have spent the summer raising animals with the hope of selling at local Fairs. As local events have canceled, many market animals have gone without buyers, and youth are hoping to recoup some costs so they can continue to raise quality animals for future events. The following animals will be available after Labor Day weekend unless otherwise arranged. Raising a market steer is no easy task. On average, a steer costs more than $4,000 to raise, vet, and feed. The Daves family...
WAITSBURG—The Waitsburg School board called an emergency meeting on Friday, August 7, to discuss the Fall 2020 reopening plan. The board voted to adopt an online reopening plan for the beginning of the 2020-21 school year. The recommendation for an online-only opening was made following the announcement of online plans from other schools in the county and a sharp increase in coronavirus cases in Walla Walla County. As of Monday, August 10, there was only one confirmed case of the virus in W...
WAITSBURG-Many parents within the Waitsburg School District questioned a levy line item, STEM/Fine Arts, following the resignation of the STEM teacher Pam Beasley. At the beginning of the 2019-20 school year, music teacher Shelby Pomerinke resigned. It was decided to postpone hiring a music teacher until the next school year, and the board opted to offer a one-year, K-5 STEM program, taught by Beasley. A former kindergarten teacher, Beasley has always been an advocate for the Science,...
WAITSBURG-Waitsburg community members were slinging sandbags again over the weekend, but this time, there was no threat of flooding. Volunteers were busy removing the last bit of flood devastation from Waitsburg's Preston Park on Saturday. Matthew and Krystal Wyatt were walking through Preston Park last week and had to climb over a sagging wall of sandbags and weeds to get to the river to go fishing. "We have this motto that we've lived by for a long time, 'if you see a need, fill a need.' We...
WAITSBURG—The Waitsburg School District is preparing for an uncertain school year, as they develop a plan to safely reopen the school’s doors this fall. The district is adding two online curriculum options, so parents and children can attend school in whatever way they feel is safest. “We want to make sure our kids are safe, and we want to make sure the protocols in place keep everyone safe,” Superintendent Mark Pickel said. The district will be offering online education opportunities through...
WAITSBURG-Sometimes, sitting down and reconnecting with familiar faces can heal beyond recognition. As a born 'people person,' the quarantine has been especially difficult for me. A couple of weeks ago, a little bird told me people were setting up camp in front of Waitsburg's post office, and the little bird encouraged me to pop down and talk to them. I discovered Mike Ferrians and Maria Garcia hanging out in the shade, with a table full of crayons, colorful construction paper, and a handful of...
Waitsburg–My long-time friend Maria Garcia and I were recently sitting (six feet apart) in her back acre, talking about how the pandemic has affected us personally. We hadn't planned it. I had stopped by for a brief hello. But then we decided to share a glass of wine outside in the shade. We've known each other for a very long time and are the best of friends. In no time, we were discussing the psychological and emotional impacts we and others have experienced, due not solely to the pandemic o...
WAITSBURG—The Waitsburg School Board met Thursday, July 16, via Zoom call. The board discussed enrollment, the 2020-21 reopening plan, and online learning options. Colter Mohney reported to the board that all of the school buildings would be clean and ready for the upcoming school year by next week. Maintenance and facilities employees have been busy disinfecting the buildings, chairs, tables, and other equipment, as well as performing needed repairs. Elementary principal/ Superintendent Mark P...
WAITSBURG—The Waitsburg City Council met July 15, via conference call. The council discussed two resolutions and held a public hearing regarding flood control funding. City Administrator Randy Hinchliffe started the discussion on Resolution 2020-704, which awarded the Taggart Road Extension project contract to Sharpe and Preszler Construction of Kennewick, WA. The contracting company presented the City with the most affordable bid to finish the ongoing project, coming in at $623,000. The c...
WAITSBURG—Waitsburg School District Superintendent Mark Pickel held a second public input meeting on July 8 regarding the reopening of schools this fall. The virtual meeting was attended by 16 parents, guardians, and district staff members who had concerns and questions about the upcoming school year. The first public meeting held on June 30, was attended by four parents and caregivers. Superintendent Pickel started the second meeting by stating that all of the recommendations and guidelines t...
WAITSBURG-Summer BBQ menus are going to be a little less sweet in Waitsburg this summer. After 30 years of growing a secret variety of sweet corn, Ed and Cathy Lambert are retiring to focus on family, Ed's lumber milling, and their own family garden. "We started growing corn when we moved here in 1988," Cathy said. "Our kids would load up a wagon with fresh vegetables and walk around the neighborhood, selling the veggies to neighbors. Everyone loved it!" Cathy said it didn't take long for local...
WAITSBURG—The Waitsburg City Council met Wednesday, June 24 via conference call. All council members were present. The council discussed the six-year transportation plan, local coronavirus relief funds, and other items. The council reviewed the six-year plan as presented to them by city administrator Randy Hinchliffe. The plan, which starts in 2020 and ends in 2026, includes work on Main Street, Bolles Road, and city-wide maintenance. The total expenses over the six-year period is budgeted at j...
Pat Largent joins the ranks of the nonagenarian, a fancy word for 90, this month. Where the chronological age of 65 is in our culture is considered a senior citizen and 70 plus is considered by some accounts elderly, I am supposing Pat would be considered 'elderly.' As I recently watched Pat, with her cane, stepping down the sidewalk in Waitsburg I began to recall times with Pat over the years. This amazing woman is someone for whom the word elderly just doesn't seem appropriate. Although...
Mr. C's Smoking Co Mr. C's is open Monday-Saturday, 8 a.m- 6 p.m, and Sunday 9 a.m. - 5 p.m. They will continue to offer smoked cheeses and other goods, as well as butchering services. Mr. C's is located at 405 Preston Ave. https://www.loc8nearme.com/washington/waitsburg/mr-cs-smoked-meat-and-cheeses/3055054/ Tim's Carpentry Tim's Carpentry is open and ready to help with your remodeling projects. Tim can be reached at (509) 386-1738. Claudia's Therapeutic Massage Massage therapist Claudia Abel...
Yay! Governor Inslee has approved Phase 2 status for Walla Walla County. Such fortuitous timing, in the midst of so many other "phasing" events, like high school and college graduations, now those students will phase into their new lives as college freshman, or (hopefully) employees-maybe graduate school? June is also a big month for weddings, and couples "phasing" into married life. And some of us are just phasing into rural life, (and loving it). But, like all things in life, "phasing"...
WAITSBURG-Walla Walla county businesses got the long awaited 'go-ahead' to move into Phase 2 of Governor Inslee's Safe Start plan and Waitsburg business owners are preparing to provide sit down dining, post-pandemic haircuts, shopping, and more. Blush Salon and Spa: Brooke Mikesell and Madison Mings have begun accepting appointments for hair, nails, lashes and more at Blush Salon located at 214 Main Street. Beginning June 1, the salon is open for clients by appointment only. All clients must...
WAITSBURG-Treasure comes in all shapes and forms, to one Waitsburg resident treasure looks like model cars, lots of model cars. Bert Baxter's extensive car collection includes over 1,000 models, racing memorabilia, and more. Baxter's love for all things automotive started at an early age and in 1952 he took up racing mini sprint cars for 15 years. He walked away from the racetrack after witnessing a tragic accident and went from driving to working on cars as he poured his heart and soul into his...
WAITSBURG-"It never fails, the hottest day of the year is always graduation day," spectators echoed jokingly last Friday at the Waitsburg Football Field. Instead of gathering in the Waitsburg High School Gym, as is tradition, friends and family of the Class of 2020 stood outside the field's fences and watched a socially distanced high school graduation. If you've ever attended a WHS graduation ceremony, you know that they fall on what seems like the hottest day in spring, with the infamously...
WAITSBURG-High school graduations are looking a little different this year, and Waitsburg High School's ceremony is no exception. A gallery drive through town followed by a drive through 'ceremony' is scheduled for May 29, starting at 6 p.m. The Class of 2020 Gallery Drive will begin at Preston Park, with the students as passengers, lined up in alphabetical order, following a pilot car. Each vehicle will have one student in cap and gown. Twenty-two cars will make their way down Main Street,...
