Serving Waitsburg, Dayton and the Touchet Valley
Serving Waitsburg, Dayton and the Touchet Valley
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WAITSBURG—Beginning Tuesday, March 17 through Friday, April 24, Waitsburg School District will be closed as by executive order by Governor Inslee in response to the COVID-19 outbreak. This closure will include athletics, activities and clubs. We understand the disruption that this may cause for our families and employees. We will do our very best to provide what we can including updates in this ever-changing environment. Most of the information we will provide will be at the direction of the Washington State Office of the Superintendent of P...
WAITSBURG-Waitsburg School District is making sure that no child goes hungry during the statewide school closure. Director of Nutritional Services, Susan Wildey, announced that starting Tuesday March 17, Waitsburg School District will be delivering meals to Waitsburg neighborhoods. A combined breakfast and lunch will be made available to ALL children 18 or younger, at no charge. No forms are necessary for pick-up, but the child must be present when the meal is distributed. Below are times and...
It didn't take me very long to pack. I hadn't brought that many clothes – a few tops, four pairs of pants, and my prized slate-gray skirtsuit – and I'd more or less been living out of my suitcase anyway. I'd been in Waitsburg for five days catching up with my family and going over my class notes, not really enough time to justify moving anything into my closet. Normally, I wouldn't have gone home at all. Plane tickets from South Bend, Indiana, to Pasco aren't cheap. Perhaps more crucially, I l...
WAITSBURG—The Washington Little Guy Wrestling League announced Friday, March 13, that they will be cancelling the remainder of the season in an effort to help prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus, COVID-19. All league tournaments, including the Jason Crawford Memorial Tournament at the Spokane Arena, have been cancelled. Wayne Terry, the league’s president, said that ‘some decisions are simple, and some require a lot of work’ and the difficult decision was made after league represe...
WAITSBURG-The Waitsburg Commercial Club has been under Joy Smith's leadership for nearly eight years. Last Thursday, Smith handed the reins off to Jamie McMillen-Smit, the owner of the Waitsburg Grocery. Smith joined the Commercial Club in 2010, and she recalled that she accepted a spot with the board of directors within the first nine months of membership. In 2012, Smith was elected as the president, where she has served ever since. She has dedicated the past eight years to promoting the...
WAITSBURG—Have you ever walked down Main Street in Waitsburg and admired your reflection in a business' windows? If you nodded yes, you probably have Tim Warehime, the owner of Jasper Mountain Window Cleaning, to thank for those clean windows. Warehime has been in the window cleaning business for nearly 30 years, and has been servicing both residential and commercial customers in the Waitsburg area for the last eight years, after moving back from Sun Valley, Idaho. He says that he enjoys w...
A recent interview in The Waitsburg Times with Markeeta Little Wolf, managed to simultaneously inspire and embarrass me. It was a reminder of just how complacent I have become with recycling since moving here. In California we had curbside bins for glass, plastic, paper, yard waste, and regular trash. Recycling was easy! Although a bit more challenging here, Markeeta has inspired me to become more aware of the little things that I can do to make a difference. California and Washington are simila...
WAITSBURG-The Waitsburg City Council's Flood and Emergency Preparedness Committee has been meeting weekly, or as needed, in response to the novel coronavirus COVID-19 outbreak. The committee, which has representatives from the Waitsburg City Council, Columbia Walla Walla County Fire District 2 and various community members, is focusing on a community plan of action in the event that COVID-19 reaches Waitsburg. The members have been reviewing information from a daily webinar through the...
Cathy McMorris Rodgers visited Waitsburg on Saturday evening, Feb. 22 to tour the effects of the Feb. 7 flood event. (l-r) Columbia County Commissioner Chuck Amerein, Dayton Mayor Zach Weatherford, Walla Walla County Commissioner Greg Tompkins, Walla Walla Commissioner Todd Kimball, and Representative Cathy McMorris Rodgers. Waitsburg Citycouncilwoman Kate Hockersmith was present, but not pictured....
The Waitsburg School Board met February 21 at 6 p.m. for a regularly scheduled meeting. Board members present were Ross Hamann, Christy House, Lisa Morrow, and Superintendent Mark Pickel. Secondary principal Stephanie Wooderchak reported that Mr. Kiefel has been planning an enrichment day for high school and middle school students. They will be taking a ski trip to Ski Bluewood. Middle school students will ski on Feb. 28, and high school students will ski on March 13. The high school will have a...
The Walla Walla Church of Christ reached out to Churches of Christ Disaster Relief Effort, Inc. for assistance and the nonprofit organization sent a semi-truck full of flood relief supplies from Nashville, Tenn. The supplies arrived in Waitsburg on Monday, Feb. 17. Two volunteers drove 2,200 miles with the supplies valued at $72,000. Churches of Christ Disaster Relief Effort immediately responds to any major disaster in the continental United States. They contact the leadership of local...
A special meeting was held prior to the regular City Council meeting on February 19, to address community responses to the recent flood of February 7. About 35 people attended, along with City Administrator Randy Hinchliffe and the City Councilmembers. Pastor Matt Wyatt of the Waitsburg Christian Church described his efforts which included helping organize the Waitsburg Flood Relief Committee. He thanked committee members; Margie Benson; food preparation, Jillian Henze; communications, Bryan...
WAITSBURG-Students at Waitsburg Elementary took a break from the books on Friday, February 14, and finished up the Hoops for Heart and Jump Rope for Heart fundraisers by shooting hoops and learning how to jump rope. Each year, Waitsburg Elementary School participates in the American Heart Association Kids Heart Challenge. While raising money to help kids with special hearts, students learn how the heart works and ways to keep their hearts healthy. Kindergarten through 2nd graders got to spend...
In action since early Friday morning on February 7, Pastor Matt Wyatt of the Waitsburg Christian Church has been leading the 'spontaneous volunteers' of Waitsburg to assist residents with the many needs following last week's flood. On Sunday, Feb. 9, a group of Waitsburg citizens formed the Waitsburg Flood Relief Committee which has been driving the many volunteer and supply efforts since then. Margie Benson, Jillian Henze, Bryan Martin, Joy Smith, Brian Treadway and Pastor Matthew Wyatt are...
WAITSBURG-Lori Davis and Kimi Bruzas are two sisters with two different styles. Lori likes chalk painted furniture, gardening, art and all things 70s. Kimi likes art, antiques, and all things crystal and pink. Together they have opened a vintage furniture boutique and gift shop just inside the Town Hall on Main Street in Waitsburg. Prior to opening this business, they had a thriving business inside the Country Store in Walla Walla for 10 years. Many of their customers would drive from the Tri-Ci...
WAITSBURG-February 7 is starting to earn quite the reputation in the Walla Walla Valley, as two major floods have ripped through the area in less than 25 years. The 2020 flood, which people are just now able to start assessing the damage from, fell on the 24th anniversary of the 1996 flood. The flood is suspected to have been caused by a combination of snow, heavy rain, and unusually warm temperatures causing high water levels in local rivers. On Tuesday, Feb. 5. The National Weather Service rep...
WAITSBURG—At a special meeting of the City Council on Tuesday, Feb. 11, the Waitsburg City Council declared a state of emergency. This action is needed by funding agencies to release emergency assistance to help the City rebuild from the effects of the recent flood. The City of Walla Walla, as well as the County of Walla Walla have also declared states of emergency. City Administrator Randy Hinchliffe said that he has been working on assessing the damage to the City since Saturday. He discussed...
WAITSBURG—City Administrator Randy Hinchliffe announced plans to hold a vote at the upcoming City Council meeting on February 19, 2020 to move the annual City election process to the Walla Walla County Election Board. According to the City of Waitsburg Charter, City Council members and the Mayor, all serve one- year terms. One reason given for the proposed change is to have the city’s elected official’s terms correspond with the State of Washington’s model of four-year staggered terms, starting in 2022. Another change with this model would m...
According to the OSHA, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration: “Although most floods do not cause serious outbreaks of infectious disease or chemical poisonings, they can cause sickness in workers and others who come in contact with contaminated floodwater. Floodwaters also may be contaminated by agricultural or industrial chemicals or by hazardous agents present at flooded hazardous waste sites. Floodwater often contains infectious organisms, including intestinal bacteria such as E. coli, Salmonella, and Shigella; Hepatitis A V...
WAITSBURG-Doug Biolo didn't have plans to stay in Waitsburg after his mother, Nancy Aronson, passed. It took a little bit of convincing from his sister, Janet Lawrence and a split-second decision to quit his job in Portland, Oregon. Biolo and Lawrence decided that it was time to give life to their mother's dream: a garden store. Now, they are getting ready to move Nancy's Dream Garden Center so that they can offer more than plants. Nancy's Dream Garden Center, currently located at 503 W 2nd...
The Waitsburg Elementary School multipurpose room has seen many transformations, and this weekend, it transformed into a 50s style diner, complete with vinyl records and milkshakes, for the Home and School Association's Daddy Daughter Sock Hop. The girls arrived all looking like they were straight out of Grease, with poodle skirts that flared up with a twirl, silk scarves, and saddle shoes. The dads, guardians, and father figures wore everything from the classic white t-shirts paired with...
Punxsutawney Phil predicted an early spring this year, which means we all should get a jump start on our spring cleaning. If you're a 'cleaning won't kill me, but why chance it?' kind of person, have no fear, Jamie's Perfection Cleaning, a Waitsburg-based cleaning service, is here to help! Jamie's Perfection Cleaning, owned and operated by Jamie Gleason, officially opened for business this last October. Gleason, who worked in accounting for 15 years, started cleaning as a side business about one...
A welcoming presence is on board at Waitsburg City Hall, with the addition of Brittany Zuger to the staff as the new Deputy Clerk. A Waitsburg native, and Waitsburg High School graduate, Zuger was until recently, the Lead Preschool teacher for Educational Service District (ESD) 123 in Prescott, WA. where she taught for three years. With a busy household that includes her two-year old daughter Lynlee, Zuger is also glad to be working closer to home. She is excited about getting to interact with...
WAITSBURG-Scrambling to set extra tables up is a fundraiser coordinator's 'best and worst case scenario' and that is exactly what happened at Lena Beren's Coronation Dinner on Saturday night. Her hard work over the past few months blew Director Ann Adams' expectations out of the water. Waitsburg Town Hall filled up quickly, with the expectation of 80 or so people, which turned into nearly 120 people. The walls were lined with silent auction items from various local businesses and generous...
WAITSBURG—In less than a month, residents of Waitsburg will vote on a replacement levy for Waitsburg School District. The district’s proposed Educational Programs & Operations (EP&O) Levy will be used to sustain school programs and services that the State does not fully fund as part of “basic education.” The current school levy that is up for renewal was approved by Waitsburg voters in 2018, meaning the proposed levy is not a new tax. If approved by voters, the 2020 levy will help cover the gap between state funding and the actual cost of oper...
