Serving Waitsburg, Dayton and the Touchet Valley
Serving Waitsburg, Dayton and the Touchet Valley
Sorted by date Results 953 - 977 of 1805
Karen Gregutt is vying for a first-time seat on the council, eager to contribute her professional expertise and fresh ideas to promote and enhance Waitsburg. Gregutt's career includes 30 years as managing partner at Kaye-Smith Productions in Seattle, producing and directing commercials and documentaries for national companies and brands. Gregutt and her husband, Paul, purchased their first home in Waitsburg in 2005. After extensive renovations, they moved here full time in 2011. The couple has...
Longtime Waitsburg resident and current Community Service Award (formerly called Citizen of the Year) recipient Kate Hockersmith, will make her first-time bid for a council seat this year. Hockersmith moved to Waitsburg with her husband, Eric, in 1992, and the couple raised their two sons here. "I have fundraising, marketing, organizational skills, and work well with others, seeking collaboration rather than confrontation," Hockersmith said, when asked what she brings to the council table. Hocke...
If there was a "People's Choice" award it would go to incumbent Kevin House who has consistently garnered the highest community vote since he was first elected to council in 2010 under the "Truth & Trust" slate. House moved to Walla Walla and began working for The McGregor Company in Waitsburg in 1996. By 2003 he and wife, Christy House, decided that Waitsburg was where they wanted to live long term and raise their two sons. "Some of my background that has been helpful as a council member is my...
Incumbent Karl Newell was elected to the city council under the 2010 Truth & Trust slate and is running for his seventh term. Newell moved to Waitsburg from Boardman, Ore. in 2005. He began his career working as a journeyman electrician in 1962 and spent 1966-68 in the army doing “a little bit of everything.” He said his extensive work experience provides him with an understanding of zoning, covenants, layout, and building and housing requirements, which has come in helpful at council mee...
Incumbent council member KC Kuykendall moved to Waitsburg from Colorado in 2010 and quickly became active in the community. He first ran and was elected to council in 2013. "I come from a blue-collar family of loggers, truck drivers, and construction workers, while my wife's family has been farming and ranching around Pendleton and Athena for many generations. We love this land and the rural communities of Eastern Washington," Kuykendall said. "My career in engineering and business management...
WAITSBURG – Anderson Perry & Associates engineer Eric Zitterkopf was on hand at a March 10 community meeting in Waitsburg to answer questions surrounding design plans for the Main Street Bridge that is scheduled to be replaced in the summer of 2017. The meeting was initiated after the city council was asked to choose railing designs at their February meeting. Council members wanted to know why detailed design decisions are required so early in the process, and requested more time to seek p...
Dog walkers crossed Waitsburg's Main Street under a stormy sky on Tuesday afternoon....
Preston Hall Student Spotlight Students of the Month for February were (l to r): Violet Beckman, 6th grade; Riley Hubbard, 7th grade; McKellyn Bradham, 8th grade....
WAITSBURG – School Board Chair Ross Hamann urged fellow board members to keep discussions on the recently failed capital projects bond a priority at last week's board meeting. Topping his concerns is the potential loss of funds donated to help replace the district field house – one of the items included in the failed bond levy. In a prior interview with The Times, Hamann explained that, in 2011, an anonymous donor gave $40,000, administered through the Blue Mountain Community Foundation, to the...
WSU's Global Services Director, Cheryl Hansen, reflects on her journey from Waitsburg to the world The following is adapted from a speech recently given by former Waitsburg resident Cheryl Hansen, who is the Director of Global Services at Washington State University. Cheryl, daughter of Geraine and the late Jim Hansen, addressed college students at a recent professional sharing night, describing how she, a small-town girl from eastern Washington became interested in the world and ended up...
Waitsburg first graders posed with teacher Dinah Lindsey and parapro Carol White during Wacky Wednesday at Waitsburg Elementary School last week. Students went from classroom to classroom, listening to Dr. Suess stories and participating in different activities in each room, in honor of Dr. Suess. The pledge below was read by Supt. Carol Clarke during an end of the day assembly. The Readers’ Pledge I promise to read Each day and each night. I know it’s the key To growing up right. I’ll read...
WAITSBURG – Waitsburg Mayor Walt Gobel was quick to let the public take over discussions about the Waitsburg Fairgounds at a March 3 public forum on the topic. After saying how "awesome" it was to see the more than 30 community members in attendance, Gobel said the first step in promoting use of the city's fairgrounds – even before beginning discussions – would be to form a Fairgrounds Advisory Committee. Waitsburg Commercial Club President Joy Smith said she would be willing to serve as tempo...
WAITSBURG – Filings to run for City Council opened Monday and several new contenders wasted no time tossing their hats into the ring. Current council member Debra Callahan is running for mayor while Karen Stanton-Gregutt and Kate Hockersmith will compete for first-time seats on the council. Mayor Walt Gobel has only been opposed once during his tenure as mayor. The Truth & Trust slate of candidates, then made up of Mayor Walt Gobel and council members Kevin House, Orville Branson, Marty Dunn, K...
Waitsburg's FFA team took fifth place, competing against 15 teams, in a Metal Art competition at Columbia Basin College last week. FFA Advisor Nicole Abel said this was Waitsburg's first time competing in the event. This year's competiton was done "Junkyard Wars style" with teams grabbing materials from a pile of scrap metal. Waitsburg team members chose an old bike frame and a piece of sheet metal as their construction materials. They had from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m to design and complete their art...
WAITSBURG – WHS seniors Megan Morrison and Stuart Walsh were honored at a Boys and Girls State Honor Night at Town Hall on Mon., March 7. The event was hosted by the Waitsburg American Legion Post #35 and the Legion Auxiliary, which sponsor Waitsburg and Prescott students each year. Megan Morrison attended the 2015 American Legion Auxiliary Evergreen Girls State at Central Washington University in Ellensburg, Wash. last June. Morrison said she was initially unsure about applying to attend b...
WAITSBURG – One of the reasons the Waitsburg Resource Center doesn't refer to itself as a food bank is because its mission is to serve the community in as many ways as possible; not just by providing food, according to resource center treasurer Bret Moser. Most recently, the center added "emergency preparedness" to its resume of helpful endeavors. Last week the WRC received a shipment of 60 emergency blankets that will be stored by Columbia-Walla Walla Fire District No. 2. The blankets, which a...
WAITSBURG - A Waitsburg man entered not guilty pleas to charges of burglary, theft, and malicious mischief in Columbia County Superior Court last week. Lonnie Marick, 39, was arrested on Feb. 24, when a Columbia County search warrant resulted in the discovery of multiple stolen items at his residence. According to police reports, a warrant was requested following a burglary at commercial buildings located on Highway 12 in Columbia County. Walla Walla and Columbia County Sheriff's office...
WALLA WALLA – Fort Walla Walla Museum is featuring a special exhibit, "Walla Walla and the World Wars," now through Sept. 5. The exhibit features more than 400 artifacts and 100 images. The majority of the photos were taken by Tech. Sgt. William "Bill Mach, a photographer stationed at the Walla Walla Army Air Base during World War II, and depict life at the base. Some of the most striking images from this collection include a soldier on a motorcycle with a dog wearing a Military Police a...
Waitsburg Elementary School students got their hearts pumping in the WHS gymnasium last week during the school's annual Hoops and Jump for Heart American Heart Association fundraiser. Kindergarten through second graders jumped rope and hula hooped while the older students shot baskets. According to event coordinator Dinah Lindsey, the kids raised $2,311....
WAITSBURG – After voting in January to partner with the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife in their "Feel Free to Hunt" program in the city's watershed, Waitsburg's city council decided to take a closer look at the contract. At their Feb. 17 meeting, the council agreed to invite WDFW representatives back in March to clarify some questions that had arisen since the initial discussion. The watershed consists of about 800 acres along the north fork of Coppei Creek that has historically b...
WAITSBURG – The public is invited to attend a public meeting at the Lions Club building at the Waitsburg Fairgrounds on Thurs., March 10 at 7 p.m. Eric Zitterkopf from Anderson Perry & Associates will be available to discuss bridge rail design options for the Main Street Bridge replacement. City Administrator Randy Hinchliffe reminds citizens that election caucuses are open until March 10. Declarations of Candidacy to run for mayor or city council will be available at City Hall from March 7 through March 18....
Wait-Hi students wrapped up National FFA Week by celebrating at the annual Harvest Ball on Saturday night. The FFA-sponsored Harvest Ball is a Sadie Hawkins-style event where girls ask boys and couples attend in matching T-shirts. FFA members celebrated all week with dress-up (or dress down) days and performed in an "Ag Olympics" competition during a pep assembly on Thursday....
Board members: Karen Tonne, Sara Fletcher, Leann Griffin, Eva Madrigal, Erik Young -Josh Neilsen made a presentation on the Apptegy app and platform to allow for better communication between the district and community. The board authorized Superintendent Cox to pursue pricing negotiations for the program. (See story, Page 7) -No athletes turned out for track but “lots” are signed up for Jr. High softball. Travis Crockett, Jose Gonzalez and Fernando Lopez were recognized as All-League players which, as Chairman Karen Tonne noted, was a fir...
WAITSBURG – "Stick your finger right in that chamber there. Go ahead!" said Columbia County Health System Respiratory Therapist Tom Anderson to a student holding a human heart. Anderson, who is celebrating his one-year anniversary with CCHS, held Waitsburg fourth and fifth graders spellbound during a visit to their classrooms last week. And why wouldn't he? It's not every day that a visitor shows up with an actual heart and lung that students can touch and feel. Anderson looked like he was h...
PRESCOTT – Getting school notices home to parents – and then making sure they read them – is a challenge for most school districts. For Prescott Schools, the struggle is magnified because a large percentage of parents speak only Spanish. At the district's Feb. 25 school board meeting, the board previewed an app that claims to improve communications with parents, students, and the community-at-large. The mission of Apptegy, the app under consideration, is to "help schools build better conne...
