Serving Waitsburg, Dayton and the Touchet Valley
Serving Waitsburg, Dayton and the Touchet Valley
Sorted by date Results 846 - 870 of 1805
Society seeks help as they work to develop and promote the Bruce House Museum as an event space WAITSBURG – With big plans for the future, the Waitsburg Historical Society is in need of some helping hands. “We are a strictly volunteer organization and are very dependent on the community to step up and help fill needs,” said Historical Society President Richard Hinds. First and foremost, Hinds said the society is in need of a replacement for the current recording secretary. The recording secretary is responsible for taking and distr...
WAITSBURG – Rows of brightly colored pumpkins and a cheery wave from Clarence Stearns have been familiar sights to Preston Avenue travelers each fall. But this year, the produce can be found around the side of the house, off Harmon Street, where the operation has expanded to include much more than just fruits and vegetables. Clarence Stearns says Mr. C's Smokin Co., located at 405 Preston Ave. in Waitsburg, is a true family endeavor. What started out as a simple produce stand several years a...
WALLA WALLA – Democrat Mike Bates is the current Director for the Walla Walla County Corrections Department, overseeing the Walla Walla County Jail and the Juvenile Justice Center. Bates has worked for the county since 1975 and believes his experience in criminal justice and the court system will benefit the citizens of Walla Walla County. "Nearly 75% of the county current expense budget is consumed by the courts, juvenile justice, county jail, Prosecutor's Office, County Clerk, and the S...
WALLA WALLA – Don Gibbard (R) moved to Walla Walla 28 years ago because the mix of agricultural, natural resources, recreational activities, and municipal experiences makes it a place where families can succeed. Prior to his work in telecommunications, Gibbard served 16 years as an ordained pastor and says that experience prepared him to work with a diverse set of expectations and opinions which are as present in county government as they are in the church. He has actively supported the c...
WALLA WALLA – Waitsburg resident Melissa Hansen (R) cites her experience managing her family's farm, operating a custom seeding, spraying, and harvesting business, and her recent graduation from the Washington Agriculture and Forestry Leadership Program as strong foundations to build on in serving as commissioner. "The community of Waitsburg is my home and I will be available to Waitsburg residents to hear their concerns and make sure they are well represented at all times," Hansen said. H...
WALLA WALLA – Todd Kimball (R) is a sixth-generation Walla Walla County resident who returned to farming while continuing to work in accounting, after working in Boise as a CPA for four years. He is a DeSales graduate, earned his B.S. in Accounting from Whitworth College, and attended Gonzaga University for a Masters in Accounting. Kimball is active in the community as a coach and volunteer, and has held leadership positions with the Northwest Grain Growers Board, Walla Walla County Conservation...
WALLA WALLA – Thirty-five year old Republican Jacob Radke is currently deployed to Iraq and will return to Walla Walla in August. He served as a combat medic in the Washington Army National Guard for ten years and currently serves in the Oregon Army National Guard as a Warrant Officer and helicopter pilot. Radke has lived and worked in the Walla Walla area for 28 years. He is a Wa-Hi graduate and earned an AA degree from Walla Walla Community College and Bachelors in Health Science degree f...
WALLA WALLA – Forty-five year resident Randal Son (D) said he set roots in the Walla Walla Valley as soon as he was old enough to choose where to live. Son said he has worked in the fields, canneries, as a painter, and as a carpenter. At 62, he currently works as a transit operator for Walla Walla Valley Transit, but plans to retire if elected. "I"ll be a 100% full-time commissioner with no sideline distractions, working as long and hard as business owners and wage earners," Son said. Son s...
WAITSBURG – Council members spent a large chunk of the June 15 Waitsburg City Council meeting evaluating current city codes to be considered for revision or repeal. City Administrator Randy Hinchliffe said the last comprehensive code review was approximately ten years ago and about half the code was stripped away at that time. Some of the proposed modifications were word changes, such as substituting the words “City Administrator” for “City Marshal” since the city no longer has a marshal....
Noah, and Daniel Moser wait for the "go" signal to walk and ride in Waitsburg's annual Fourth of July Parade of Patriots. The parade ends with a short ceremony in front of the Waitsburg Hardware Store and is followed up with a community potluck in the city park. See more photos on the Last Page....
WAITSBURG – At both the June Garden Club Meeting and City Council Meeting, Waitsburg resident Allison Bond raised the idea of Waitsburg pursuing designation as a Tree City USA. Bond said Tree City USA recognition from the Arbor Day Foundation would make many types of support available to the city, including free educational tools and grants. The program has been in existence since 1976 and provides the framework for communities to manage and expand their public trees. More than 3,400 communities across the United States have achieved Tree C...
WAITSBURG – "I'm great with cars, I'm just not the best at marketing," said Bill Feather, owner of SteelFeatherAuto, located at 615 Preston Avenue in Waitsburg. Feather opened his auto repair shop last October, but many residents are unaware of his shop and the services he offers. The 38-year-old mechanic says he has always had an obsession with anything running. Feather grew up in Walla Walla and said he was lucky enough to have a neighbor who took him under his wing and taught him what he k...
PRESCOTT – Prescott City Pool got off to a good start this summer, and has more activities planned for the month of July. A recently announced $45,000 grant from Sherwood Trust for pool and park repairs and equipment leaves the longer-range future looking bright as well. Pool attendance has been excellent so far, with a large number of people using the pool as refuge from the warm weather, according to pool co-manager Yvonne Jackson. Fourth of July weekend saw many families hold picnics and s...
WAITSBURG – Local residents Rebecca Hoffman, Christy Poirier, and Waitsburg High School FFA Advisor Nicole Abel joined others throughout the region to help determine how they could better support agricultural education and their local FFA chapters at an Alumni Regional Development Conference in Burbank on June 25. The National FFA Alumni Organization hosted the conference to provide professional, personal, and alumni program development to local and state members. The conference was also a t...
WAITSBURG – The creek may not have overflowed, but the church pews sure did on Sunday when 190 people crowded into the Waitsburg Presbyterian Church to watch local kids perform the musical 'Down by the Creek Bank.' The performance served as the big finale for a popular, week-long Vacation Bible School created by co-directors Bethany Moser and Pam Conover. Moser said she and Conover were having a hard time deciding on what to do for VBS this year when they hit on the idea of a musical. Moser a...
WAITSBURG – After falling just 13 votes short of the required 60-percent supermajority approval needed to pass a $4.8 million capital projects bond measure in February, the Waitsburg School District is making one more attempt to determine which items voters will support. Mail surveys were sent to district patrons on June 24 with the hopes that the responses will allow the board to craft a bond proposal that voters can get behind. The school board will review the voter responses at their July 1...
WAITSBURG – Colorful waving flags, cheery baskets of hanging flowers, and bright signs welcome locals and passers-by to the newly opened Homestead Farms produce stand located just off Highway 12, at Waitsburg's east end. Owners Debra and Jim Callahan have big plans for the little space and invite the community to join them for their July 1 grand opening event. "This is something we've always thought about doing once we retired," Debra said. "We've been making plans for the last year and a...
WAITSBURG – The Waitsburg City Pool is an even cooler (literally!) place for parents and caregivers to hang out this summer thanks to Friends of the Waitsburg Pool. The recently formed nonprofit purchased several items to combat the number-one complaint of pool visitors – lack of shade. The group, which operates under the umbrella of Rural Youth Enrichment Services, used funds from last fall's Pie-Oneer Fall Festival Invitational Pie Baking Contest to purchase a shade sail, two large picnic tab...
WAITSBURG – At the June 8 Waitsburg School Board meeting, Waitsburg Athletic Director Stephanie Wooderchak received approval to pursue discussions about possible high school baseball, and middle school baseball and softball combines with Dayton beginning with the 2017 season. Both schools, which recently formed high school and middle school football combines, are now looking more closely at the proposals. Waitsburg track coach Jeff Bartlow said end-of-year spring sports sign ups returned with 1...
WAITSBURG – Waitsburg Lions Ken Miller and Brian Richards were selected as recipients of the Melvin Jones award and Lion of the Year, respectively, at the club's annual year-end ceremony on May 31. Miller was nominated for the prestigious Melvin Jones Award by fellow Lion, close friend, and former award recipient Glynn Davis. Davis shared a brief history of the award, named after the founder of Lions Club International, and the highest award one can receive in Lions. Davis explained that the M...
WAITSBURG – Dayton-Waitsburg Head Football Coach Troy Larsen is enthusiastic about the 53 student athletes signed up for the newly formed DW football team. Larsen said the largest number dressed down on the field during spring football was 46 and 32 DW players attended spring camp in the Tri-Cities where the larger turnout allowed DW to schedule camp games for both a JV and varsity squad. "During the three weeks of spring football, coaches were able to coach a team that quickly came t...
Board members KC Kuykendall, Marty Dunn, Kevin House, Karl Newell, Kate Hockersmith and Mayor Walt Gobel were all present. -Community Input: Citizen Delores Nettles complained about the number of wrecked cars parked on Bruce Street. Citizen Carl Peck expressed frustration that a property owner, who keeps his property spotless, was asked to move a trailer from city property and yet boats and broken down cars are parked all along Kinnear Street. Following discussion, council agreed to review city ordinances, giving consideration to abandoned...
Board members Ross Hamann, Russ Knopp, Christy House, Marilyn Johnson, and Randy Pearson were all present. -Unanimously adopted Journeys (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2017) as the new elementary school English Language Arts curriculum. -Approved a 2016-17 athletic budget of $21,900 to include all sports except baseball and softball, which will be determined at a later date. The board rejected a request of $14,000 for new wrestling mats and asked the team to continue using the Mat Birds’ mats. -Approved a Collective Bargaining Agreement with t...
PRESCOTT – Sixteen members of the Prescott graduating Class of 2016 proudly made their way down the aisle during Prescott High School's commencement ceremony on the evening of Fri., June 10. "When you want to succeed as bad as you want to breathe, then you'll be successful," a quote by Eric Thomas, was selected as the class motto. Once the class was seated, the crowd stood as PHS student Angel Prado sang a stirring rendition of the national anthem. Class Valedictorian Jaqueline Velazco w...
WAITSBURG – Close to a dozen community members were in attendance to offer input during the public hearing portion of the June 8 planning commission meeting at the Waitsburg Fairgrounds. The hearing was in reference to a rezone application received by the City of Waitsburg, from Marvin Aronson, who requested that his property at 503 W 2nd be rezoned from residential to commercial. Aronson currently uses the property, located just off of Highway 124, to do hobby automobile and equipment r...
