Serving Waitsburg, Dayton and the Touchet Valley
Serving Waitsburg, Dayton and the Touchet Valley
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I recently returned to L.A. for the sole purpose of renewing my California driver’s license. I hope this will be my final foray into the famous (or infamous) California Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV). Under California law, drivers of a certain age no longer qualify for an automatic renewal. It is now required to take both the written and vision tests, which I last took five years ago. I am still having nightmares over that day. First, I was traveling and had to wait until two days before m...
WAITSBURG-Program Coordinator Kathy Schirm and her assistants have provided activities for Waitsburg's first through eighth-grade kids at the Cardinal's Nest summer program. "It has been good for the kids and the families," said Schirm. A group of 26 first, second, and third-graders enjoyed making pizza box solar ovens on Monday, June 26. They cooked smores, little smokies, and Ritz cracker pizza and enjoyed every bite. On Tuesday, they made gooey slime and tie-dyed shirts before finishing the d...
Ten Years Ago July 11, 2013 At five minutes 'til noon here this July 4, a small cadre of servicemen advanced with Old Glory and service flags to an agreed upon rendezvous point – the intersection of Main Street and Third. Once assembled, the eight men spread the width of the street – six hoisting the colors, the other two bookending the group as rifle bearers. At the sounding of the noon siren, the unit advanced in patriotic reverence two blocks toward the hardware store to the sound of the app...
This time of year, apart from the occasional burger or sausage on the grill, I find myself craving meals made up mostly of fresh seasonal vegetables. There are certain vegetables and fruits that never taste as good as they do in the middle of summer. This week we had some beautiful spinach ready to harvest, along with the first of our zucchini, which got me thinking about minestrone. This summery take on the classic Italian soup recipe is full of vibrant flavors and colors. Finished with fresh...
It was Kids Night at the Fire Station on June 28 on Main Street downtown Waitsburg. The Columbia Walla Walla County, Fire District 2 opened the doors and water pumps to entertain and cool off Waitsburg kids....
Aldo Leopold (1887-1948) is known as the visionary behind modern wildlife and habitat management. He understood the connection between ecosystem integrity and wildlife abundance and diversity. Perhaps more importantly, Leopold understood where and how humans fit into the balance and how to communicate and connect people and the landscape. Leopold's theories on wildlife management needed proving, and in 1931, he found the perfect scenario. While living in Madison, Wisconsin, Leopold met a farmer...
I’m not generally a believer that gold medals mean a wine is any good. They’re given out like participation awards at dozens of for-profit wine competitions all over the country. But this medal-winner is an exception, because of where it’s won and how incredibly often it has come home with the top prize. Produced by Barnard Griffin, it’s a vibrant, refreshing rosé whose flavors deftly frame its watermelon and strawberry fruit with juicy acids. It continues developing nuances of sandalwo...
Ten Years Ago July 4, 2013 There’s something new cooking at Ye Town Hall these days – Tamales! Anita Hernandez of Granny’s Hot Tamales is utilizing the commercial kitchen at Town Hall as home base for her new tamale business. No stranger to the food business, Anita, who is originally from the Grandview/Prosser area and her husband, a Walla Walla native, have spent the last several years in Corpus Christi, Texas. There they helped Anita’s mother, the “Granny” behind Granny’s Hot Tamales, mana...
As any avid gardener can attest to, the passing of each season is measured less by specific days on the calendar, and more by the fluid schedule of when certain plants bloom or have edibles ready to harvest. This week, just as the last strawberries were picked, the first of our raspberries were perfectly ripe on the canes. The first batch picked were quickly made into jars of sweet jam, a preserving of sunshine to enjoy in the colder months. Since we also had some lovely rhubarb from our side...
WALLA WALLA-Work celebrating the local landscape with Waitsburg artists Greg Tate and Bill Rodgers will be exhibited at Cavu Cellars in Walla Walla from July 7 to July 30, 2023. There will be an artists' reception from 5 to 7 p.m. on July 7, 2023. In the upcoming exhibition, "A Celebration of Earth and Landscape," the work focuses on the artists' love of regional landscape and the varied physical aspects of the surface of the planet. The show will feature ceramics and watercolors by Tate and...
Ten Years Ago June 27, 2013 Wesley Hoskins grew up on a farm on Whetstone creek in the 1920s and 30s. During those years he witnessed some amazing changes. In 1930, there was no electricity on the farm. By 1940, the REA co-op had brought electricity to farmers on the Whetstone, and throughout Columbia County. In 1930, Hoskins' family – and all their neighbors – plowed, harrowed, and harvested wheat using draft horses or mules. By 1940, many farmers in Columbia County were using Caterpillar tra...
My mother and I moved to the great State of Washington just before my 12th birthday. First settling on Whidbey Island in north Puget Sound, I immediately fell in love with such local delicacies as steaming bowls of mussels, grilled wild caught salmon, and loganberry pie. Over the years, as I have traveled, and lived, across the different corners of this beautiful state, I am endlessly inspired by the variety and bounty of our regional cuisines. One of my favorite areas to explore is the Long...
Though it was a major part of the original plantings back in the 1970s when this pioneering Oregon vineyard was first established, Riesling is now a minor player in the Hyland mix. This is the product of own-rooted (ungrafted) vines that are between 45 and 50 years old and bring the special density and detail that simply cannot be expressed in younger fruit. Tart, fresh, sassy citrus fruit flavors are streaked with veins of wet rock. The long, lip-licking finish brings subtle hints of...
DAYTON-The Touchet Valley Arts Council (TVAC), with sponsorship from The Club and Dayton Memorial Library, brought Alex Zerbe and his Zaniac Comedy Show to the Liberty Theater on June 20. Zerbe joked and laughed as he entertained a theater full of children with his signature non-stop energy, zany tricks, magic, and juggling. The kids were awe-struck by his seemingly impossible tricks, including juggling a bowling ball and knives on a balance board. In another, a favorite of his youthful...
Juvenile bears are finding their way with out mom this tine of year. If you encounter one, leave it alone, don't feed it, or try to be their buddy. Of course, if they are posing for you, how do you not take a quick photo to send to "The Times."...
This weekend, I met Laurent and Patricia Zirotti of Coeur d'Alene, Idaho, who were in town to take the Two-Day Intensive Course at the Monteillet Fromagerie outside Dayton. The fromagerie's owners, Joan and Pierre-Louis Monteillet, raise French Alpine goats and East Friesian-Lucaune sheep on their 32-acre farmstead. They use the milk to produce small batches of artisan cheeses using traditional techniques and inspiration from the Roquefort region of France, where Pierre-Louise Monteillet was...
Among this Oregon winery's many pioneering achievements was the introduction of this classic Spanish white wine to the Pacific Northwest. If you've ever been to Spain (and you kinda like the music), you know that this is the go-to crisp white wine for all kinds of fried seafood and Spanish cheeses. This New World version is a spicy, peppery, vivacious wine that deftly stacks bright fruit flavors of apple, pear, and white peach with skin flavors and crisp acids. There's also a finishing hint of...
Ten Years Ago June 20, 2013 Though their numbers have declined over the years, the dedication and patriotism of Waitsburg's American Legion members has not. Current club members, mostly World War II vets, are hoping younger generations of men and women will join them in their quest to support veterans and families. One of Waitsburg's oldest service clubs, the Samuel W. Southard Post #35 was chartered in August 1919. The post was named in honor of 23-year-old Samuel W. Southard, the first...
Every June, I anticipate the first batch of ripe strawberries in our backyard. Checking the patch each morning I look for the bright red fruit, like little ruby gems, peeking out from under the shade of their leaves. In time for our family Fathers' Day celebration, we had a bounty of gorgeous strawberries ready to pluck last week. This delightful pie with a cloud of creamy filling in a sweet and salty pretzel crust, acts as the perfect vehicle for highlighting the beauty of sun-ripened strawberr...
DAYTON-Artists Winnie Brumsickle and Kimi Bruzas will display their work in Dayton during All Wheels Weekend. The exhibit opens on June 17, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at 143 E. Main Street. The show includes original collages by Bruzas and mixed media paintings by Brumsickle. Though they approach their work with unique visual vocabularies, their pieces share many elements that make the combined show cohesive. Bruzas and her sister Lori are well known for their shop The Gaudy Gals on Main Street in...
Since the bag-in-box method of wine packaging first arrived in this country about 15 years ago, the range and quality of offerings have steadily improved while prices have remained stable. One of the most reliable brands is Black Box, and you'll find a wealth of options at most local groceries. I'm singling out this Sauv Blanc because it is from Chile, which has carved out a nice niche with this newly-popular grape, and because it's being steeply discounted. A three-liter box is equivalent to...
WAITSBURG—The Waitsburg School’s Spring recital once again had the bounce and verve of Mrs. J’s direction. The K-5 students used the whole gym to move around with sweeping gestures, full voices, and lively dancing. They pulled all the stops out on lively pieces like “Boogy Woogy Boy of Company B” and “Ragtime Cowboy Joe” and sensitive pieces like Paul McCartney’s “Blackbird.” The audience couldn’t help but laugh and clap at the joy of it all. Principal Pickel acknowledged the students’ improved confidence and musical prowess (thanks to Mrs....
Seniors "ham it up" a little after the tradional cap & gowns pictures were taken....
WAITSBURG-Twenty-eight eighth-graders were recognized at the traditional promotion ceremony on Monday, June 12, in the Waitsburg High School auditorium. Principal Stephanie Wooderchak led the audience in the Pledge of Allegiance, and then Academic excellence winners were announced. Dan Nechodom presented awards for math and Heather Ball White for ELA and U.S. History. Nicole Abel presented certificates for Intro to Ag and Onshape CAD program certificates, and Wooderchak recognized students for...
WAITSBURG-Local artists Brenda North, Michele Smith, Lorna Barth, Ellen Heath, Rori Budden, and Heather Sterns will exhibit their work at Waitsburg Art Garden (WAG) on Saturday, June 17 from 8:30 a.m. until 8 p.m. Brenda North started painting in 2011 after moving to Dayton. She began with acrylic and oil, but for the last few years has focused on watercolor. "Although my subjects are varied, I love painting landscapes and florals." Michele Smith is principally a watercolor artist working in...
