The Times - Serving Waitsburg, Dayton and the Touchet Valley

DAYTON - Anne Hig­gins was so excited to get out from behind a computer, be out in the community and meet new people that when she heard the Shell Service Center, right here in Dayton, might be up for sale, she jumped on it. She spoke with Sean Casseday, of Dayton Chemi­cal, a few years ago about the purchase. Since its construc­tion 15 years ago the Shell on Main Street has been owned and operated by Dayton Chemical, but the timing for a change just wasn't right.

Then, this year, Casseday approached Higgins again. And this time, the idea took. By September 4, Higgins was the proud new owner of a Shell Service Center. "Now I get to work at home, in my own commu­nity," Higgins said. "It's something I've wanted for a long time now."

Higgins moved to Dayton in 1995 from Mount Vernon, Wash. She went to school at WSU, so she knew she liked the east side of the Cascades. After moving to Dayton, she worked for seven years with the Washington State Auditor's Office,monitoring the use of state tax dollars in fivelocal counties, including Columbia County.

Higgins then went to work for three years as the chief financial officer for Walla Walla's housing authority. Now she's ready to take on a whole new kind of work. The Shell Service Center of­fers fuel, convenience foods and a shop - and Higgins has plans for improvements.

"One of the biggest con­cerns that customers have is that things are going to radi­cally

change," she said. "But we're not really making any changes with product. We're just upgrading equipment."

All the coolers were re­placed this week and custom­ers will notice a new soda pop dispenser. Higgins also plans to expand the deli and offer more food choices for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Many customers who've been in the Shell station before might wonder where all this new and improved equipment will go inside the small store, but Higgins said the upgrades actually create more floor space. She and her staff have also been painting and cleaning, she said.

Higgins currently em­ploys four people inside the convenience store and one mechanic in the shop, but the three-bay service center has been booming with business, she said, and she may need to hire a second technician. The move from office drone to service station gal has Higgins brimming with energy and enthusiasm. She sees this as a step in the right direction for her and some­thing she'll be excited about for a long time.

Higgins has a son who lives in Waitsburg and is a police officer for the city of Walla Walla. Her young­est

daughter is studying to receive her teaching degree from WSU at the school's Tri-Cities campus. And her oldest daughter owns and op­erates a daycare center back in Mount Vernon. Higgins is engaged to be married to Garry Snyder, who owns Christy's Realty in Dayton.