The Times - Serving Waitsburg, Dayton and the Touchet Valley

DAYTON - After an er- rant truck wiped out the cedar sign welcoming visitors to Dayton as they enter from the west, the Dayton Chamber of Commerce got to work on creating a new one. The result, now in place, is a much stouter concrete and brick structure that will be much more difficult for er- rant drivers to hit, and cause much more damage to their car when they do.

The freshly painted sign, along Highway 12, just be- low Dayton Tractor and Ma- chine's shop at the Port of Columbia, is one of two cre- ated by the Chamber. Next spring an identical sign will be placed at Dayton's East end along highway 12, at the site of the current cedar sign.

"We got a settlement from the insurance company of the driver who wrecked our sign," said Dayton Chamber representative Bette Lou Crothers. "Those funds along with some incredibly gener- ous donated work got us these two beautiful new signs."

A committee of three Chamber board members, Crothers, Dan Andrews and Terry Nealey, started plan- ning the new signs in late 2012. The group wanted a stately historical look that in- cluded two brick pillars and a concrete center section.

With some example pho- tos in hand, the group approached the Walla Walla Foundry about creating a mold and pouring the concrete center section. With the sign designed and the mold created, it was decided to pour two signs.

Each sign also incorporates a beautiful laser-cut steel replica of the cupola on the Columbia County Courthouse. That part of the each sign was created by David Larson, of David's Aquacut and Builders, in Walla Walla.

The group also approached Dayton contractor Jim Erskine, of JDL Construction, about building the sign's base and pillars. Erskine agreed to donate his work for both signs. Erskine designed and built the brick pillars and poured the concrete base of the west-end sign. He will do the same for the east-end sign next year.

Once Erskine got involved, "the project took on a life of its own," said An- drews. "We can't thank him enough."

The west-end sign will be landscaped and illuminated at night. The owners of Dayton Tractor and Machine have agreed to donate water and electricity to irrigate the land- scaping and power the light. Dayton Electrician Steve Brenner has donated conduit, along with his time, to bring power to the sign.

No power or water are available at the site of the east-end sign, but the existing xerascape landscaping will be retained. Crothers said the chamber hopes to have the east-end sign in place this spring.

An official unveiling of the west-end sign will be held in November.