The Times - Serving Waitsburg, Dayton and the Touchet Valley

The great thing in this world is not so much where we stand, as in what direction we are moving

~Oliver Wendell Holmes

You better start swimming or sink like a stone, 'cause the times they are a-changing

~Bob Dylan T he new Columbia

Pulp plant isn't a

100% sure thing, but it looks more real by the day. When I spoke with Columbia Pulp CEO John Begley last week, he said he saw no insurmountable hurdles ahead from now until the projected startup time for the new plant, a little more than a year from now.

As we report on Page 1 this week, Columbia Pulp has begun accepting resumes for some of the management and administrative positions at the new plant. In January, the company plans to begin posting openings for the 100 plus operations positions at the facility. The company expects to have 135 workers employed by the time of the plant's expected opening in October of next year.

Dayton, Waitsburg, Prescott and Pomeroy are each about a 30 to 40 minute commute from the Columbia Pulp site. Starbuck (as well as the hamlets of Kahlotus and Washtucna) are even closer. The new plant means big changes for these communities.

Most importantly, good jobs will be available for working people already living there. This is a huge benefit for an area where living wage jobs are hard to find. There almost certainly aren't enough locals to fill all the job openings, so all of these communities will likely see an influx of new residents.

New residents bring with them a need for more housing. Real estate prices and rental rates will likely rise. We may even begin to see construction of new housing.

More jobs means more money being spent in the local economies. Local businesses will have new customers, and new businesses are likely to spring up.

Columbia County will see the added benefit of an expanded property tax base. As we saw with the arrival of the wind industry, tax rates will drop, while the county coffers will grow.

The towns of Dayton and Waitsburg are in the best position to reap the benefits of this new economic expansion. The thousands of hours of work that have gone into restoring and beautifying their downtowns, put them in a position to be more appealing places to live for new workers moving to the area.

To expand on Bob Dylan's metaphor, Dayton and Waitsburg have been swimming for awhile.