The Times - Serving Waitsburg, Dayton and the Touchet Valley

Ten Years Ago

August 25, 2005

Waitsburg Elementary teacher Pam Conover was surprised with the D.A.R.E. Educator of the Year, presented Aug. 2 during the awards banquet at the Washington State D.A.R.E. - School Resource Officers (SRO) Combined Conference in Yakima.

The 2005 Waitsburg Cardinal football program started practices last week. This year, these seven returning lettermen will provide leadership and fill key positions for the Cards: Fred Cunz, John Gertsch, Jeremy Nichols, Cole Janovich, Jacob Bly, John Raver, and Trey Cole.

Practices began for the Waitsburg Cardinal Volleyball program this week, under second-year coach Christine Pearson. Readying for the 2005 fall campaign, which begins Thursday, Sept. 8 at Tri-City Prep, are Shawny Ingle, Danielle Coila, Natasha Montgomery, Brittany Zuger and Felicia Brown.

Twenty-Five Years Ago

August 23, 1990

Dr. R. Wesley Leid, Jr., Waitsburg High school graduate and son of Roy and Pat Leid, has been notified by Central Washington University that will be the recipient of the 1990 Special Achievement Award. . . The letter to Wes states, “This award is a highly prestigious one. It pays tribute to our younger alumni who have achieved exceptional acclaim early in their careers.”

Mel Gammond, President of Blue Mountain Insurance and Lloyd’s Inc. of Walla Walla, today announced the retirement of R. E. “Tiny” Jorgensen December 31, 1990. Tiny has operated Blue Mountain Insurance and been an active member of the Waitsburg community since 1978. We wish him well in his retirement.

Waitsburg tap-dancers will perform at the Southeastern Washington Fair in Walla Walla on Friday at 10:30 a.m., and Saturday at 4:30 p.m. The local young ladies are, Jessie Winnett, Sarah Henze, Savannah Stanger and Shannon Branson.

Rev. Wayne Henderson was among the 400,000, give or take a few thousand, bikers who attended the 50th anniversary of the Black Hills Motor Classic in Sturgis, South Dakota.

Fifty Years Ago

August 19, 1965

A huge bell that once served the old academy at Waitsburg and a windmill are among acquisitions for the museum planned at Fort Walla Walla Park by the Citizens Committee for Historical and Civic Development.

Washington State University (Special) Curtis Long, of Prescott, will be among approximately 80 football players reporting to Coach Bert Clark and his staff here September 1 for the opening of fall grid drills at Washington State.

Rev. Bob Rogers, Jim Leid, George Bodman and Pete Rohde left Sunday forLostine where Mr. Rogers will lead a group of boys on a weeks trail hike thru the Wallowa’s.

Darlene Smith, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Kenneth Smith, celebrated her fifth birthday Aug. 12 at the home of her grandmother, Mrs. Clara Smith, when four of her little friends gathered with her for a swimming party.

Seventy-Five Years Ago

August 23, 1940

There was a brush fire on the Henry Vollmer place on the Touchet, two miles east of town Wednesday shortly after noon.

Waitsburg Annual Community Exhibit is coming along fine, and plans are rapidly shaping up for the very interesting community fair on Saturday of this week, Aug. 24.

Miss Jeanne Sweazy announced her engagement to Robert Plummer of Port Angeles at a delightful supper party Tuesday evening.

One Hundred Years Ago

August 27, 1915

Mr. and Mrs. W. H. Stonecipher announce the approaching marriage of their daughter, Lola, to Mr. Glenn Otheo Conover. Both young people are popular here and graduated from the local high school this spring.

The occasion of the celebration of the twenty-sixth wedding anniversary of Mr. and Mrs. W. B. Shaffer, Aug. 14, was an event to be remembered, by them and their many friends.

Mrs. Cora Laidlaw is planning some improvements on the Storms farm on the Coppei. She will raise the house and barn and put concrete foundations under them. She also intends to move a barn out from her place on Eighth and Main, and will install a windmill and put in a concrete reservoir on the hill above the farm.

One Hundred Twenty-Five Years Ago

August 22, 1890

A. Fudge and family will go to Walla Walla on Sept. 1 and Master Willie and Miss Adna will enter Whitman College.

The band has been playing on the streets on practice nights, lately, on account of the weather being too warm to practice in the house with comfort.

Though burned out root and branch the Columbia Chronicle did not miss an issue. R. E. Peabody went on the very first train to Portland and laid in another plant, and last week type and press were rented and the Chronicle came out on time though a little small. Such pluck deserves success.

Wednesday evening about 6 o’clock this section was visited by an unusually heavy wind – a young tornado – doing some damage, but not seriously.