The Times - Serving Waitsburg, Dayton and the Touchet Valley

Ten Years Ago

June 29, 2016

The Waitsburg Lions Club honored members at its recent year-ending gathering at the DRS grounds, with spouses as special guests. Outgoing president Marty Dunn presented Bill Thompson, with a Rubber Chicken Award, “for doing nothing;” John Payne was named Lion of the Year and Glynn Davis received the Melvin Jones Fellow; Dunn received a Past President’s plaque.

Bertha Joann Poirier, a 2004 graduate of Waitsburg High School, was recently honored by the WSU Department of Political Science. The daughter of Roy and Abelina Poirier of Waitsburg, Poirier was named the 2006 Political Science Outstanding Sophomore at the annual Scholarship and Fellowship Awards Ceremony on May 1, 2006.

Dan Jones of Waitsburg Helicopter Service was recently the subject of a photograph in the Tri-City Herald and Walla Walla Union Bulletin, flying his helicopter over cherry orchards. The rains in June prompted cherry orchardists to contract with local helicopters to dry the trees and prevent damage to the crop.

Twenty-Five Years Ago

June 27, 1991

Waitsburg City Council covered a variety of business on Wednesday, June 19, including a possible request to the Department of Transportation for a rest stop to be located in this area. Mayor Roy Leid said that a man and two small boys came to City Hall one night last week, while a meeting was in process there, and asked for the location of a public restroom. Roy said the boys were in real need, and he thought it would be good to have a public facility for people traveling through the area.

When Annie appears on stage at the Fort Walla Walla Amphitheater in July she’ll have a unique backup chorus of 72 little orphan girls singing “It’s a Hard-Knock Life” while scrubbing the orphanage floor. Two of those orphan girls will be played by Kelly McCaw and Natalie Oates of Waitsburg. In addition, Meghan Roberts and Karen Warnock, also of Waitsburg, will be in the Hooverville/New York City Chorus for the musical.

Fifty Years Ago

July 7, 2016

Virginia Dilts was the winner first flight in the Walla Walla Country Club Lady Pro-Am Tournament. She competed in the nine-hole division. Thursday 18-hole Class B second place winner was Mrs. Ed Lawrence.

Joining the Red-Hot Firecracker Group on the Fourth of July in Prescott were many local fans of softball and Little League Baseball Games. The sun shone brightly from early morning and by late in the afternoon the area was further lighted up by the red faces of the audience. Especially noteworthy in the group were Barbara Danforth and Carolee Jantz, whose noses sizzled sharply when tested with a wet fingertip by your roving reporter. Jill McConnell, Ginger Hofer, Jackie Ely, and Kathy Patton were among the many noted losing their cool. Laurette McCaw placidly kept hers by finding a shady spot with refreshing breeze and stimulation conversation complete with refreshments.

Seventy-Five Years Ago

July 11, 1941

Richard Archer, 8-year old son of Mr. and Mrs. Lester Archer who farm northwest of this city, was treated for burns in a Walla Walla hospital Monday following an accident at home. He and his brother Mike struck a match while filling a gasoline lantern.

Jake Keve and family spent the Fourth and the weekend in Natches Pass, visiting their son Andrew, who is with the surveying crew in a government camp.

Darrel Mock of the “Times” mechanical force, is “back on the job” this week following a ten-days vacation in Oregon.

Fred Bachmann Jr., son of Mr. and Mrs. Fred Bachmann, received his commission as a Second Lieutenant in the U.S. Army at the University of Washington.

One Hundred Years Ago

July 14, 1916

It remained for a Waitsburg boy, Ben Oaks, who works on the Chas. Neace farm in Whetstone to show the Missoula, Montana contestants how to ride at the Annual Stampede last week. He won a handsome silver mounted saddle, valued at $350 by $300 cash prize.

Among the Waitsburg young men who made the trip to Spokane the past week to take a chance on the Colville Land Drawing by registering are Zo Atkinson, Geo. McClure, Frank Danielson, Ellis Laidlaw, Sam Southard, A. J. Woodworth, Walter Hefferman, Toots Atkinson, Jack Hayes, Henry Conover, Win. Wallace, Frank Kinder, Homer Martin, Glen Conover, and Otto Nelson.

One Hundred Twenty-Five Years Ago

July 17, 1891

Bad weather this week for selling heating stoves. In fact, there is hardly any demand at all.

David Rees and family left last Friday to go into camp at Warm Springs on the Umatilla River.

Some people don’t practice what they preach and some don’t preach what they practice.

L. T. Parker has recently improved the road between this city and his place by heavily coating it with straw. Would that all our farmers would do the same.