The Times - Serving Waitsburg, Dayton and the Touchet Valley

Ten Years Ago

May 17, 2007

Hey pard, folks around Waitsburg are as pleased as a pup with two tails that the 94th running of the Days of Real Sport is this weekend. Town is spruced up and ready to entertain friends and neighbors from near and far with the parade and the two days of Quarterhorse and thoroughbred horse racing, and plenty of after-hours fun is planned. But wait! Things don’t get really rollin’ until Friday night at the DRS Kick Off Dinner and Dance, with music by Little McKay Creek Band. That’s when the queen is chosen from the two purty candidates – Brittany Prince and Brandi Toomey.

Bertha J. Poirier, a 2004 graduate of Waitsburg High School, was recently awarded the 2007 Outstanding Political Science Prelaw Senior by the Washington State University Political Science Department and the Political Science Honor Society Pi Sigma Alpha.

Twenty-Five Years Ago

May 14, 1992

Morris Kurth, known to most as Morrie, hasn’t been on horseback for awhile but he is no stranger to the saddle. “I grew up on a horse until I was 16 years old,” said Kurth, of Waitsburg, who will be on horseback Saturday as grand marshal leading the Days of Real Sport parade.

Gary Thomas will hold a training session tonight, Thursday, for volunteers manning betting machines at the track this weekend. The brief session will begin at 7 p.m. at the betting booth at the track. About 24 volunteers will operate the betting machines.

Upwards of 200 residents turned out Saturday for the Community Network’s potluck and night of games event at the fairgrounds. It was the first event sponsored by the Network’s steering committee and was a testing ground of interest for such events.

Rainbow balloons decorated the Masonic Hall Sunday afternoon, when Andrea Jacoy, daughter of Terry and Nancee Jacoy, was installed as Worthy Advisor of Waitsburg Assembly No. 68, Order of Rainbow for Girls.

Fifty Years Ago

May 11, 1967

Photo caption: King Witt was named “Lion of the Year” by the Waitsburg Lions Club at its Ladies’ Night and Installation Tuesday. Flanking King are the newly-installed President, Cecil Webber and outgoing President, Kenneth Jantz.

The $50 real property tax exemption for eligible retired persons is applicable against taxes levied by the city of Waitsburg under the authority of its 1886 territorial charter, Attorney General John J. O’Connell said today. Waitsburg, a municipality of 1,065 persons in Walla Walla County, is the only city in the state still operating under a territorial charter.

Photo caption: The Waitsburg Lions Club Quartet sang a few numbers for the Ladies’ Night audience, and couldn’t help but ham it up for the camera during one of their numbers. Jack McCaw, Lee Mantz, Jr., Bob Sickles, and Bob Patton comprise this internationally famous group.

Seventy-Five Years Ago

May 8, 1942

Seventeen seniors will be honored May 21 at the annual graduation exercises. They are Earl Arthurs, Jack Blize, Raymond Estes, Donald Gagnon, Roy Phillips, Lorraine Bishop, Mary Frances Conover, Hazel Demaree, Maxine Dunn, Hazel Harkins, Pat Hirsch, Juanita Keve, Alice Leid, Helen Lloyd, Evelyn McCresy, Gloria Jeanne Ray and Mabel Spear.

Distinct honor was received by the Waitsburg Band under the direction of Cal Malone Friday evening when they first played for the district and received a Superior Rating at the Music Festival in Cheney.

Mr. and Mrs. Chas. Neace made announcement Wednesday evening of the engagement of their daughter Miss Winifred, to Lt. Joe E. McCown, son of Mr. and Mrs. Emory McCown.

One-Hundred Years Ago

May 18, 1917

Given a rousing send-off at the N. P. Depot at Walla Walla Monday evening by Waitsburg people were John Hayes, Toots Atkinson, Merrill Cox, Frank Meadows, Klev Hooker and Earl Brown. They will join the Marines at Mare Island.

The big picnic under auspices of the Farmers Union of the three counties of Walla Walla, Columbia and Garfield will be held at Dayton next Thursday. A large number of automobile parties for the picnic are expected to go from here to Dayton on that day.

Charley Neace has at last purchased a car which he believes is speedy enough for even him. He purchased a Stutz runabout Saturday.

One-Hundred Twenty-Five Years Ago

May 20, 1892

The meeting place of the Alto Baptist Church has been changed from Alto to Lost Springs school house as a matter of greater convenience to a large number of the members.

C. A. Hauber has leased his store building on the west side of Main Street to a Walla Walla firm which will open a line of gents furnishing goods about the first of June.

The City of Starbuck still enjoy her little boom. Instead of mobbing the company’s shops away, as was rumored, they are constantly adding to their capacity.