The Times - Serving Waitsburg, Dayton and the Touchet Valley

Ten Years Ago

January 31, 2007

Breaking with a decades-long tradition, the Board of Directors of the Waitsburg Commercial Club voted unanimously to forgo sponsorship of a caucus for the 2008 City of Waitsburg at a special meeting on January 24. The caucus system was instituted by Commercial Club to put forth a slate of candidates in times of tepid interest among the citizenry.

While Caris Cole, Shawny Ingle and Felicia Brown scored in the double figures to power the Lady Cardinals into contention against the Asotin Panthers, it was timely baskets in the waning seconds of the game by Stacy Potter and Amanda Weis that spelled a 55-50 win for Waitsburg.

Twenty-Five Years Ago

January 28, 1993

Over the protests of about 30 residents of Huntsville, the Columbia County Planning Commission recommended Monday, Jan. 25, that a well-driller be allowed to set up shop in an agricultural zoned area along Highway 12 at Huntsville. The commission, on a 5-1 vote, recommended that the Columbia County Commissioners change the zoning from AR-1, agricultural-residential, to LI-1 light industrial, which would allow Jim Hickam to put up a shop for his water-well drilling company.

Jake Long, 35, of Waitsburg has been re-elected fire chief by members of the Waitsburg City Council and commissioners of rural Fire District No. 2. The secret balloting took place over the past two weeks and the vote was 8-1 to re-elect Long, who will serve a one-year appointment.

Some residents have complained that the U-turn area near the bridge on Main Street is inadequate. Councilman Bill Thompson said residents have complained to him and he was passing it on to the City Council during its meeting last week. It seems that parked cars are crowding the no parking area on the eastside of Main Street, making a U-turn there more difficult.

Fifty Years Ago

January 25, 1968

Julie Stonecipher, Touchet Valley Junior Miss, travelled to Pullman Wednesday to take part in opening ceremonies of the Washington State Junior Miss Pageant.

Bill Payne, newly-elected President of Waitsburg Commercial Club, will be installed into his new office at the Club Banquet on Tuesday, February 6. Harold Bloor will serve his second term as Commercial Club Vice-President. Ivan “Ike” Keve, long-time Secretary and Treasurer of Commercial Club, received an appointment to serve again in1968.

Mr. and Mrs. Kenneth Gohlman are vacationing this week.

The Camp Fire leaders with the help of several mothers, have scrubbed the rooms above the City Hall from top to bottom to be used as Campfire meeting rooms and a library for Camp fire books and materials. A reminder to those adults who have consented to be on the Campfire Council for the year 1968 – dues are $2.00 and can be paid to Bob Sickles or Frank Brown. We, as leaders, certainly appreciate this as it enables Waitsburg to have its own Campfire Council.

Seventy-Five Years Ago

January 29, 1943

The Red Cross sewing room makes an urgent call for buttons. Any kind will be accepted except very large ones.

Maser Bruce Brunton celebrated his fourth birthday on Tuesday afternoon with a party given by his mother, Mrs. Miles Brunton.

Jimmy Archer, son of Mr. and Mrs. Hesper Archer, entertained a number of his school friends on Wednesday. Skating and sleigh riding were planned for entertainment.

Barbara Ann Bachmann, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Fred Bachmann, received the Pi Lambda Theta Scholarship Award at Washington State College at Pullman where she is a junior.

One Hundred Years Ago

February 1, 1918

I. D. Casey returned home Sunday from Moscow, Idaho, where he attended a chicken show. He says he found several inches of snow at Moscow and the thermometer only 10 degrees above zero. At Colfax there was about an inch of snow and several inches of mud, while when he got home we were having an unusual balmy spring-like weather.

While making soap Monday, Mrs. Harrington fell and broke her ankle.

Gordon Leid, of Waitsburg, visited his sister, Mrs. A. Hansen on the Coppei Saturday and Sunday. Also visited the Casebolt wood camp Sunday, and took several pictures of the drag saw at work.

One Hundred Twenty-Five Years Ago

February 3, 1893

Born in this city Jan. 27 to E. W. Alcorn and wife, a daughter. We can think of no stronger invocation than that the new arrival may become the lovely and lovable girl and woman that her mother was and is.

Nearly all the horses along the mountains along the Patit and Tukanon have got the mountain fever and some have died with it.

The fortnight dance at the Armory Hall on Wednesday night was the most enjoyable one yet given by the Club. There were twenty-six couples, six from Dayton, the floor was fine, the music good, and the dancers all were happy.