Waitsburg Commercial Club hosts Common Roots

WAITSBURG – The Waitsburg Commercial Club has moved to quarterly general membership meetings. The meetings are the second Tuesdays of July, October, and January at noon. The meeting in April will be on the third Tuesday and is the annual meeting and Community Service Awards.

The first quarterly meeting was held on Tuesday, July 14, at Waitsburg’s Town Hall. The Commercial Club President Brittany Crane, 1st Vice-President Karen Huwe, 2nd Vice-President Paul Mantz-Powers, Secretary Tiffany Baxter, Treasurer Joy Smith, and a dozen members were in attendance.

The board approved the last meeting’s minutes and amendments to the club’s bylaws.

Crane gave an update on Commercial Club’s events: the FIFA World Cup 2026 Viewing Party, Candidate Forum, and litter pickup on Middle Waitsburg Road were successful. The Waitsburg Brewfest will be on October 3, at the fairgrounds.

Executive Director of Common Roots Land Trust, Kathryn Witherington, was introduced by Smith. She spoke about the Common Roots mission to create permanently affordable homes and ownership opportunities to people in our region whose housing needs are not being met.

Common Roots has acquired land in Waitsburg to build six or seven homes. A community land trust owns the land and sells homes built on that land. Homeowners buy their house and lease the land at a low cost.  When the homeowner sells, they agree to a resale price that keeps the home affordable for the next family.

The Waitsburg Commercial Club invites liaison members, community non-profits, and members to attend the monthly executive board meetings; the third Wednesday of every month at 2 p.m. at Ten-Ton Art, 216 Main St., Waitsburg, Wash.