Serving Waitsburg, Dayton and the Touchet Valley
Serving Waitsburg, Dayton and the Touchet Valley
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WAITSBURG—The Waitsburg City Council met Wednesday, June 24 via conference call. All council members were present. The council discussed the six-year transportation plan, local coronavirus relief funds, and other items. The council reviewed the six-year plan as presented to them by city administrator Randy Hinchliffe. The plan, which starts in 2020 and ends in 2026, includes work on Main Street, Bolles Road, and city-wide maintenance. The total expenses over the six-year period is budgeted at j...
DAYTON—Andrew Bassler, of Dayton, chose to combine his career and his love of fishing when he took the Education Coordinator position with the Salmon in Schools program. After four years of teaching local students about all-things salmon, he is ready to pass the torch to someone new later this year. “I didn’t really know much when I started,” the avid fly fisherman said. “It was as much a learning opportunity for me as it was for the kids.” Bassler said that serving as the Education Coordinator...
The Fourth of July is right around the corner. Each county and city in the area has its own fireworks ordinances. Are you aware of your local regulations? The City of Walla Walla allows fireworks to be lit within city limits starting at 9 a.m. on July 4 and ending at 12 a.m. on July 5. The City does have a small list of fireworks that are illegal within city limits, including skyrockets, missile-type rockets, firecrackers, jumping jacks, and chaser fireworks. For a complete list of rules and...
LEWISTON, Ida.-In our family, saying 'Idaho is a world of its own' is a long-running joke. My sister moved to Lewiston almost four years ago and last weekend she got married at Hell's Gate State Park. We never knew how much of its own world Idaho was in until we visited the state during a pandemic. Washington has been in a four-phase reopening plan since the end of May with many counties still heavily restricted, Walla Walla County included. Idaho implemented a four-stage reopening plan, called...
WALLA WALLA-The cancellation of the Walla Walla Fair and Frontier Days was met with both a sigh of relief and a breath of frustration. Youth exhibitors, especially market animal exhibitors, are hopeful an alternative sales opportunity will be found. Raising a market animal is expensive. Hogs, for example, are purchased in early to mid-March as weanlings. From the day the animal arrives, the 4-H or FFA member has to care for and work with their project. FFA and 4-H members must purchase special...
Back in April, Waitsburg saw a sudden uptick in the local bigfoot population. Lisa Russell, the owner of Cryptid Comforts, was at the heart of the population boom and is ready to bring more legends and cryptids to town. Russell taught herself to sew sock monkeys a few years ago and before long she had all sorts of interest from friends and family to purchase the monkeys. While teaching at Portland Jewish Academy, a colleague suggested a unicorn sewing class, and while Russell liked the idea,...
Mr. C's Smoking Co Mr. C's is open Monday-Saturday, 8 a.m- 6 p.m, and Sunday 9 a.m. - 5 p.m. They will continue to offer smoked cheeses and other goods, as well as butchering services. Mr. C's is located at 405 Preston Ave. https://www.loc8nearme.com/washington/waitsburg/mr-cs-smoked-meat-and-cheeses/3055054/ Tim's Carpentry Tim's Carpentry is open and ready to help with your remodeling projects. Tim can be reached at (509) 386-1738. Claudia's Therapeutic Massage Massage therapist Claudia Abel...
WALLA WALLA—At a meeting on Monday, June 8, Walla Walla County Commissioners voted to cancel the 154th Walla Walla Fair and Frontier Days due to safety concerns amid the coronavirus pandemic. Commissioners said that the decision did not come easily. The decision ultimately came down to a safety issue, as coronavirus numbers are slowly beginning to rise in the county again. Meeting attendees expressed that they were uncomfortable hoping that Walla Walla County would be in the proper phase of G...
DAYTON-Dayton High School's Class of 2020 graduated last Saturday. Like graduation ceremonies across the nation, Dayton's ceremony looked a lot different than in years past. Due to pandemic-related restrictions, only graduates and family were able to attend the ceremony. Dayton High School provided a live-streamed feed on Facebook for the community to enjoy. The stream is still available to watch on the Dayton Secondary Facebook page. Graduation celebrations started Saturday afternoon with a...
WAITSBURG-Treasure comes in all shapes and forms, to one Waitsburg resident treasure looks like model cars, lots of model cars. Bert Baxter's extensive car collection includes over 1,000 models, racing memorabilia, and more. Baxter's love for all things automotive started at an early age and in 1952 he took up racing mini sprint cars for 15 years. He walked away from the racetrack after witnessing a tragic accident and went from driving to working on cars as he poured his heart and soul into his...
WAITSBURG-"It never fails, the hottest day of the year is always graduation day," spectators echoed jokingly last Friday at the Waitsburg Football Field. Instead of gathering in the Waitsburg High School Gym, as is tradition, friends and family of the Class of 2020 stood outside the field's fences and watched a socially distanced high school graduation. If you've ever attended a WHS graduation ceremony, you know that they fall on what seems like the hottest day in spring, with the infamously...
Shortly before graduation the idea to line Main Street with custom banners honoring the graduating seniors quickly gained traction. Senior Advisor Matt Wyatt contacted DiJulio Displays in Brier, Wash., to help him create and print the banners. This is the same company who worked with Scott Kirk on Dayton’s senior banners. Rita Pruczinksi, of DiJulio Displays took on the task of printing the red banners and developed an unexpected relationship with Dayton and Waitsburg’s Classes of 2020. A sma...
WAITSBURG—The Waitsburg City Council met Wednesday, May 20 at 7 p.m. via conference call. All board members were present except councilman Karl Newell. The council discussed the Complete Sidewalk Project Award, a capital library grant, and the status of the city pool. City Administrator Randy Hinchliffe gave an update on the Complete Sidewalk Project Award that the City received earlier this year. He said that he has been in contact with property owners who will be impacted by the project, a...
WAITSBURG—The Waitsburg School Board met Thursday, May 21 at 6 p.m. All school board members were present. During the meeting, the board discussed graduation plans, a continuous learning plan, and other items. Secondary principal Stephanie Wooderchak reported to the board that the middle school had been invited to the Milton Freewater Drive-In Theater for the 8th grade promotion. After some discussion, the board decided it was best to come up with another plan in the event that Walla Walla C...
DAYTON— The Dayton School Board met Wednesday, May 20 at 6:00 pm via Zoom virtual meeting. All board members were present. During the meeting, the board discussed budget information, the high school graduation ceremony, and the upcoming school year among other items. Elementary principal Doug Johnson reported that Dayton Elementary staff and teachers are continuing to improve their online learning models. Mr. Johnson said that a scheduling committee has been formed for the sole purpose of p...
WAITSBURG- The third weekend in May is historically an exciting one in Waitsburg. Waitsburg Celebration Days was one of many area events cancelled amid the coronavirus pandemic, but a small group of classic car enthusiasts and a handful of equestrians weren't willing to let the weekend slip away completely. Fred Gonzalez, the president of the Waitsburg Classic Car Show and Swap Meet, rounded up more than 50 local car enthusiasts from Waitsburg and Walla Walla for a (Non)Celebration Days car...
WAITSBURG-Twelve hundred is a big number, especially when it is the 'projects completed and donated' tally. That is the number of cloth face masks that Skip and Lois Winchester, of Waitsburg, have sewn with the help of a few family members. Now, they are asking for the community's help finding elastic for the last 200 or so masks. "It's been a lot of fun," said Lois. "The family time has been very nice, especially during these times." Lois, who is a sewer by trade, said that the roughly 1,400 ma...
WALLA WALLA—Walla Walla County commissioners met with fairgrounds General Manager Bill Ogg last Friday to discuss the viability of the 2020 Walla Walla Fair and Frontier Days amid the pandemic. Roughly 30 events scheduled at the Walla Walla Fairgrounds have been cancelled this year due to the coronavirus pandemic, resulting in more than $30,000 in revenue loss. Commissioners are concerned that, if the fair goes on as scheduled, the event may not be successful enough to cover expenses. Fair M...
As high school graduation approaches, Waitsburg's Main Street is getting prepped for a dash of color and a few smiling faces. While the details for a socially-distanced graduation are still being ironed out, the community has been looking for ways to honor the Class of 2020. Last month Senior Advisor, Matthew Wyatt, turned to Facebook to ask the community's help to raise funds for Main Street banners celebrating the seniors. In true Waitsburg fashion, the community rallied together to raise...
Buying a new car is always exciting. Spending hours at the dealership, negotiating your heart out and signing a tree's worth of papers... not so exciting. There is a way around the showrooms and bargaining that is quickly gaining traction: online car dealerships like Vroom, Carvana, and True Car. As a matter of fact, at least one car recently seen around Waitsburg was delivered earlier this year from the online car dealership Vroom. Albert Diaz and his wife, Brigid, of Waitsburg, recently...
PRESCOTT-The Prescott Joint Park and Recreation District has maintained a park and pool that is well known around our valley for being clean, family friendly, and just plain fun. After more than a decade of volunteering as a commissioner for the district, Patsy Welch Adams Warnock is hanging up her sunhat and retiring from the job. A former school teacher, Patsy has a deep love for helping others. Her family has been in the area for more than a decade where she says volunteering has become a...
DAYTON-Communities around the nation are coming up with creative ideas to honor their high school's Class of 2020 in the midst of a pandemic. In Dayton, Scott Kirk and Bette Lou Crothers teamed up to raise money for banners to display on Main Street. While Bette Lou handled the fundraising efforts, Kirk, owner of Scott Kirk Photography, donated his time to design the banners and ensure each student had a senior portrait for the project. The banner idea came from a few Facebook posts that Scott...
WAITSBURG- Homemade red velvet doughnuts, build-your-own sandwiches and themed dinners will soon be served at 206 Main Street, as the Callahan family wraps up the last few preparations for a soft opening of Millstone Cafe and Bakery. "I have always wanted to own a restaurant," owner Deb Callahan said. "I have been cooking all of my life, I've catered a good portion of my life." Deb said that her husband, Jim, is getting ready to retire and they are looking forward to having a business that, with...
WAITSBURG— The Waitsburg School Board met April 16, via Zoom video conference. Superintendent Mark Pickel, board members Ross Hamann, Pam Chapman, Sarah Bodrieau, Lisa Morrow and Christy House were present. Seven other staff and community members were present. During the secondary report, board members reported that they are hearing lots of positive feedback from parents and students about the online learning programs that teachers have implemented. Christy House asked for clarification on t...
There is not much one can control during a pandemic. Many people have lost something 'normal' during these times, but the Class of 2020 has lost the last few months of their senior year. Community members around the nation are banding together and thinking of creative ways to honor students in their final year of high school. Social media has served as a great rallying platform for Class of 2020 parents from all over. A little over a week ago, a 'Be the Light' movement emerged on Facebook. Last...
