Serving Waitsburg, Dayton and the Touchet Valley
Serving Waitsburg, Dayton and the Touchet Valley
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WAITSBURG—The Waitsburg Business Commercial Club met Thursday, January 27, for a regular meeting. Led by former president Joy Smith, the meeting focused on financials, bylaws, and moving forward. Smith provided a brief banking update for the club. The club is currently waiting for the final decision for at least one grant, and a small donation to the Walla Walla County Sheriff’s Foundation was outgoing, as was voted on at the last meeting. Smith said that nearly $2,500 in dues had been col...
'If you see a need, plant a seed' has become the driving force behind Dayton's Bulldog Brigade. Organizer Peggy Eakin was the speaker at the January 27 Dayton Kiwanis Club, and she is on a mission to gather volunteers for just about everything in Dayton. Eakin started her presentation emphasizing community support, expressing her excitement to speak to club members who had once made it possible for her granddaughter to visit Washington D.C, take her first flight, and see the world outside of...
WAITSBURG-The Waitsburg School Board met Thursday, January 20, at 6 p.m. The meeting was held in person and via Zoom. At the beginning of the meeting, school board members received gift bags, flowers, and treats from various classes and organizations within the district. The Waitsburg High School, Honor Society members, served up fresh-baked cookies and punch, and each board member was given a hand-drawn card from Waitsburg's fourth-graders. "We just want to recognize the hard work these are...
DAYTON/WAITSBURG—At the Waitsburg School Board meeting, DW Athletic Director Sam Korslund reported that all basketball had been canceled for the weekend after coaches tested positive for COVID-19, as well as some athletes. As of Monday, January 24, the girls basketball team was able to resume practice and return to their game schedule, but the boys games were still canceled. For up-to-date information, be sure to visit www.dwsports.org and sign up for text or email notifications. Korslund said t...
Going to online grocery platforms can be a huge step up for your pantry One of the worst side effects of the pandemic (or maybe just growing up) is how grumpy a run to the grocery store makes me. When major chain grocery stores transitioned to include online ordering, I was a little happier. However, it seemed like everyone in the county was happier, and it wasn't long before pick-up slots were hard to book. Once bitten, I decided to investigate other online options and tried three out. They...
OLYMPIA—The Washington State Board of Health (SBOH) received more than 7,500 public requests to speak at the January 12 meeting. Many comments were in reaction to misinformation that spread like wildfire on social media platforms leading up to the meeting. Executive Director Michelle Davis made Board announcements. She reminded board members that many comments are objections to COVID-19 vaccine mandates, mask mandates, and the Technical Advisory Group (TAG). In October 2021, the SBOH convened a...
WAITSBURG—The Waitsburg Community Health and Protection Committee met Tuesday, January 18, with discussions centering around flood preparedness and response. Chairman Jillian Henze gave a brief report on the current COVID-19 situation in the area. As of Monday, January 17, there were 1,216 active cases in Walla Walla. Of those cases, 1,208 were in-home isolation, while eight were hospitalized. As of Tuesday, St. Mary Medical Center had only one ICU bed open and had implemented visitor r...
WAITSBURG-As area residents start to monitor the river every morning on the way to work, Pastor Cameron Hedges has been busy preparing for his first flood season in Washington. Hedges has been going through various FEMA training. He is learning how to prepare for and navigate a natural disaster, document volunteer efforts, and communicate with other response divisions. The pastor of the Waitsburg Christian Church, Hedges, said that there was no hesitation to say "yes" when the City of Waitsburg...
WAITSBURG-After a couple seasons of rest, the Waitsburg MatBirds will return to the mat this spring. Wrestlers, both boys and girls, ages 5-14 are welcome. The first practice was Tuesday, January 18, but program coordinator Kristy Taylor said that registrations will be accepted through February 15. The MatBirds practice on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday evenings, at the Waitsburg Elementary multipurpose room starting at 6:30 p.m. Athletes and parents must wear a mask while in the building....
OLYMPIA—The Washington State Board of Health (SBOH) will host a public, virtual meeting on January 12. The meeting has garnered much attention on social media from parents and caregivers of school-aged children. Rumors online suggest that the Board will be voting to require a COVID-19 vaccine for all school-aged children; however, that is not the case, according to a release that is available for viewing on www.sboh.wa.gov. The SBOH will not be voting to require a COVID-19 vaccine for c...
WAITSBURG-It's been a chilly past couple of weeks, with temperatures dipping into the negatives and the National Weather Service reporting as much as 18 inches of snowfall at the end of December. As a result, the streets of Waitsburg became packed with snow, which eventually turned into ice, making it difficult to leave the driveway and navigate the roads. According to Waitsburg City Administrator Randy Hinchliffe, the city does not provide snow removal services for several reasons. One is the...
Olga Dies Dreaming by Xochitl Gonzalez Dive into the complex family dynamics of siblings Olga and Prieto Acevedo, who are taking New York City by storm. Prieto is quickly climbing to stardom in the local politics scene, while Olga is a wedding planner, serving the city's elite. Their lives are turned upside down when their radical activist mother, Blanca, returns to the rapidly gentrifying Brooklyn neighborhood where the kids grew up. With their mother back in town, the siblings must revisit...
DAYTON—New policing laws and how they affect local law enforcement was the topic at a town hall presentation by Columbia County Sheriff’s Office on Tuesday and Wednesday nights last week. The discussion offered an in-person and an online option for all attendees., and the same information was shared both nights. Columbia County Sheriff Joe Helm and County Prosecutor Dale Slack led the discussion both nights to explain the recent legislation HB 1310 and HB 1054. The bills were passed to cre...
The Golden Days Era Committee voted on the following players for induction into the Baseball Hall of Fame this year: Dick Allen, Ken Boyer, Gil Hodges, Jim Kaat, Roger Maris, Minnie Minoso, Danny Murtaugh, Tony Oliva, Billy Pierce, and Maury Wills. The four players who received the necessary seventy-five percent of the vote to get in are Gil Hodges, Minnie Minoso, Tony Oliva, and Jim Kaat. Let’s take a look at the career of Jim Kaat and compare him to other pitchers in the Hall of Fame. K...
WAITSBURG—The Waitsburg City Council met on December 15 for the year’s final meeting. This was the last meeting for outgoing council members Karl Newell and Karen Gregutt. Roughly 15 community members attended the meeting. During public comment, library board member Marie Gagnon provided an update on the Weller Public Library improvements. She shared that a ceiling project was nearly done, and a wiring project that was started last month was nearly halfway complete. All wiring work is being don...
WAITSBURG-The Waitsburg School Board held its final regular meeting of the year on December 15, 2021. Board member Stephanie Cole was unable to attend. The meeting started with the newest board member, Dr. Carol Clarke, being sworn in by Superintendent Mark Pickel. Clarke will hold the seat formerly filled by Pam Chapman through the remainder of the school year. Secondary Principal Stephanie Wooderchak reported that two Waitsburg High School students, Megan Forney and Brayden Mohney, were...
It's day two of Winter Break here in the Compton household, and it feels like week six of cabin fever for my daughter, Gracie. To combat the boredom, Gracie and I have been busy whipping up treats and cookies for the birds and squirrels of Waitsburg. Each winter, our yard is swarmed by plump little Dark-eyed Juncos. We have a couple of fruit trees in our yard that the birds love. This winter, we decided to give them a little something extra, just in time for the snow. I discovered fat bombs for...
I have been busy driving around the past couple of weeks, finding fun gift ideas from local businesses. Gaudy Gals on Main is a true gem that is found close to home in Waitsburg. It is the type of store that I visit when I'm not sure what I want to get. I have yet to leave without that perfect, didn't-know-I-needed-it gift from the Main Street store. Located inside Waitsburg's Town Hall, Gaudy Gals is packed full of unique antiques, gorgeous jewelry, delicious candles, tea towels, and some of th...
WAITSBURG-The Waitsburg School Board met Thursday, December 2 for a special meeting. Immediately after adopting the agenda, the board broke for a 15 minute recess. The board recognized long-time member and chair, Ross Hamann, who announced earlier this year that he would not be running for re-election. Hamann served on the board for nearly 20 years. Superintendent Mark Pickel presented Hamann with a plaque that featured the Cardinal logo that Hamann drew years ago. The Cardinal has since become...
I am always pleasantly surprised at the women's shopping options in our area. From top-notch clothing to quirky, one-of-a-kind jewelry, shops from Dayton to Walla Walla have us ladies covered! It comes in handy when Christmas rolls around when you are shopping for your mom, aunt, sister, girlfriend, or wife. I have found that shopping for my mother is one of the most fun yet tedious parts of my overall gift giving. Dayton has so many interesting stores, and with a current vintage revival, I had...
The American Legion Post 42 led the parade down Main Street Dayton on November 26. The annual Christmas Kickoff event brought crowds of people together throughout the weekend....
WAITSBURG-Over the past month, City Administrator Randy Hinchliffe has been helping the City of Dayton with budgetary tasks, filling gaps left after former Administrator Trina Cole was dismissed from her position. Hinchliffe said that he had approached Dayton's mayor, Zac Weatherford, shortly after three employees were fired abruptly in June. He offered to help the city to bridge administrative gaps. "I reached out to Zac (Weatherford) and said, 'hey, if you need anything, just let me know. I'm...
It's beginning to look a lot like "I can't find my husband a Christmas gift" season! The two guys in my life, my dad and husband, are the hardest people to shop for gifts. Like most men I have ever met, they seem to have everything they need. When asked what they'd like for Christmas, they tell me they don't want anything. Trying to get a jump, I took a trip through Downtown Walla Walla to find something other than the usual Carhartt coat and power tool combo. My first stop, Main Street...
WAITSBURG-The Waitsburg City Council met for a regular meeting on November 17, at 7 p.m. During the public comment portion, resident Joy Smith thanked the council for all their work during their terms. The council held a public hearing regarding the city's property taxes. City Administrator Randy Hinchliffe said the city property tax base was assessed at $78 million last year. That figure jumped to a $90 million valuation this year due to new housing builds and sales. The city currently...
WAITSBURG—The Waitsburg School Board met Wednesday, November 17, for its regular meeting. The meeting was led by vice-chairman Ross Hamann, following the resignation of former chairman Pam Chapman earlier this year. Secondary Principal Stephanie Wooderchak reported that grades 6-12 had completed the year’s SBAC (SmarterBalanced) testing. She said that the fall testing was a shortened version and that students will return to regular testing schedules in March. Students in grades 3-12 will tak...
