Serving Waitsburg, Dayton and the Touchet Valley
Serving Waitsburg, Dayton and the Touchet Valley
Sorted by date Results 151 - 175 of 180
DAYTON - Paul Hendrickson began working at Elk Drug, in downtown Dayton, in 1968. He and his wife, Marcene, purchased the business in 1979 when the pharmacy was 90 years old. Now, nearly 47 years later, Hendrickson has concluded his career as a pharmacist and has retired - for the second time. He is followed by longtime employees Sherry Groom and Kathy Berg. "I feel blessed to have had such loyal employees and customers - from both Dayton and Waitsburg - over the years," Hendrickson said. The...
DAYTON - Physicians Kim Abernethy and Marek Marcinkiewicz have resigned from their positions with Columbia County Health System, effective Dec. 29, according to interim Chief Executive Officer Jon Smiley. Smiley did not comment on the reasons for their resignations, both tendered in September. "We wish them well in their future practices, though," he said. Smiley and the hospital district board are actively recruiting new physicians to fill the vacancies, but this is a challenging task. "It's a...
DAYTON - It's budget season, and Dayton residents are invited to the second of three budget hearings for the city of Dayton scheduled for Monday, Nov. 24, at 7 p.m. During the first hearing, on Nov. 10, city council members approved the 1 percent property tax increase allowed annually in support of the city's budget. The third and final public hearing scheduled before the council votes to approve the 2015 budget will take place on Monday, Dec. 1. Also on the agenda for this Monday's meeting is...
DAYTON - Lael Loyd works with artists every day. As manager and custom framer at Dayton's Wenaha Gallery, on Main Street, Loyd is a professional art appreciator. "One question I'm asked often is, 'Do you have any work in here? Are you an artist?'" Loyd had always responded to this question with, "No, unfortunately not. I just work with framing the art." But one day a conversation with an artist helped her define her role in the art community. "She said, 'There are those who create and those who...
DAYTON - The Touchet Valley was touched by early snows this past week and temperatures plummeted into the teens over the weekend, but the long-range forecast for our area doesn't look much like the weather we've had since Thursday. In fact, temperatures are predicted to warm into the 40s later this week. Before Wednesday's cold spell settled in, the weather station at the Dayton Middle School registered temperatures in the 60s and very low 70s in the first week of November. "This pattern looks...
DAYTON - Most people contact their doctors when they are unwell, but what if it were the other way around? What if your doctor contacted you when she was concerned about your health? This type of proactive healthcare is the future of medicine, according to Dayton's Columbia Family Clinic Manager Cheryl Skiffington. Now patients and residents in the Columbia County Health System are on the leading edge of this movement thanks to a new program initiated by Skiffington along with the health...
DAYTON - For more than 100 years, schools across the nation have been celebrating Homecoming, honoring school alumni who often return to their alma mater to reconnect with people, places and traditions during events all week culminating with the Friday night football game and high school dance on Saturday. This week, Dayton High School continues the tradition with activities, games, parades, and, of course, the Homecoming Dance. The week began with Powder Puff football and a barbecue, followed...
DAYTON - The Dayton Lady Bulldogs had a tough weekend on the basketball court after several weeks of success. The girls lost Friday to Tri-Cities Prep 46-45 in overtime and then struggled against DeSales on Saturday, losing 38-20. "We had chances to win the game (Friday against TCP) where we were up at several points, but did not go little things to keep us up," said Dayton girls coach Clayton Strong. "To give them credit, the other team did enough of those little things to keep th...
DAYTON - Dayton girls played two home games last week, coming out on top in both. On Tuesday, January 7, they defeated River View High School, with a final score of 44-31. "I thought we played pretty good defense again in the first half, as we held them to nine points," said Dayton girls basketball coach Clayton Strong. "Our defense also spurred out offense as we were able to get out on the break and get easy points in transition." Strong was also pleased with how the Lady Bulldogs shared the...
DAYTON - The Lady Bulldogs played just one game last week, but it was a feather in their cap as things turned out. The Lady 'Dogs defeated the Asotin Panthers 46-35 on Saturday. "I was proud of the way we played team defense," said Dayton coach Clayton Strong. "It was one of the best games we have had playing defense all year, which included blocking out the best that we have so far this year, and holding their best player to a total of two points." Strong said he was equally pleased with how...
DAYTON - Small communities often have a big population of gun enthusiasts, and the Touchet Valley is no exception. Access to good places to shoot is important for these folks. But throughout the country, small gun ranges are fighting to stay open. A 2012 article in Outdoor Life maga- zine stated that public and private shooting ranges face many challenges these days - though interest in the sport is not the problem. Among more than 500 ranges interviewed in 2011, 42.4 percent said the volume of...
Local 4-H club teaches shooting skills & responsibility DAYTON - It's no secret that parents and other concerned adults in this country are spending a lot of time these days trying to decide on the best way to keep kids safe around guns. For a handful of adults in Columbia County, the answer is simple: Teach our youth how to properly handle and use guns. "There's no question that kids in our rural commu- nities will be exposed to firearms at some point in their life, whether at home or when...
DAYTON - Dayton's girls came out on top in their first league home game of the season on Saturday, defeating Tri-Cities Prep 42-28. At one point in the fourth quarter, the Lady 'Dogs' lead jumped from five to 18 in just a few quick plays, which made head coach Clayton Strong proud. "It's a sign that we're really maturing as a team," he said. "That and also how well the girls shared the ball during the game, which they did better in this game than I've seen them do in the three years since I too...
DAYTON - The Dayton School District is struggling to engage citizens in a discussion of the $19.5 mil- lion bond levy measure the district is considering for the April 2014 ballot. Last Thursday was the second of three public fo- rums planned on the topic of the proposed facilities up- grade, but just nine citizens attended (more than half in attendance were employees of the district, sit on the school board, or are members of the committee that worked on the project plan). Though few voices wer...
WAITSBURG - Dayton and Waitsburg students col- lected 1,093 pounds of food and nearly $600 in cash donations for local food banks this past weekend, during a new, joint-community event coined "The Battle Against Hunger." The two school districts were looking for an extra, non-league basketball game and hit upon the idea of a Cardinals-versus-Bulldogs match (boys and girls) and involving both communi- ties, according to Stephanie Wooderchak, Waitsburg High School athletic director and secondary...
WAITSBURG - Saturday's pre-league girls' basketball game between Dayton and WP was a success for the Lady Bulldogs. Though the Cardinals were on their home court, Dayton girls won the game 37-22. The victory wasn't as sweet as it could have been for Bulldog Coach Clayton Strong, however. "The game did not have a lot of flow to it as neither team shot the ball well or took care of the ball," Strong said. "We are glad that we won a rivalry game away from home, but I don't think that we are sati...
MILTON-FREEWATER - The Lady Bulldogs played two pre-league basketball games here over the weekend, coming out on top in both with a strong defense in the first three quarters. "Of course we can always get better," said girls coach Clayton Strong. "But our defense was pretty sweet over the weekend." Friday night was the first game of the Oregon tournament, and the girls played Mac-Hi. Dayton was up 25 points going into the fourth quarter and took the game by a score of 42-26. "The final s...
DAYTON - Tuesday morning, folks in Dayton awoke to the first snowfall of the season. Up the river and into the woods, elevation 4545 feet, the general manager of Ski Bluewood writes, "We will be firing up the snow cats to get a closer look at our slope coverageshellip; Think Snow!" Eight inches of new snow was reported at the base of the resort. Ten inches at the summit. "Let it snow! Let it snow!!" Nobody can predict just when Ski Bluewood will open for its 2013-2014 season, but ma...
DAYTON - What would you do with an extra day? The members of Dayton's First Congregational Church decided they would use it to provide care, comfort and hot food to the community. So on February 29, 2012, Pastor Marj Johnston and her congregation provided their first free community soup and bread dinner. "It was meant to be a simple meal," Johnston said. "A safe place and a good, hot meal. We wanted to create a place of welcome at a time of year when people tend to be isolated." Dozens of...
DAYTON - Most Dayton fall sports coaches are losing only a few seniors this year. But regardless, each spoke with fondness of youth they've had a hand in raising over the past four years at last Thursday's 2013 Fall Sports Banquet in the Dayton multipurpose room. Head football coach Dean Bickelhaupt had, by far, the largest number of seniors on his team. "We had probably the best team chemistry this year that I've had in all my years coaching," Bickelhaupt said Thursday. "The older players...
DAYTON - This is still the little town that believes in kicking off the holiday season with an old-fash- ioned Christmas celebration on the weekend following Thanksgiving. This year the festivities have been extended to cover two full days, with fireworks on Friday, November 29, at 7 p.m. and the lighted parade down Main Street on Satur- day at 6 p.m. "Merchants and visitors have expressed an interest in turning Christmas Kickoff into a true two-day event," said Dayton Chamber of Commerce...
DAYTON - Imagine a teacher taking his students on a field trip and leaving one or two behind. Inconceivable, some might say. Yet this is just how former President George W. Bush described the country's dysfunctional education system in 2001 when he proposed the No Child Left Behind Act. No Child Left Behind introduced federal standards to our nation's schools. Though Bush's ideas for education reform were both well-received and strongly criticized, they drew attention to a new way to look at...
DAYTON - New smiles greet students and visitors to the Dayton Elementary School office these days. Recently appointed Principal Pam Lindsley and school secretary Zarabeth Bierman have joined secretary Jennifer Finney in manag- ing the day-to-day business of operating a busy grade school. Lindsley, of Spokane, was hired this summer to fill the shoes of outgoing principal Katie Leid, who retired at the end of the 2012-2013 school year following nine years with the district. "I am truly happy to...
I s it ironi c that I h ave lived next door to Dan and Rosie Nechodom since May but had never been inside their home until this week? Let me explain further. The Nechodoms are some of the friendliest people in Dayton. Dan is a Dayton High School teacher and track coach. Rosie is the school counselor for both Dayton and Waits- burg districts. I have five kids at home who use the Nechodoms' giant, outdoor trampoline several times each week. Now are you surprised we've never visited before now?...
Peter Pan: The Musical comes to Dayton, opening November 15 DAYTON - Next week the Liberty Theater stage will come alive with pirates, fairies, Indians and rag-tag boys who never want to grow up, as the Touchet Valley Arts Council presents its annual fall musical, Peter Pan. Opening Friday, November 15, at 7 p.m. and running through December 1, this beloved J.M. Barrie tale of the Dar- ling children and their adventures in Neverland with Peter and the Lost Boys is suitable for ages 5 and up....
