Serving Waitsburg, Dayton and the Touchet Valley
Serving Waitsburg, Dayton and the Touchet Valley
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WAITSBURG – A group of Waitsburg community leaders is determined not to let the 100th anniversary of the Days of Real Sport go unnoticed or, better yet, make the third weekend in May a full-fledged horse- centered extravaganza with or without the return of pari- mutuel racing. “We’re just getting off the ground,” Waitsburg Mayor Walt Gobel said about the group that met for the first time on Dec. 17 to plan for the 2013 DRS commemorative festivities. “But I’m really excited about it. Ther... Full story
Since we bought The Times more than three years ago, we've made a lot of changes we believe have improved local readers' access to good and timely information. One of those changes is more indepth and, at times, critical reporting of public agencies such as the hospital district, schools, city governments, county government and so on. One of the most important reasons for this approach is the need for local residents and tax payers to know how their hard-earned contribu- tions to these agencies are be- ing spent and what decisions their...
WAITSBURG - Attendance at the recent WHS Harvest Ball was down compared to the Homecoming Dance earlier in the school year, according to Waitsburg School District officials. Only 40 kids showed up for the second of three annual school-facilitated dances. Short of a student body survey, it's hard to know why fewer students attended the event, but school officials are concerned some would-be dancers stayed away because of the controversy over dance rules and parent access to the kids' social activities. "I think it's sad our kids are i...
TOUCHET - Chuck Car- ruthers remembers how doz- ens of residents of Prescott volunteered their time and resources to launch the city's library in a space donated by the Lions Club. "There were 66 people who donated their time and skills," said Carruthers, who was mayor of Prescott at the time. "The district provided the books. It was a coopera- tive effort." The year was 1999 and the space was 900 square feet. More than a dozen years later, the community has far outgrown its little library, so its residents are thrilled they will get a new one... Full story
WAITSBURG - Some time before Coppei Coffee Co. opened on Main Street in August of 2011, Allison Bond and her husband Bruce Donohue had their eyes on a downtown building to start a café just like it. They had the same thought I did when they took one look at the Burg: This place needed a coffee shop. Now they'll have it, or rather, Bond will have it. Coppei Coffee Co., Llc., has leased its premises and equipment to Bond's Llc, Bitey Parrot. The papers were signed recently and she officially took...
Hewitt Tops Nettles For Senate Dozier Beats Blackman For Commissioner Talbott Edges Out Bensel For Commissioner WAITSBURG - Mike Talbott edged out a narrow victory over Tom Bensel for Columbia County Commissioner District 1 Position 1. Talbott came out on top of the General Election last Tuesday by a margin of only 117 votes. One hundred thirty-eight ballots are estimated left to be counted on Nov. 9, which could impact this close race. Talbott came out ahead last Tuesday night with 1,029...
SEATTLE – Normally, it would be the kind of notoriety a small town wants to avoid: A murderer rents a home on a quiet leafy street as his base of operation to knock off a former lover and pin the blame on her ex- husband. But that’s only if the story were true. In the case of “Killer Cuvee,” a new book by Steven Wells, it’s harmless fiction and Waitsburg is merely an edge-of-the-wine country backdrop to a larger plot that unfolds thrillingly in Walla Walla, Seattle and London. Wells, who lives...
SEATTLE - Kirby Kallas-Lewis wanted to operate his boutique distillery in Waitsburg. He and his wife KT Niehoff bought the Lounda- gin Building on Main Street four years ago to redevelop as a hotel just at the time Kallas-Lewis began to take an interest in making spirits. For a while he explored the idea of setting up his operation in the basement. Regulations for a distillery on the premises of a lodging establishment, however, proved tough. So, he abandoned his vision for the distillery,... Full story
PRESCOTT - The pressure is on. Just more than two years into their successful combine soccer program, the Waitsburg- Prescott Tigers are now the state's defending champions. The young team famously beat the Providence Highlanders to win the state 1B/2B crown and bring it home to Prescott late last year. "Every game's going to be harder (this year)," head coach Mark Grimm said. "Everyone wants to take down no. 1." The Tigers, now going into their third year as a soccer power, will have to take on the league without the likes of ace goalie...
WAITSBURG - Or- ganizers of this year's Pioneer Fall Festival are hoping Waitsburg mer- chants will step up to provide food for the event's numerous guests now that the traditional buf- falo barbecue has been discontinued. "We're now almost ready to begin publiciz- ing the event and would like to mention the food," said Jeff Broom, presi- dent of the Waitsburg Historical Society. "We would like to include a list of those who will par- ticipate." Broom said he hopes local restaurants and busi- ne...
Our First Anniversary E arly next month, it will be a year since we opened Coppei Coffee Co. As readers will recall, it was in early August when the café, Betty's Diner and the Anchor all opened at the same time following months of renovations and preparations. It was an exciting week- end. Switching hats from running the till at the Coppei nonstop to covering the news for the Times that first Satur- day, I wandered over to the diner to take pictures of the crowd there and stopped by the new...
WAITSBURG - If you like con- temporary reggae music or simply can't keep your body from moving to a good beat, you don't have to wait for Ziggy Marley's Wild & Free tour to come to Walla Walla next month. The two-year-old Tri Cities band Fishbowl will be all too happy to sweep you off your feet with its unique mixture of reggae dub funk fusion at Coppei Café Saturday night, June 30, drummer/vocalist Geoff Bond said in a telephone interview. "There's no way not to move to this," the band's...
DAYTON - After half a decade of being a colorful literary presence on news- stands and in mail boxes around the Touchet Valley, the monthly Blue Mountain News has ceased to exist, the publisher of the popular news magazine recently con- firmed. "After five years, all three of us were ready to move on," owner and publisher Ken Graham said about himself, advertising representative Tanya Patton and designer/ graphic artist Vanessa Heim. Even before the maga- zine lost two of its anchor... Full story
YAKIMA - The Dayton Bulldogs kept their bats moving and brought runs around, splitting their games on both Friday and Saturday at the WIAA softball state tournament at the Gateway Sports Complex in Yakima. The Dogs won one game each Friday and Saturday, but also lost two, ending up in the top 8. GAME ONE Sometimes, a single firstinning run is all it takes to win a game and that's just what the Bulldogs got on Friday morn- ing in their matchup against the Warden Cougars. Making things even... Full story
DAYTON - Not long after the smoke clears from the Friday night All Wheels Weekend fireworks on the corner of Fourth and Main streets this year, the property from which they're launched will be the scene for another milestone celebration. At 11 a.m. the next morning, local officials and Daytonites will help investors Darrek and Christina Duke from Anderson, Nev., break ground for the new 50-room Best Western hotel expected to be up and running in the spring of next year. "We're looking forward to seeing the dirt moving and the sticks go up,"... Full story
WAITSBURG - For the first time in the history of Waitsburg's Memorial Day ceremony, those who currently serve their country received special attention along with veterans past and present. Seventeen local families received a Blue Star Service Banner from the American Legion Auxiliary Chapter 35, a recognition the service men and women usually receive at a muster but not on Memorial Day. The Blue Star Service Banners were created in 1917 and were a common sight during World Wars I and II....
PASCO - The Tigers won a respectable second place in the 2B District 9 tournament at the TRAC Softball Complex in Pasco after falling to DeSales, 9-2, in an early evening game. Sure, the Tigers would have loved to clinch the top spot in the district Friday night. But compared to last year when the WP softball team didn't make it to district tournament, the 2012 team battled for a chance to go to state with a lot more focus and success, coaches and players said this weekend. "We put our minds to...
PASCO -- It was almost a dare to senior Bulldog Nicole Lambert Bulldog head coach Terry Robbins told his players not to focus too much on trying to get home runs in their game against Tekoa- Oakesdale-Rosalia, which they won 4-1 Friday. After all, the outfield fence they would have to clear was 225 feet from home plate. He told the Lady Dogs they were not likely to hit that far. But by the time Lambert had accumulated a full count with two outs and two bases loaded in the bottom of the third...
DAYTON - Dayton's Lady Bulldogs collected hits despite the heat in Tuesday afternoon's softball game against the Liberty Christian Patriots. Dayton beat the Patriots previously, 13-1, and, 13-4, in a doubleheader that paved the way for Tuesday's home field matchup against the same team. "We played them last Thursday and swept them," Dayton assistant coach Desirae Jones said. "They are a pretty young team, but they are not to be overlooked." Pitcher Samantha Harting held the Patriots without...
WAITSBURG -- Long before the popularity of the Buena Vista Social Club, Eddie Manzanares was in Cuba soaking up its music. Born in 1963 in Vera Cruz on the Mexican Gulf Coast, Manzanares would join other youths from his community on cultural exchanges to the Caribbean Islands. His group would show off Mexican dances and songs, while bringing home the Son Montuno, a uniquely Cuban musical genre that blends the Spanish guitar and lyrical traditions with the spice of Afro-Cuban percussion and...
DAYTON - Tipsy, deep in debt, recovering from a winter car accident and stressed out from a fight with his wife, Joseph Shuba snapped on the evening of Sunday, April 29, went into the couple's bedroom to get his .22-caliber pistol, returned to the kitchen where the couple had been preparing dinner and shot Suzanne Shuba in the head, according to police reports obtained by the Times. "Nothing could stop me from walking into that bedroom and doing what I did," Shuba is quoted as telling Columbia...
RICHLAND - The Dayton Bulldogs blew the Liberty Christian Patriots out of the water, 8-0, on Tuesday night in district playoffs thanks to pitcher Lowden Smith. "Lowden pitched a heck of a game," said Dayton head coach Sal Benavides. Tuesday's success means the Bulldogs will meet rival WP in Walla Walla at Borleske Stadium on Saturday at 1 p.m. The winner from Saturday's game will play in regionals on May 19 in Mossyrock. On Tuesday in Richland, Smith gave up only two hits, one walk and threw...
PRESCOTT - The Waitsburg Prescott Tigers are off to their next playoff game in Walla Walla this weekend after handily beating Tekoa-Oakesdale Rosalia (TOR), 10-0, last Tuesday night. "It was a good day," head coach Dustin Snedigar said after the game. "It was pretty well-rounded with Zach (Bartlow) throwing a lot of strikes, strong defense and the bats coming to life in the third inning." WP faces Dayton in the next playoff game on Saturday at 1 p.m. at Borleske Stadium in Walla Walla. Dayton beat Liberty Christian in Richland, 8-0, last...
ROSALIA - The Lady Bulldogs are in third place in their league with a 6-4 record after splitting a doubleheader with Tekoa-Oakesdale- Rosalia Saturday. But the Dogs won't know for some time whether they'll go to the playoffs as other league teams still have as many as half their league games left to play. Dayton came out swinging against TOR on Saturday, beating the Night Hawks, 9-4, in the first game. Bulldog pitcher Sam Harting struck out nine of the first 10 batters and had 14 strike outs...
WALLA WALLA - After splitting its doubleheader game against DeSales Tuesday, the Waitsburg-Prescott Tigers are focusing on Saturday's game against St. John- Endicott in preparation for the playoffs. Now solidly in third place in the league, the Tigers would remain in the top three if they split or sweep St. John this weekend. If they're swept, the WP players may end up in fourth place, depending on the outcome of other league games this weekend. Either way, WP will have its first loser-out game...
