Serving Waitsburg, Dayton and the Touchet Valley
Serving Waitsburg, Dayton and the Touchet Valley
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WAITSBURG - Deer hunting season opened Oct. 13 and the Department of Fish and Wildlife said the week had been quiet in terms of the numbers of hunters. But, local law enforce- ment still reports instances of trespassing on private lands and poaching in the Touchet Valley area. "Trespass during hunting season is a problem," said Madonna Luers, a public information officer with the Washington State Depart- ment of Fish and Wildlife's Spokane Valley office. "It's their responsibility to know where...
WALLA WALLA - Corn and costumes made a perfect pair- ing last Thursday for the 45 Preston Hall students who visited the corn maze in Walla Walla. It was a warm, sunny fall day for the students who rushed off of the bus at the maze. Many donned costumes. Teacher Maddie Martin sported a crab hat and the kids were dressed as WP football players, serial killer monsters and even a dark fairy. Lori Bartlow, the school's administrative assistant and middle school athletic director said the kids who...
WAITSBURG - The numbers of students who qualify for free or reduced lunches in the Waitsburg School District has increased significantly since last year, said Superintendent Dr. Carol Clarke. The National School Lunch Program provides meals for free or for a reduced cost to more than 100,000 public and nonprofi t schools and residen- tial child care institutions across the nation, according to its website, www.fns.usda.gov. For school year 2012-13, those with a fam- ily of four people can get lunch for their school chil- dren at reduced prices... Full story
WAITSBURG - Waitsburg may have a new team to cheer for this spring. Jorge Martinez and Jeff Knowles, both of Walla Walla, have approached the Waitsburg School Board with their idea of starting a minor-league football team in the Touchet Valley and they want to use Waitsburg's football field for practices and games. The school board last Wednesday night unanimously approved going forward with the proposal for the football team pending final approval of a writ- ten agreement. "The potential for the community is kind of neat," said Stephanie... Full story
WAITSBURG - The WP cross country team is raising money for breast cancer pa- tients by selling wristbands. All cross country team members will be selling breast cancer awareness wristbands through Oct. 12 for $2 each. Coach Joanna Lanning said if all of the bands are sold, the team will be able to donate $600 to the Breast Cancer Special Needs Fund at Providence St. Mary's in Walla Walla. The idea for the fundraiser was Lanning's. She said she liked how NFL teams and the Walla Walla Rodeo par-...
WAITSBURG - The Waitsburg Clinic's new Ad- vanced Registered Nurse Practitioner Kortney Killgore- Smith brings emergency room experience to the Columbia County Health System and is ready to take on new family practice patients. Even though she is new to the health system, she's not new to the Waitsburg Clinic. Killgore-Smith spent 30 days working with Advanced Reg- istered Nurse Practitioner Dawn Meicher to learn the ropes of family practice. Meicher had months ago asked the health system to... Full story
WAITSBURG - The WP Cardinals fared better at home than in Pasco this past week, placing third as a team in Waitsburg last Wednesday and 15th as a team at the larger meet on Saturday. At the Pasco Bulldog Invite on Sept. 29, senior Seth Deal placed second with a time of 16:29.1. Tewedros McDowell was 41st, with a time of 18:26.7, followed by E.J. Meserve in 85th, with a time of 19:59.0, Jacob Dingfield in 115th, with a time of 21:20.6, and Kevin Kamel in 117th, with a time of 21:28.9. Kamiakin'...
DAYTON - Visible progress is being made at the Blue Mountain Station site at the west end of Dayton on Highway 12 and Jennie Dickinson, the manager of the Port of Columbia, is hoping to have more commitment letters signed soon. "I've got more inquiries than I've got space for," Dickinson said last Friday. In July, Dickinson announced two letters of commitment had been signed from businesses interested in moving their food operations into the first build- ing of Blue Mountain Station. The station...
DAYTON - A two-year contract was approved last Thursday night that will put Dale Polla in the top CEO spot at the Columbia County Health System. "We've pursued all efforts to find the right individual," said Ted Paterson, chairman of the health system's board. Polla, of Missoula, Mont., had been in the Dayton area looking for a house to buy after sending a counter offer back to the hospital board negotiation committee weeks ago. He said Thursday night he had planned to buy the home of former...
WAITSBURG - After 40 years of working at the Waitsburg Grocery Store on Main Street, Beryl Witt is retiring. Witt, 74, also known lov- ingly in the store as "Berylie Buns" and " Beryl- ie Bird" was showered with hugs, praise and memories last Friday at the store. Grocery store patrons enjoyed cake and told Witt the store would be a different place without her. "The Waitsburg Grocery is not going to be the same," co-owner Trina Cole said. Witt said she moved to Waitsburg in 1948. She held down...
WAITSBURG - At the end of August, the Mc- Gregor Company bought about 25 acres of land from the City of Waitsburg, but don't expect any expansion plans anytime soon, accord- ing to company officials. Pat McConnell, the gen- eral manager of retail operations for McGregor, said the land purchase was a wonderful opportunity to keep a Waitsburg branch of the company in operation. "In order to consider Waitsburg for expansion in the future, we need more acres," McConnell said. " The opportunity was... Full story
PRESCOTT - After 40 years of writing, Martin McCaw, now 80, is a pub- lished author. McCaw's short story about a salesman with the American Correspondence Institute opens Volume One of the "Short Story America Anthology." The story, which he worked on for the past 15 years, has been nomi- nated for a Pushcart Prize. And that's not all for Mc- Caw. Volume Two of the anthology was launched last weekend at the Short Story America Festival in Beaufort, S.C. Another of his stories will be in it. He...
IRRIGON, ORE. - The WP Tigers showed up ready to beat Irrigon, Ore., last Saturday taking the home team down, 6-2. "We're playing better," assistant WP coach Jay Potts said. The Tigers are now, 3-1, in wins and losses this season. Potts said Irrigon has a good team and this was the Tigers' first time playing the Knights. They are scheduled to play again in Prescott on Oct. 20. The reason the Tigers had the edge last Saturday was because of two returners who are now eligible were finally able to play with the team, Potts said. Carlos Sandoval...
WAITSBURG - After nearly 20 years of little to no activity at the 10 acres of property the Port of Walla Walla owns in Waitsburg, the piece of farmland will soon become a light indus- trial park. Jim Kuntz, the execu- tive director of the Port of Walla Walla, said the port obtained about 16 acres of land east of the city through donation from the city of Waitsburg and through a land sale in 1993 and 1994. He said the land was always planned for a future light industrial park. Small...
WAITSBURG - Five Waitsburg students pre- sented demonstrations and illustrated talks at the biggest fair in the state the past two weekends. The students, Seamus House, Tom House, Drew Farley, Amy Farley and Jared Farley prepared their presentations and stood up and spoke in front of audiences the weekends of Sept. 15 and 16 and Sept. 22 and 23. And the kids performed well. For their presentations, Drew Farley earned a blue ribbon, Amy Farley earned a Special Merit ribbon, and Jared Farley...
WAITSBURG - Af- ter four years as an FFA rock star at Waitsburg High School and touring the country as an agricultural representative for one year, Christy Poirier is now earning the highest honor in FFA - the American Degree. "I promised myself I would get an American degree," Po- irier said. And she sure did. Poirier is off in late October to the National FFA Conven- tion in Indiana to receive her award. According to the FFA web- site, "The American FFA Degree is awarded to FFA members who... Full story
WAITSBURG - The Weller Public Library won't be annexed into the Walla Walla County Rural Library District anytime soon. Waitsburg City Adminis- trator Randy Hinchliffe said last Wednesday he received a letter from the library board of the Weller Public Library saying the board is not interested in annexing the city into the rural library district. The Times asked for a copy of the letter and Hinchliffe responded the correspondence "it is more or less just a handwritten note indicating the Library's Board desire not to join the Rural Library... Full story
PRESCOTT - Last week, the Prescott City Council appointed a new councilman, Chuck Kimzey, who hopes to serve his community bet- ter through his new role. Kimzey, age 53, has resided in Prescott for the past three years. "I just kind of fell in love with it out here," Kimzey said. "It's my little chunk of heaven." Councilwoman Val- erie Jacobson said she had heard that Kimzey had wanted to be part of the council in the past, but had missed the deadline to get on the ballot. When Coun- cilwoman... Full story
PASCO - The WP boys ran to win last Wednesday with Seth Deal and Tewedros McDowell placing first and second, respec- tively, in the men's high school cross country race at the District 9 League Meet. Deal finished in 17:01 with McDowell behind him at 18:00. These top scores helped the WP men's team place second overall. "Seth ran tough, but relaxed as his lead was never threatened," said WP coach Joanna Lanning. "Tewedros was terrific, show- ing signs of emerging as a real talent." However, Lanning said tak- ing the top two spots still wasn't...
WAITSBURG - School staff members and administrators are worried students are not getting enough food to fuel their brains because of new fed- eral nutritional guidelines enacted this school year. Susan Wildey, the food services supervisor for the Waitsburg School District, said the amount of food offered for breakfast and lunch by the district's caf- eterias has been reduced this school year. The change in nutritional guidelines for all school districts across the country is because of the...
WAITSBURG - For one Waitsburg pas- tor, building an air- plane is a once-in-a-lifetime dream. Pastor Bret Moser of the First Presbyterian Church will be spending the next year of his life building an engine and putting the fin- ishing touches on a replica of the World War II Trainer Tiger Moth tandem airplane. Moser said this kind of plane was the first airplane that ca- dets in Canada and England trained in for battle. His plane is about 80 percent the size of the original. Moser doesn't plan...
PRESCOTT - The Prescott School District hopes to sell one of its rental properties because no teachers are living in the home this year, according to school officials. At the district's Aug. 30 meeting, the school board voted unanimous- ly to surplus the home at 104 W. First St. in Prescott. "This year, the house was vacant," Superin- tendent Dr. Bill Jordan said. The home was sold to the school district on Nov. 1, 1955, according to the deed on the property. A woman named Maybelle R. Cook had owned to house and sold it for $6,000. The home... Full story
PRESCOTT - After water tests showed bacteria in a water sample from Prescott City Hall two months ago, Mayor Libby McCaw con- firmed Monday night water testing has since proved the water to be clean for drinking in the city. At the Prescott City Council meeting last Monday, Mc- Caw said a water sample tak- en in July and tested showed there were harmful levels of bacteria in the water at city hall. Now, the city believes that sample taken was a false positive. The city had to test the water every week for one month after at city hall and five... Full story
CLARKSTON - The Day- ton cross country team showed it has some work to do at the Asotin XC Island Run Invite last Saturday. Out of 70 men in the var- sity race, Bulldog Austin Krekula took 35th with a time of 17:45.50. Tim Ihle took 67th place with a time of 22:35.53. The only Bulldog to compete in the varsity women's race was Kiara Biggar, who placed 46th with a time of 24:52.57. There were 52 women in the varsity race. The middle school runners outshined their varsity team runners. Zech Bryan placed 26th with a time of 12.06.06 in the middle...
HERMISTON - The WP Cardinal cross country men's team showed off its numbers and placed a respectable fourth place at its first meet of the season last Saturday in Hermiston, Ore. The team competed at the Runner's Soul XC Fest and earned 111 points. The cross country men's team from Hermiston won the meet with 30 points. WP Coach Joanna Lanning said the finish is impressive because WP was the smallest school at the meet that fielded a team. "We had a great day even though it was very hot," Lann... Full story
