Serving Waitsburg, Dayton and the Touchet Valley
Serving Waitsburg, Dayton and the Touchet Valley
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DAYTON - The Columbia County Commissioners will hold a public hearing during their regular September 3 meeting on a proposed ordinance to define zoning and other regulations for recreational marijuana in the unincorporated areas of Columbia County. The new ordinance would identify zones within the county in which production, processing and sales of recreational marijuana would be allowed. It would also set standards for firms licensed to produce and sell recreational marijuana and it would defin...
WAITSBUG - With the Southeast 2B District 9 football league down to four teams, non-league games will dominate the Waitsburg-Prescott Cardinals' schedule this year. And those games will be tough. "This is the toughest schedule we've had since I've been here," said WP coach Jeff Bartlow, who is entering his 16th season as head coach. With Dayton converting to eight-man football, WP's only league opponents this year will be De- Sales, Tri-City Prep and Asotin. The season begins with a road game...
DAYTON - Dayton High School has a new Principal for the 2014-15 school year. Kate Wenzl comes to Dayton from Port Angeles, where she has been a school administrator for eight years. Dayton Schools Superintendent Doug Johnson said that Wenzl was hired on an interim basis for the upcoming school year. She replaces Andy Maheras, who resigned in July. Wenzl grew up in Davenport, Wash. She is a Washington State University graduate. After teaching for several years in Port Angeles, she worked as an... Full story
DAYTON - About five minutes into her interview with a reporter on a recent morning, Carolyn Suffield, owner and operator of Carolyn's Café, had to excuse herself to help another customer. That customer was looking to buy a dryer. Such is the life of a café owner whose family is longtime owner of Suffield's Furniture and Appliance Store. Early this year, Suffield, and her husband, Al, decided to convert the west side of Suffield's furniture store, one of Dayton's oldest businesses, into a s... Full story
WAITSBURG - The Waitsburg Arts Commission heard presentations from four artists last week, each of whom shared his vision for one of two public art pieces the city is commissioning for downtown. The projects are being funded by a $125,000 grant the city received from the Sherwood Trust, in Walla Walla. The presentations, on August 13, were made at jimgermanbar. Jeffrey Hill and Squire Broel, both well-known Walla Walla artists, presented their concepts for a piece honoring three of Waitsburg's...
DAYTON - The Columbia County Sheriff's Office arrested 31-year-old Dayton resident Brandon John on Monday following two suspicious fires reported early that morning on Pettyjohn Grade Road and Robinette Mountain. Columbia County deputies have been investigating a series of suspicious fires over the last few months, according to court documents. John became the primary suspect after deputies and fire fighters noted the presence of his girlfriend's car near the scene of the Pettyjohn Grade fire,... Full story
DAYTON - The Columbia County Auditor's Office announced Tuesday that Randy O. Lewis's name will be added to the general election ballot this year as a challenger to County Prosecutor Rea Culwell. Lewis, who challenged Culwell in her 2010 reelection bid and lost, received 18 write-in votes in this year's primary election. Culwell was running unopposed. According to Washington State law, if a write-in candidate receives at least one percent of the total votes cast in a race, he or she is eligible... Full story
DAYTON - The Dayton City Council has scheduled a public hearing August 25 to take comments on the City's draft marijuana ordinance. The hearing will be held at 7 p.m. during the council's regular meeting at City Hall. During their meeting Monday night, the council approved the first reading of the draft ordinance, but took no action. According to City Planning Director Karen Scharer, members of the public are invited to make oral comments during the upcoming public hearing. Written comments are...
DAYTON - During their August 6 meeting, the Columbia County Board of Commissioners voted unanimously to deny a zoning text amendment that would have significantly changed the land use in the AR-1 zone in Columbia County. The amendment, which was requested by Monteillet Fromagerie owners Pierre Louis and Joan Monteillet, would have allowed on-site sales of any agricultural-related product in the AR-1 zone, regardless of where it was produced. Prior to the commissioners' vote, County Prosecuting... Full story
DAYTON - Tamara Fritze comes to the Dayton historic Depot after a long career as a college instructor and professor. She hopes to put her passion for studying history to good use in her new job as Depot manager. "I can't wait to start spending time with the archives," said Fritze, who started her job in mid-July. "I have to make sure I get the bookkeeping down too, though." Fritze was hired to replace former manager Mary Byrd, who left the Depot in June. As manager, Fritze is responsible for... Full story
DAYTON - Melody Reeves likes spiders and skulls, and she has incorporated them into the quilt she made for this year's Columbia County Fair. Against her grandmother's wishes. Reeves took part in the Columbia County 4-H quilt camp last week, along with her grandmother, Questa Bratton. This is her second year participating, which was one reason she held out for the pattern she wanted. When The Times visited on Friday, all of the campers were just finishing up their quilts, which they will show at...
WALLA WALLA - Incumbent Sheriff John Turner received less than half of the votes cast in Tuesday's primary election, but easily outpolled his two challengers. Tom Cooper appears to have bested fellow deputy Barry Blackman, by less than five percentage points, and will move on to face Turner in the general election in November. All three candidates were running as Republicans. Preliminary results Tuesday show that Turner received 4,874 votes, which was 45.5% of the votes cast. Cooper received...
DAYTON - Republicans Merle Jackson and Dwight Richter will face off in November for the open District 3 position on Columbia County Board of Commissioners. In Tuesday's primary election, Richter, who wasn't on the ballot but filed as a write-in candidate last month, placed second in the balloting, beating Dain Nysoe, who filed as a Democrat. Jackson was the top vote-getter, receiving more than 50% of the votes cast. Only voters in District 3 cast ballots for commissioner in the primary... Full story
DAYTON - The Columbia County Health System Board last week agreed to ask voters to approve a capital bond levy of $5.5 million in the November general election. The funds would finance remodeling of Dayton General Hospital. The vote on the resolution was unanimous. Voters who live within the Columbia County Hospital District boundaries will vote on the measure in November, and all property owners in the district would be affected by the new tax levy, if it passes. A 60% yes vote is required for... Full story
DAYTON - When Dayton High School Principal Andy Maheras announced earlier this month that he was leaving to take a new job, he joined a long list of teachers and staff in the Dayton schools who have departed since the end of the school year. Maheras accepted a job as assistant principal at Goldendale High School. In an interview last week, Dayton School Superintendent Doug Johnson said that a big part of the turnover this year is due to retirements. "When you have a long period of stability,...
DAYTON - Trains, planes and automobiles. And ships and rockets too. You can find them all - at least miniature versions - at Don's Blue Mountain Hobbies, a new shop on Dayton's Main Street. Don Johnson has been a hobby retailer for six years. He and his wife, Carolyn, recently moved from Snohomish, Wash. to Dayton, where he has opened his shop at 309 E. Main Street, the former home of Alexander's Chocolates. Carolyn Johnson is a mortgage operations specialist at Umpqua Bank. "I've been a model... Full story
DAYTON - The primary race for Columbia County Commissioner appears on ballots only in District 3, but it gained visibility earlier this month with the filing of a write-in candidate. Republican Merle Jackson and Democrat Dain Nysoe filed for the position in May, and only their names appear on ballots. Republican Dwight Richter said he intended to file in May, but held off because of health issues that could have been serious. He was later given doctor's clearance, he said, to go ahead and run....
WALLA WALLA - Walla Walla County Sheriff John Turner faces two challengers in his race for re-election to a second term this year. Patrol Sergeants Barry Blackman and Tom Cooper both filed this year to challenge Turner. All three candidates are running as Republicans. After the August 5 primary ballot count, the top two vote-getters will move on to the general election in November. The three candidates have run a contentious campaign so far. Both Blackman and Cooper have accused Turner of mishan...
DAYTON - Sixty years ago this summer, Bud Groom and Marilyn Fletcher were preparing for their senior year at Dayton High School. This summer, Bud and Marilyn, who have been married 58 of those years, will lead the Dayton Alumni Parade as Parade Marshals. The combined Dayton alumni and Mule Mania Parade begins at 10 a.m. Saturday on Dayton's Main Street. Many of the graduating classes with milestone anniversaries will prepare floats Friday night and ride them in the parade Saturday. When asked wh...
DAYTON - Jim Gallaher is a "Mule Guy." Only a Mule Guy would drive ten miles each way every day to check on his mule and feed her. "Every day," he said. "In the rain or in the snow; it doesn't matter." Gallaher bought his mule in May from a horse breeder in Pilot Rock, Ore. She's unbroken, and her name is Junie. ("I don't know how to spell it," he said. "I didn't name her.") He pronounces it "joo-nee," so The Times decided how to spell it (since we like making up our own spellings). Gallaher...
DAYTON - Mule and donkey owners from the northwest and the U.S. are preparing to invade the Columbia County Fairgrounds for next weekend's fourth annual Mule Mania mule and donkey show in Dayton. The show runs July 17 through 20 and is free to the public. More than 150 mules and donkeys are expected to take part. Beginning early Thursday, mule and donkey owners will take part in a wide variety of competitions, from English Dressage and driving to barrel racing and the Fast Ass Express. Riding an...
DAYTON - The city of Dayton planning commission will hold a continuation of a public hearing next week regarding updating the city's zoning code to address marijuana production and sales. The hearing will be held during the commission's regular July meeting on Tuesday, beginning at 6:30 p.m. in City Hall. A revised draft city zoning ordinance will be presented during the meeting. Under the proposed rules, marijuana retail stores will be a permitted use in commercial zones in the city, but not...
DAYTON - With unseasonably cool weather in store, the Dayton and Waitsburg Teams teed off last weekend in the fourth annual Touchet Valley Ryder Cup Tournament. Dayton came away with its fourth straight title, after a very close tournament. Waitsburg took an early commanding lead after Friday's first round, but Dayton slowly pulled its way back, evening the score at the end of Saturday's second round, before winning Sunday's round. "What a bunch of great players!" said Dayton captain Kim...
DAYTON - Ensign Sara Schlachter was commissioned as an officer the United States Navy Sunday afternoon during a ceremony at the Columbia County Courthouse here. Schlachter, 26, and a 2008 Dayton High School graduate, was given her oath by State Representative Terry Nealey in front of the courthouse steps. Members of Dayton's American Legion Post 42 presented colors and stood by as her oath was taken. A crowd, including Schlachter's parents, Alan and Terri, and several other Legion members,...
DAYTON - During a special meeting on June 25, the Columbia County Commissioners heard a proposal from members of the Dayton Country Club to make significant changes to how the Touchet Valley Golf Course in Dayton is operated. The group, which included Country Club board member Bill Savage and President Roger Trump, asked the commissioners to consider contracting grounds maintenance along with course management, beginning in 2015. Groundskeeping is currently done by county employees. The Country... Full story
