Serving Waitsburg, Dayton and the Touchet Valley
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DAYTON-Women with Edwardian hairstyles, men in waistcoats, and trained horses were seen waiting patiently outside Dayton's Depot Museum last week. They were not waiting for an arriving train but to film their scenes for a short film produced by Walla Walla University. As the actors waited, the producers, Walla Walla University film students, and production staff, including director Richard Ramsey, were busy preparing for location filming. I met with one of the producers, Matt Webster, on the...
COLUMBIA COUNTY—On June 21, 2023, Jessica Ruffcorn submitted a petition to dissolve the Columbia County Rural Library District to the Columbia County Auditor’s Office. The auditor’s office began the process of verifying the signatures on June 22. Addresses and signatures were compared to those stored on the Secretary of State’s official voter information database. Voters can register, update, and verify their voter information on the official database at VoterWA.gov. In a letter to the Rural Library District Board Chair, dated June 27, 2023, C...
WAITSBURG—The Waitsburg City Council held its regular meeting at city hall on June 21, 2023. City council members Jillian Henze, Jim Romine, Kevin House, Court Ruppenthal, Mayor Marty Dunn, and City Administrator Randy Hinchliffe were present. Council member Randy Charles was absent. Washington State Senator Perry Dozier presented a recap of the recent legislative session. He discussed the capital, operating, and transportation budgets. Dozier worked to replace $21 million diverted from the 2015 “Connecting Washington” transportation packa...
DAYTON – The Dayton School Board met at 6 p.m. on June 14, 2023, in the High School library. Members of the school board present included Chair Jeffrey McCowen, Grant Griffen, Aneesha Dieu, and Zac Fabian. Superintendent Rich Stewart was also present. Korinda Wallace resigned from the School Board before the meeting. Jamie Trump, who spearheaded the sixth-grade camp at Camp Wootan, reported on this year’s camp. Sixty-seven sixth graders participated, supervised by 13-15 adult helpers and 16 day-instructors. Trump discussed camp activities, inc...
DAYTYON—Worlds collide in “The Flash” when Barry uses his superpowers to travel back in time in order to change the events of the past. But when his attempt to save his family inadvertently alters the future, Barry becomes trapped in a reality in which General Zod has returned, threatening annihilation, and there are no Super Heroes to turn to. That is, unless Barry can coax a very different Batman out of retirement and rescue an imprisoned Kryptonian… albeit not the one he’s looking for. Ultimately, to save the world that he is in and retur...
To the Editor At the June 26th library board meeting, it became clear that most people in the audience want to keep our public library. Not everyone agreed on how it would be run, but they didn’t want to lose the library. They want our community to come together again as friends and neighbors. If the library is defunded in the Nov. election, the library and Delany building would immediately be closed. The buildings would belong to the City of Dayton, who does not have a budget to support the site. All the printed contents of the library w...
To our community, What has happened to reaching out to those with differing viewpoints in a friendly and respectful manner to discuss opposing issues? The vile name-calling which cast aspersions on the soon-to-be former director of the library is unconscionable. Where is the goodness in the people of this community? We talk about protecting children, yet your behavior is nothing that we would want children to be exposed to. Please reconsider your actions and take the high road as members of this community. If you don’t like the books in the l...
WALLA WALLA-The "Heals on Wheels" mobile clinic, sponsored by Blue Mountain Heart to Heart, visits local communities, including Waitsburg, Prescott, Dayton, Pomeroy, and Starbuck. A registered nurse is on board and offers medical services, including COVID-19 testing and vaccines; wound care; pregnancy, STI, HIV, and blood pressure testing; Naloxone and syringe services. Anyone needing specific vaccines can call 509-301-5701. "Heals on Wheels" mobile clinic. Drug User Health Equity Program...
PRESCOTT-The Prescott Library had some unusual visitors last week, thanks to April Jackson, known as the Reptile Lady. She brought a variety of unique creatures to delight and educate kids and parents at the library. "I began as the Reptile Lady, following in the footsteps of my father, the Reptile Man. I am motivated by a vision of reaching all the children in Washington state in order to educate and inspire a love of and respect for reptiles," explained Jackson on her website, reptilelady.org....
WALLA WALLA-Work celebrating the local landscape with Waitsburg artists Greg Tate and Bill Rodgers will be exhibited at Cavu Cellars in Walla Walla from July 7 to July 30, 2023. There will be an artists' reception from 5 to 7 p.m. on July 7, 2023. In the upcoming exhibition, "A Celebration of Earth and Landscape," the work focuses on the artists' love of regional landscape and the varied physical aspects of the surface of the planet. The show will feature ceramics and watercolors by Tate and...
Ten Years Ago June 27, 2013 Wesley Hoskins grew up on a farm on Whetstone creek in the 1920s and 30s. During those years he witnessed some amazing changes. In 1930, there was no electricity on the farm. By 1940, the REA co-op had brought electricity to farmers on the Whetstone, and throughout Columbia County. In 1930, Hoskins' family – and all their neighbors – plowed, harrowed, and harvested wheat using draft horses or mules. By 1940, many farmers in Columbia County were using Caterpillar tra...
My mother and I moved to the great State of Washington just before my 12th birthday. First settling on Whidbey Island in north Puget Sound, I immediately fell in love with such local delicacies as steaming bowls of mussels, grilled wild caught salmon, and loganberry pie. Over the years, as I have traveled, and lived, across the different corners of this beautiful state, I am endlessly inspired by the variety and bounty of our regional cuisines. One of my favorite areas to explore is the Long...
Though it was a major part of the original plantings back in the 1970s when this pioneering Oregon vineyard was first established, Riesling is now a minor player in the Hyland mix. This is the product of own-rooted (ungrafted) vines that are between 45 and 50 years old and bring the special density and detail that simply cannot be expressed in younger fruit. Tart, fresh, sassy citrus fruit flavors are streaked with veins of wet rock. The long, lip-licking finish brings subtle hints of...
DAYTON-The Touchet Valley Arts Council (TVAC), with sponsorship from The Club and Dayton Memorial Library, brought Alex Zerbe and his Zaniac Comedy Show to the Liberty Theater on June 20. Zerbe joked and laughed as he entertained a theater full of children with his signature non-stop energy, zany tricks, magic, and juggling. The kids were awe-struck by his seemingly impossible tricks, including juggling a bowling ball and knives on a balance board. In another, a favorite of his youthful...
Juvenile bears are finding their way with out mom this tine of year. If you encounter one, leave it alone, don't feed it, or try to be their buddy. Of course, if they are posing for you, how do you not take a quick photo to send to "The Times."...