Serving Waitsburg, Dayton and the Touchet Valley
Serving Waitsburg, Dayton and the Touchet Valley
Sorted by date Results 1 - 24 of 24
Aloha from Maui! The waves were perfect on June 23, for perfect boarding at Beach Big, Makena State Park. The beach is nearly 1.5 miles long, making it one of the most popular beaches on the island. The Times reporter, Beka Compton, and family found a cool place to get out of the Pacific Northwest heatwave....
WAITSBURG — Many state, county, and city officials ask the public to celebrate the Fourth of July without home fireworks this year. The Pacific Northwest is experiencing extreme heat conditions causing serious concerns over health and fire safety going into the Fourth of July celebrations. Even though the risk of fire increases significantly during extreme heat conditions, under Washington state law, local jurisdictions cannot impose temporary bans on fireworks. The times to purchase and use fireworks in the state are regulated under RCW 7...
DAYTON-It has been two weeks since Dayton Mayor Zac Weatherford terminated the employment of the City Administrator, Trina Cole, the Planning and Community Development Director, Meagan Hayes, and the Public Works Director, Jim Costello. The mayor has been on a family vacation and attempts to reach him have been unsuccessful. However, the Times was provided with the following written statement from Weatherford to the Dayton City Council, dated June 16: "Although their work and dedication to our...
Following the deadly events at home, the Abbott family (Emily Blunt, Millicent Simmonds, Noah Jupe) must now face the terrors of the outside world as they continue their fight for survival in silence. Forced to venture into the unknown, they quickly realize that the creatures that hunt by sound are not the only threats that lurk beyond the sand path. Rotten Tomatoes gives this film a 91% “fresh” or favorable rating, and the audience reviewers rate it as 93% favorable. Many on-line critics give this horror film high marks and note that they thi...
SPOKANE – The Columbia County Children’s Fund grant program at Innovia Foundation is currently accepting applications from organizations that serve children in Columbia County. The Columbia County Children’s Fund provides support to organizations within Columbia County. Applications must address one of the following program areas: Educational enrichment and special needs programs, with preference given to elementary school-aged children. Guidance, counseling and therapy to children and their families. Medical and dental services and/or suppl...
The family of Greg Davis would like to sincerely thank our many relatives and friends for the cards, food, flowers, phone calls, messages, comfort, and kindness shown to us during this difficult time of loss. Your support was very much appreciated and of great comfort to all of the family. Vicki, Sheila, Shelli, Jake, Darla, & Debbie...
ATHENA, OR — Athena Caledonian Games continues its long history of Highland Gatherings in Athena, Oregon with a day of family fun at Athena City Park on Saturday, July 10. Starting with a parade on Main Street at 9:00 AM, you are invited to go to City Park for an Old Car Show, a Kiddie Bike Parade, a Pet Parade, contests and games for kids and a Bonniest Knees Contest, well, everybody is wearing kilts or at least shorts, right? (Judged by the senator’s wife, who will be blindfolded, that should be something to see!) Touches of Old, tra...
DAYTON – On Wednesday, June 23, 2021, the Columbia County Rural Library District celebrated the inaugural ride for its new lift/elevator that serves both floors of the library and the Delany Building. On hand, were current and former members of the Library Board of Trustees, and community members who will benefit from improved access to the library. Thank you to all who made this possible....
Dear Editor, The past year and a half has been an eye opening experience for me; I have learned that straying away from the pushed narrative, thinking for myself, and getting opinions or advice from other sources is considered dangerous, resulting in myself being labeled a conspiracy theorist. If asking questions about basic subjects and questioning what the “experts” say is labeled a conspiracy theorist, then yes, I suppose I am. Critical thinking and questioning are not things that should be discouraged – if your mind, body, and soul tell...
WAITSBURG — The Weller Library Board of Trustees met on June 23 at the Weller Library in Waitsburg. The three current board members, Jim Leid, Becky Huwe, and Elenora Montgomery, were in attendance. Librarian Rosie Warehime, Lane Gwinn, and Terry Lawhead were also at the meeting. The city’s proposal to surplus the current building and move the library to a new location was discussed by the board. There was confusion over Mayor Dunn’s explanation for removing the item from the city council’s agenda in June. Montgomery said the board has the pow...
WALLA WALLA — At 12:02 p.m. on June 24, 2021, crews from Walla Walla Fire Stations 1 and 2 were dispatched to a residential structure fire at 1731 Portland Ave., with a report that a heater in the hallway was on fire. Walla Walla County Fire District #4 provided mutual aid. Upon arrival, crews reported seeing light smoke coming from the front door with a heavier smoke present from all other sides. The home’s resident, Teah Lieferman, and her children were out of the structure upon the crews’ arrival; however, the family’s pet dog was still i...
OLYMPIA — Gov. Jay Inslee released a statement today ahead of Washington’s upcoming June 30 reopening for individuals and businesses preparing to return to normal capacity and operations. “Washington has come a long way since the first confirmed case of COVID-19 in the country was found in our state January 2020, and that is in no small part due to Washingtonians’ dedication and resilience in protecting themselves and their communities throughout the pandemic. “Because folks listened to the science and stayed home to stay healthy, wore mask...
WALLA WALLA — At a June 29, 2021, special meeting, the Walla Walla City Council did not express objection to the proposal of city officials to postpone the city’s July 4 fireworks display because of the current extreme heat and dry conditions. As such, the city is officially announcing the display will be postponed until an as-yet-unknown later date. At the special meeting, the Council voted to approve an ordinance that authorizes the city manager to prohibit the discharge of any or all fireworks within city limits. Pursuant to RCW 70....
OLYMPIA – The Secretary of Health’s mask order will remain in place even after June 30, which means that people who are not fully vaccinated need to continue to wear a face mask in public indoor settings even when things start to go back to normal as the state reaches a reopening milestone. All people, regardless of vaccination status, are still required to wear masks in certain places, such as schools and health care settings. In most other settings, people who are fully vaccinated do not need to wear a mask. Businesses and local aut...
The dog days are close at hand, and with a record heatwave happening as we speak, what better way to beat the heat than to head down to your favorite swimming hole with "Rover" in tow. Few things are as rewarding as a romp in the river or pond with your pup, particularly the variety that enjoy a good fetch and retrieve. My setters are shy on the game of fetch, but a good swim is a home run when the temperatures soar into the 90s and beyond. One of their favorite spots is right in Waitsburg,...
I am now officially and happily the Ice Queen. Just in time for the brutal heat wave that struck this week, we finally have a functioning ice machine. Sometimes, the small pleasures in life (albeit this time an expensive one) provide much-needed satisfaction and relief. Relief that I don't have to stop to buy and then carry 40-50 pounds of ice into the restaurant daily. More importantly, I can generously fill our patrons' glasses with ice water, lemonade, or iced tea. This new modern machine...
We’ve all heard stories about professional athletes that have squandered millions in salary and ended up homeless. The following story is not one of those. It is about a great decision made by a major league baseball player who retired in 2001. Thanks to a good agent, high interest rates, and a leap of faith retired player, Bobby Bonilla has been getting a check for $1.19 million every July 1 from the New York Mets since 2011. He will continue receiving a check through 2035 when he is s...
A reminder that the area is exceptionally dry and there is a burn ban in effect. If you plan to use the gun range at this time, please do not use metal targets unless they are provided by the range or muzzleloaders. To those who must be out in this heat (construction crews & first responders especially) please take care of yourselves – hydrate, hydrate, hydrate!...
Walla Walla – The July exhibit at Combine Art Collective will feature work by Sheilia Coe and Dianna Woolley. After retiring, Shelia Coe, pursued her other interests, including becoming a Master Garder. Fortunately, she took an interest in sculpture after taking instruction from sculptor, Penny Michel. Coe works in clay, creating pieces inspired by nature and animals. Her childhood was one full of art, thanks to a mother who encouraged her daughter to become an artist. It just took a while. P...
Groovy Session One of Walla Walla Rock Camp is in the history books. As I write this, Session Two is in progress. I've been aware of Rock Camp for years through the involvement of friends in the Touchet Valley, but this is the first year I've participated. The organizers recruited me as a keyboard and vocal coach. Rock Camp is an annual intensive music program for youth ages 12-18. They receive instruction from experienced musicians on everything from guitar, piano, and voice to songwriting,...
Ten Years Ago June 30, 2011 Waitsburg residents and visitors noticed several weeks ago how each of the entrances to town – eastbound Highway 124, northbound Highway 12 and westbound Highway 12 – got new welcoming banners with the words “Waitsburg A-Waits You,” a phrase coined by Mayor Walt Gobel to invite travelers to the downtown area one block off Highway 12. In addition to the six new banners at city entrances, the city also put up 10 new downtown banners on the streetlights to complement the existing 11, and mounted 44 hanging baskets...
Sometimes, after a long night serving $200 dinners (see my article about tasting menus on page 12) I would stop at the Aladdin Gyro-cery, in Seattle's University District, for a cheap late-night meal. Inside, the aroma of heavily spiced chicken shawarma or beef gyros, are instantly enticing, however, the menu item I've ordered the most is the falafel. Crispy on the outside, fragrant and soft inside, stuffed in fluffy pita bread with a zingy tahini sauce, these vegetarian delights always...
Having worked as a server at some of Seattle's best restaurants, I've had the honor of working for some of the finest chefs in the city. The more time you spend with great chefs, the better you become at identifying a chef's culinary signature, especially when it is your job to sell their creations. Beyond mastery of technique and selecting favorite ingredients, a good chef must develop a distinct point of view to help them stand out in a very crowded field. I am quite positive that in a...
Dayton Historical Depot Society presented a day of local gardens and patios. Between noon and 4 p.m. guests were able to visit six properties, enjoy music by the Calico Bones, Pasiley DeSiga, Tammy Emilio Duo, Tumbleweed Stevenson and Jasper Mountain Band. There were Muffaletta sandwiches from Weinhard Café and wine tasting from Dumas Station Wines....
