Serving Waitsburg, Dayton and the Touchet Valley
Serving Waitsburg, Dayton and the Touchet Valley
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WAITSBURG—The Waitsburg School Board met Thursday, July 16, via Zoom call. The board discussed enrollment, the 2020-21 reopening plan, and online learning options. Colter Mohney reported to the board that all of the school buildings would be clean and ready for the upcoming school year by next week. Maintenance and facilities employees have been busy disinfecting the buildings, chairs, tables, and other equipment, as well as performing needed repairs. Elementary principal/ Superintendent Mark P...
WALLA WALLA—Due to the current circumstances, Walla Walla County Elections will be moving ballot processing and tabulation to a Ballot Processing Center in the County Courthouse at 315 W. Main St., Room 203, Walla Walla. Canvassing Board meetings will also be conducted at this location. All voter services will remain at the Walla Walla County Elections Center, 310 W. Poplar Street. Offices in Primary Election Jurisdiction Federal: U.S. Representative in Congressional Districts No. 4 and No. 5; State of Washington: Governor, Lieutenant G...
OLYMPIA—The Washington State Department of Health (DOH) released the latest statewide situation report on Friday, July 17, which shows that Washington State as a whole is in an explosive situation. Transmission continues to increase or accelerate across most of Washington state. All indicators of the extent of viral spread are higher than last week, except for Yakima County. In both eastern and western Washington, cases are increasing fastest among 20-29-year-olds and are also growing in both younger and older age groups around them. There is n...
WALLA WALLA—The public is invited to attend the Walla Walla District, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, change-of-command ceremony set for 10 a.m. on Friday, July 24. The ceremony will be live-streamed on YouTube at https://youtu.be/yPcI4jURgIY. Lt. Col. Richard T. Childers will assume command of the District from departing Commander Lt. Col. Christian N. Dietz, who commanded the Walla Walla District for two years and is moving on to serve as Chief of Engineering Plans and Operations and Deputy Engineer for Indo-Pacific Command (USINDOPACOM) at C...
OLYMPIA—Insurance Commissioner Mike Kreidler extended his emergency order requiring health insurers to cover telehealth and copays for testing. On Friday, July 17, Kreidler directed all state-regulated health insurers to make additional coverage changes to help consumers during the coronavirus pandemic. The orders are in effect until August 16 and include coverage for treatments and testing necessary during the current pandemic. Health insurers must continue coverage for telehealth service, and visits to drive-up testing sites are to be b...
Julia Leavitt has been promoted to Sherwood Trust’s Program Director, announced Sherwood Trust CEO Brian Hunt. Leavitt joined Sherwood Trust in November 2019 as Program Manager. As Program Director, Leavitt has responsibility for Sherwood Trust’s programming and education, including the Nonprofit and Community Learning Center, the annual Community Leadership program, and ongoing communications that support the Walla Walla Valley’s essential nonprofit sector. Leavitt also works to help support the Trust’s local grantmaking programs. “Sherwo...
“Waiting for harvest”, This month you can see more of Bill Rodgers’ stunning photography of the area he calls “The Wallouse”. The exhibit will open on Tuesday, July 28 at the Wenaha Gallery at 219 E. Main St in Dayton. Learn more about local barns on page 10....
DAYTON—Columbia County Public Health Director Martha Lanman has reported one new positive case of COVID-19, over the past weekend, in a woman under the age of 50. To date, 339 people have been tested for the virus in Columbia County. A woman in her 60s tested positive in March and has since recovered. Seven people related to one household who tested positive have also recovered. A man under the age of 50 has tested positive on July 9 and is recovering at home. Two tests are pending. There h...
Dear Editor: Mike Mitchell is a man of integrity, honesty and a person who will be an excellent Superior Court Judge. I have known and worked with Mike during my 43-year career at Walla Walla County. When I worked as Director of the Department of Court Services and later as Director of Walla Walla County Corrections, I served at the pleasure of thirteen different Superior Court Judges in both Walla Walla and Columbia counties. I am familiar with the qualities and expertise that Superior Court Judges must possess to be effective and proficient...
Dear Editor: One of the frustrations I have as a result of reaching out to flood survivors of the February 2020 flood is the need for a plan for flood mitigation. What I heard at last night’s Waitsburg City Council Meeting was a well thought out plan for mitigation. The utility tax will be a community effort to protect our neighbors and businesses in the flood zone. Waitsburg, once again, outstrips neighboring communities with forward thinking and action. In addition, it is much easier to get information in Waitsburg. Thank you to our c...
To the Editor, We would like to encourage everyone to join us in voting for Mark Klicker for WA State House Rep. District 16, Position 1. Mark is a man of integrity, hard work, and dedication. He is exactly the person we need to represent southeastern Washington. He is committed to getting our economy back on track, and getting agriculture and the hundreds of small businesses booming again. Mark knows that all businesses are essential, not just Costco, Walmart and Amazon! Vote Mark Klicker for a strong voice in Olympia. Jim & Amy...
During this time in our community, an election has never been more important and that is why Perry Dozier has my vote for State Senate, District 16. I have known Perry for years. He is a life-long resident of our area and is a small business owner. Translation: He knows what our businesses are going through right now and how to best serve them and their employees. During my 13 years as Executive Director of the Moms’ Network of Walla Walla, Perry was a consistent supporter concerned about our local families and the ability they had to access l...
According to the Mayo Clinic Health System, wearing face masks, combined with other preventive measures such as frequent hand-washing and social distancing, can help slow the spread of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends that everyone over the age of 2 wear a mask while in public settings. However, there has been much debate about wearing masks and misinformation has spread online. Myth: I’m not sick so I don’t need to wear a mask....
WAITSBURG—The Waitsburg City Council met July 15, via conference call. The council discussed two resolutions and held a public hearing regarding flood control funding. City Administrator Randy Hinchliffe started the discussion on Resolution 2020-704, which awarded the Taggart Road Extension project contract to Sharpe and Preszler Construction of Kennewick, WA. The contracting company presented the City with the most affordable bid to finish the ongoing project, coming in at $623,000. The c...
Fair warning: I’m not going to be very funny this week. I’ll try, as appropriate, to give you a giggle or two, but there’re certain things you can’t and shouldn’t make a joke out of. I’m really sorry, but I can’t think of anything else to write – I’m having a hard time thinking of anything else, period. (Believe me, if I could, I would.) A relative is sick. It might be COVID. I’ll go ahead and answer some of your questions right now: Circumstances are such that I’m not worried about my own...
Professional sports in America used to be referred to as the four seasons (baseball, basketball, football, and hockey), with the basketball season suffering the worst parity. Including the 1979 season when the Seattle Supersonics won the NBA title, only thirteen teams have been crowned champions in the last forty years. The NFL and NHL have had eighteen different teams that have won the championship during that span, and MLB has had twenty-three different World Series winners in that same period. The reason is simple. The NBA has the fewest...
OLYMPIA—The Washington State Community Economic Revitalization Board (CERB) today approved $2,005,000 in low-interest loans and $1,170,000 in grants for economic development, public infrastructure development and economic feasibility studies targeting business growth, job creation and broadband development in eight rural communities across the state. Projects awarded funding are in the following counties: Walla Walla County received funding for two projects: $50,000 grant to the City of College Place for a planning study for the city-owned F...
Ten Years Ago August 11, 2011 Mead is wine made from honey instead of grapes. A new winery, Mace Meadworks, featuring the buzzing bee’s nectar in its wine is opening on Main Street in Dayton soon. [Photo caption] Waitsburg resident Gary Hofer and a bronze statue of his great grandfather, Sen. George Norris, in McCook Nebraska. Norris, whose efforts were instrumental in pushing through the Rural Electrification Act 75 years ago, was born 150 years ago himself. Before William Shakespeare became a well-known playwright, he was an actor with P...
I have posted this one before and made it this weekend because I harvested my first zucchini. So many choices as to what to make with zucchini! I decided, going with the theme of Farm to Table, I took my zucchini from the plant to the kitchen for baking, making me kinda like a farmer. I used local honey and had bought a sack of Joseph’s Grainery, Soft White Wheat Pastry Flour. I used 2/3 all -purpose flour needed to 1/3 of the Soft White Wheat Pastry flour, making a 2/3, 1/3 combination. I...
My vegetable epiphany happened after I purchased a bag of Hayshaker Farms Wild & Fancy salad mix from The Market by Andy's in Walla Walla. I have been trying to eat a mostly vegetable-based diet for a year now, and these veggies exploded my tastebuds. Wild & Fancy is a veritable festival of green, each bite tastes unique, with some surprising, zesty flavors. Maybe some fennel, certainly some spicier greens, some kale, and spinach, too? The bright flavors shamed those supermarket salad mixes I ha...
The farm-to-table movement has been sweeping across the nation in recent years. From farmers’ markets to roadside produce stands, fresh ingredients are becoming readily available and affordable. The farm-to-table movement’s roots go as far back as the 1960s. In 1971, chef Alice Waters opened Chez Panisse in Berkeley, Calif., one of the first farm-to-table restaurants. Waters wanted to use fresh, local produce because the flavor was better, which meant tastier dishes. The restaurant was very suc...
DAYTON-Guy Strot presided over his first school board meeting last week. Strot is the new superintendent for the Dayton School District, replacing Doug Johnson, who retired on June 30. Strot told the Board of Directors the Dayton schools would reopen on August 29. He said the goal is to have all the students back for all five days. He has met with and will continue to meet with, Public Health Director Martha Lanman, regarding COVID-19 requirements. "She is going to be a great partner for us. I...
The Touchet Valley is home to a handful of farm to table operations, like the Breathe Easy Farm, and Crooked Fences. Nestled on the edges of Dayton, farms like these provide fresh fruit, vegetables, baked goods, and more to residents. The Breathe Easy Farm owner/operator Mindy Holmberg has big plans for her little slice of heaven, including a retail front and eventual farm-to-table suppers. Holmberg sells baked goods, like chocolate zucchini bread, preserves, various pickled vegetables, fresh...
DAYTON-Step inside the cool interior of an old barn on a warm summer day, and as your eyes adjust to the dark interior, and your senses are assailed by the locked-in aroma of hay, livestock, and old timber, present-day focus can easily transport you to the past. According to County Extension Agent Paul Carter, there could be fifty, or more, barns, of all ages, styles, and conditions, in Columbia County. Two of the county's older barns are standing taller, and two more will be, soon, thanks to...
Farmers feed the world, but with the high demands they face, they usually need a little help from companies like The McGregor Company, who supply crop nutrients and crop protectants, machine rentals, crop insurance, and more. The McGregor Company started as a sheep farming operation more than 100 years ago in the tiny town of Hooper, WA. In 1948, after Washington State College agronomist Harley Jacquot spent years researching and experimenting, the McGregor Company stepped into the fertilizer...
