Serving Waitsburg, Dayton and the Touchet Valley
Serving Waitsburg, Dayton and the Touchet Valley
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WAITSBURG-A small fire broke out in a standing wheat field on Middle Waitsburg Road on August 2. The fire, which consumed an estimated 20 acres of crop, was quickly contained by firefighters from Columbia-Walla Walla County Fire District 2 and Columbia County Fire District 3. The fire was initially reported at 2:51 p.m. Within 15 minutes, quick-thinking farmers Perry Dozier, Glen Smith, and Greg Smith had established a disc line around the fire. In farming communities, it is crucial for the...
WASHINGTON—Washington State is just shy of reaching a 70% population vaccination rate, but a new wave of COVID-19 has shown just how quickly the virus is spreading among non-vaccinated individuals. On Tuesday, August 3, the state’s COVID-19 Data Dashboard showed that 69.9% of Washingtonians aged 12 years or older had received their full dose of the COVID-19 vaccination. However, vaccination rates vary between counties and age groups. “I’m deeply concerned about areas of the state with lower vacc...
DAYTON—COVID-19 cases have risen sharply over the last couple of weeks in Columbia County. On Tuesday, August 3, there were 27 active cases. “We have been very fortunate over the past few months,” Columbia County Public Health Administrator Martha Lanman said Friday. “But the cases have risen significantly over the past week here. I want everyone to be aware and cautious.” Lanman encouraged people to get tested if they feel sick, especially if they are displaying symptoms of COVID-19. Common sy...
WAITSBURG-A small standing wheat fire was started in the early hours of the morning on July 31. According to the Walla Walla County Sheriff's Office, Lonnie R. Marick was riding his four-wheeler in a wheat field to "blow off steam" after being upset. The four-wheeler caught on fire, and Marick was unable to put it out. Marick ran from the scene and jumped into the river after being chased by unknown subjects. Columbia-Walla Walla Fire District 2 and Columbia County Fire District 3 responded to...
WALLA WALLA—Grant funding will be available to selected organizations from Walla Walla County, Columbia County, and NE Umatilla County. The grant program’s goal is to make a one-time donation to one or more organizations that serve our communities. The maximum grant amount will be $10,000. More information and the application form can be found on our website at www.columbiarea.coop. • Applications will be accepted between Monday, August 2, 2021, and 5:30 pm, Monday, August 23. • Applications received after 5:30 pm on August 23, 2021, will no...
DAYTON—Columbia Pulp is announcing the retirement of John Begley effective September 3. Begley has been CEO of Columbia Pulp since its inception and has led the company through its development, financing, design, construction, and start-up phases, including the time it was shuttered by the COVID 19 pandemic. “It has been an honor to be associated with this Company and the many people who were part of planning and building this enterprise,” said Begley. “Columbia Pulp is a game-changing technology and is now positioned to move on to the next ph...
Ava Jean Gagnon, 96 years, one month, a longtime resident of the Waitsburg area, passed peacefully, surrounded by her Whitman Place family on July 26, 2021. Ava Jean was born to Frank and Genevieve McMillen on June 26, 1925, at home in Hagie, Wyoming. Ave, as she was often called, was the oldest of three children. She attended school in Hawk Springs, Wyoming, graduating from high school in 1943. After graduation, she moved to Portland, Oregon, to work for Western Union during World War II....
WAITSBURG—In 2019, the Waitsburg Historical Society honored the Don Thomas Family as 2019 Pioneers of the Year. Thomas’ sons, Gary and Jay, sat down with The Times’ editor Dena Martin to share a bit of family history and recount favorite memories. The men recalled that harvest meals were eaten in the basement kitchen, with the crew seated around a large table. Jay recalls being the first at the table for a harvest lunch, with no one else in the room, when he heard a loud crash. Wilma was remov...
Dear Waitsburg School District Families, It’s hard to believe that we are a little over a month away from starting the new school year. The first day of school for Waitsburg students is Tuesday, September 7th. With the guidelines for schools and all Washington residents continuing to change, we will need to remain flexible and ready to adjust our plans as we begin the 2021-2022 school year. It is crucial that families continue to watch our website (waitsburgsd.org) and social media accounts for any changes or updates in the weeks leading up t...
WAITSBURG—The Friends of the Weller Public Library met on July 28 at 7 p.m, to discuss the results of a recent community survey. Over 20 community members were in attendance. The overall goal stated by the Friends of the Weller Public Library is to create a space that is bright and vibrant and accessible to all. The community survey, which closed July 21, was available online, on social media, at the library, and sent to library patrons via email and text message. There were 111 respondents t...
DAYTON—Port of Columbia staff, along with private partner Columbia iConnect, made a presentation to the Community Economic Revitalization Board (CERB) on Thursday, July 14 in Olympia and left with a $2 million award. Acceptance of the $2 million grant is contingent upon the community providing $500,000 in matching funds. The Port applied for and received $20,000 from the Sherwood Trust, $15,000 from the Warren Community Fund, and $13,500 from the Dayton Columbia County Fund to use as matching funds, and has pledged $20,000 from their 2021 b...
WASHINGTON—Soon, we will enter autumn full of gratitude to the incredibly hard-working men and women who suppressed the numerous wildland fires of summer. The Umatilla Forest has been shut down due to fire, with some areas beginning to reopen as the conditions improve. The Blue Mountain Land Trust Blues Crew plans to go back into the forest before snowfall for trail restoration projects improving access for hikers and campers. The Blues Crew has worked throughout the area for years. It is offering a fun and rewarding opportunity for all i...
PENDLETON—With recent precipitation and reduced initial attack on new fires across the forest, Umatilla National Forest officials will reopen much of the Forest on Wednesday, Aug. 4, including all Heppner and North Fork John Day Ranger District lands and part of the Walla Walla Ranger District. The Pomeroy Ranger District and northern portions of the Walla Walla Ranger District will remain closed. Due to active large wildfires, the modified closure includes the entirety of the Pomeroy Ranger District lands and the portion of Walla Walla Ranger...
WALLA WALLA—Gesa Power House Theatre regretfully announced the postponement of the Walla Walla Summer Stage Festival, previously scheduled for August 6-15. The new performing arts festival will be rescheduled to August 2022. “This weekend, our team made the difficult but appropriate decision to postpone our new festival another year,” says Festival Director Victoria Watson. “We wanted Summer Stage to be about joy and celebration, but it’s clear from advance sales that the community is unsettled by recent developments in COVID and the Delta var...
DAYTON—The Green Ridge Fire, burning 30 miles East of Walla Walla, has burned a total of 11,449 acres as of August 3. According to a morning update, the fire is 15% contained. More than 380 personnel are working the scene. On Tuesday, fire crews focused on firing along the 46 Road that will connect the Edmiston Springs and Spangler Creek sections. Aircraft will be assisting ground resources with retardant and water-dropping runs to help minimize the potential for additional fire spread, working the strategy of anchor and flanking. It will be w...
The old cliché "The only thing constant in life is change" was coined by Greek philosopher Heraclitus. This epiphany struck him around 500 B.C. I assume taxes were not a thing at the time, otherwise, that little tidbit would likely have been included, as folks like to claim today. While Heraclitus was correct, that time is like a flowing river, and you will never step into the same waters twice, there is an ebb and flow to events among the seasons and years – the past approximately 15 months pr...
Jumping into a truck and charging into a standing wheat fire, or encountering a burning building is not for the faint of heart, but for Captain Miguel Castillo, Columbia-Walla Walla Fire District 2, it is a way to help his community. Castillo was inspired to join the district around seven years ago after watching the devastation left behind by multiple complex fires in the Umatilla National Forest. "I reached out to some of the local guys here, applied, and got on the department," Castillo...
SEATTLE—As expected, the Mariners made some moves during this year’s trade deadline. Most fans were probably hoping the team would attempt to pick up some players to help during this season’s playoff. Instead, they shuffled the roster around a bit without significantly improving the team. Mariner fans will have to wait for the offseason and this year’s winter meetings to add the necessary pieces to take the team to the next level. For now, the Mariners sit in third place in the American League West and are tied with the New York Yankees, three...
While I'm a sorry excuse for a flower gardener, as anyone who's seen our landscaping would agree, I'm a huge fan of flowers in the vegetable garden. In fact, sometimes the flowers do better than the veggies. One of my favorite annuals is the tried-and-true marigold. There are so many colors, and you can even choose dwarf varieties that will easily fit into the smallest garden. You can also easily save seeds to plant again next year. Nasturtiums are a gorgeous option that gives tons of blooms....
I’ve found that in owning a restaurant, gardening, and life in general, many of the rules and clichés I’ve learned throughout my eons in the business world still apply. First, the 80/20 rule, which I wrote about recently, and another a former boss always touted and of which I was recently reminded: Don’t rule by exception! There are certain items on our menu at the café that we consider to be “rock stars” because they always sell, one of which is our crispy cod sandwich. Occasionall...
John and Illiana Schuring driving a 2004 Thunderbird back home to Portland, stopped in Waitsburg after spotting Jade, a 1978 Ford F-150, owned by Tiina Jaatinen and parked in front of The Royal Block. Baristas at Ten Ton Coffee introduced the car and truck owners who happened to be in the shop at the same time Sunday morning. Parked side by side, the proud owners discussed the similarity between Ford's original Jade Green and Mint Green paint colors....
Ten Years Ago August 4, 2011 Jillian Beaudry, an editor and reporter for the Daily World in Aberdeen, Wash., will become the new managing editor for the Times based in Waitsburg, the newspaper’s publisher announced on Monday. She will replace Dian McClurg, the previous managing editor who left the newspaper in May. “We are lucky to be able to welcome someone of Jillian’s caliber and enthusiasm to our small staff,” Times publisher Imbert Matthee said. “She is well regarded in our state’s n...
Every summer, without fail, I am surprised by how productive the zucchini plants are in our garden. With new zucchini sprouting up every night, there is always an abundance of the striped, green summer bounty in our kitchen. This leads to my annual exploration of creative ways to use this prolific garden ingredient. With options ranging from bread, fritters, pasta, and casseroles, the recipes, thankfully, seem endless. Last week, I looked for zucchini inspiration and found it in southern...
Natasha Romanoff, aka Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson), confronts her ledger’s darker parts when a dangerous conspiracy with ties to her past arises in this new Marvel Studios’ action-packed spy thriller. Pursued by a force that will stop at nothing to bring her down, Natasha must deal with her history as a spy and the broken relationships left in her wake long before she became an Avenger. Rotten Tomatoes critics rate this film as 81% favorable, and the audience gives it a 92%. It is rated PG-13 for intense sequences of violence/action, som...
