Serving Waitsburg, Dayton and the Touchet Valley
Serving Waitsburg, Dayton and the Touchet Valley
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DAYTON-"The Nation," a weekly magazine, published "The Small-Town Library That Became a Culture War Battleground," an article chronicling recent history and current efforts to defund the only public library in Columbia County. Over the past months, Reporter Sasha Abramsky interviewed community members who hope to defund the Rural Library Tax District and those fighting to retain the institution. The article puts Columbia County's issues in context with similar efforts nationwide. Where other...
LYONS FERRY-The tenth annual Swim the Snake event will be held at Lyons Ferry Marina and Lyons Ferry State Park on Saturday, August 12, 2023, beginning at 11 a.m. In addition to the non-competitive, open-water swim, event organizers continue to hold a two-stage, competitive (or non-competitive) relay, paddling in a kayak or paddleboard (only) from Lyons Ferry Marina to Lyons Ferry State Park across Lake Bryan on the Snake River. Upon arrival at Lyons Ferry State Park, paddlers can enter the...
Columbia CountY-Wynter McCauley, Kilee Henry, and Bailey Standring were selected to represent Dayton as Fair Royalty last October. The "job" is so much more than just waving in parades. The fair's royalty learn life-long lessons throughout the year. Starting early to prepare for the day, always ready to smile for a photo, learn about and work with livestock, and spend time as ambassadors for the Columbia County Fair. Their duties include assisting at various local events including Brix and...
The Liberty Theater hosts live performances of “The Secret Garden” by local children and the Missoula Children’s Theater (MCT) on Friday, August 11, and Saturday August 12 at 7 pm. This is the culmination of the nearly weeklong MCT training workshop for area children. “The Secret Garden” is an original Missoula Children’s Theatre rendition that was conceived and written by Michael McGill. It is a joyful retelling of a story of hope and celebration and all good things in life. Mistress Mary Quite Contrary embarks on a journey from India to he...
To the Waitsburg School District voters, My name is Tia Hays. I am running for Waitsburg School Board member because I love our community and want to support the kids in our district. I have 3 children in our district currently; a 1st grader, a 6th grader and a sophomore in high school. I have a vested interest in the quality of our kids’ education and school experience. My top priority is to help provide a superior learning environment not only for my children but for all children in our district. I stand for cooperation and transparency b...
DAYTON—Several local committees planning a community swimming pool in Columbia County are holding an open meeting for the public to consider a new swimming pool on Tuesday, August 15, 2023, at the Delany Building from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. A PowerPoint presentation featuring examples of pools in rural communities in Southeast Washington will repeat throughout the meeting. The public is welcome to come, ask questions, and consider what our community would look like to see a new swimming pool. Residents are encouraged to come and familiarize t...
WAITSBURG-This year, the Porsche Club of America – Inland Northwest will host its annual People Choice Award (PCA) event in Waitsburg's Preston Park on August 12. The event, Show & Shine, has a twist. The club is asking participants to share their Porsche stories with visitors to the show. Stroll through the park and learn when and why exhibitors bought their cars. They will share adventures and pictures, personalizing the experience. "The better the story, the greater the forgiveness for b...
Helen (Rector) Reid was born on October 23, 1924 in Seattle, Washington. She was adopted as a baby by William Carl Rector and Betty Helen Casey of Touchet, Washington. Unfortunately, Helen's father died when she was two years old. Helen's mother remarried in 1929 making Clyde Henry Brown, a widower, her stepfather. Helen joined Clyde's three other children: Merle, Dwain, and Iris there on the Brown wheat ranch near Prescott, Washington. She attended school in Prescott graduating from high...
WAITSBURG—School starts September 5, and the Waitsburg School District staff will be back on August 14. David Wood has been settling into his new role as Waitsburg School Superintendent since April. He has attended school and community meetings, events, and even been seen mowing his lawn, giving residents a chance to meet him as he learns about Waitsburg. The following message from Superintendent Wood was posted on waitsburgsd.org this month: Good morning citizens of Waitsburg, It is my p...
On a recent morning, in the interest of journalistic research, I typed the words “gender curious books for kids” into the Google search box on my phone. The first listing that came up was for a site called littlefeminist.com, which included the following article: “The 17 Best Children’s Books About Gender Identity and Expression.” The second listing was for readbrightly.com: “7 Books That Teach Kids About the Fluidity of Gender and the Importance of Acceptance.” The third listing was for paren...
Editor, I am very concerned over the unrest with the Columbia County Rural Library District and the petition to dissolve the rural library district. Our library serves many people in our community of all ages. I do realize that there is an issue with some of the books and what age level they have been accessible to. It is certainly cause for concern, but abandoning the library is a drastic measure and would leave a very large hole in our community. The library offers the ability to make copies, access to computers, books, movies, early educatio...
Can this really be happening? I’m talking about the petition to close our beloved, free public library. Are there better ways to solve our differences than to go to extremes? Why would we want to emulate dictators in other countries who suppress their people’s freedoms? Because of the first amendment, we are free, and we need to stay free. There are ways to work out our differences, Do we change the locks on our doors and kick our children out of the house because we have a disagreement or we don’t like the color of their hair? Do we poiso...
To the editor: I would like to address the proposed dissolution of the Columbia County Rural Library District. It is only from a privileged place that one could say a library is unnecessary, and it is a narrow view that only sees a building with books. The library keeps a homeless person warm, safe, and off the streets. The library helps parents and their children meet others so they aren’t so lonely. The library offers entertainment to those who can’t afford to go to the movies, buy DVDs, or streaming services. The library welcomes str...
WAITSBURG-However you define the distinction between garden art, metal sculpture, and a retirement hobby, Terry Hofer, Jim Hofer, and Karl Newell saw many of their creative wood and metal pieces walk out the door at Waitsburg Art Garden (WAG) August 4-6. Terry and his younger brother, Jim – a recently retired farmer – showcased unique tables and benches from locally-sourced wood, many of them elegantly supported on legs of black metal. "We get some of our wood from others in town," says Terry on...
I returned from Europe earlier than Daniel, and I couldn’t wait to see the garden’s progress (or lack thereof). I was greeted with a few ripe tomatoes, two lemon cucumbers, onions, a few tiny crookneck squashes, about ten heads of cabbage, and weeds beyond what I could imagine. The first evening home, I picked the tomatoes and cucumbers, then called it a day; the weeds aren’t going anywhere. When I left for Europe, there were two little crook neck squashes about four inches long, growing as sl...
Planet Oregon is the value brand from Soter Vineyards. This summertime sparkler is 100% Willamette Valley Pinot Noir, made by the carbonated method rather than the much more expensive methode champenoise. It's the color of pale strawberry flesh, quite delightfully fruity with berry and cherry, and underscored with grapefruity acids. Big, bold and penetrating, it's a fine value and a great sparkling wine for hot weather sipping. Great for cocktails and punches also. 3300 cases; 13%; $24...
Of all the things we grow in our garden, it is the annual arrival of ripe, juicy tomatoes that I most look forward to. A perfectly plump red fruit, still warm from the sun, sliced and served simply with a flourish of crunchy sea salt, is among my favorite late summer splendors. For the next few weeks, tomatoes will appear in virtually every meal in our home, and the remaining harvest will be made into jars of sauce to enjoy in the colder months. While the tomatoes are at peak ripeness, I prefer...
