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Articles from the August 23, 2018 edition


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  • Waitsburg Council Faces Wastewater Concerns

    Brianna Wray, The Times|Aug 23, 2018

    WAITSBURG-During their Aug. 15 meeting, the Waitsburg City Council discussed potential solutions to ongoing issues with the city's wastewater treatment facility. According to City Administrator Randy Hinchliffe, the system's two digesters are nearing capacity. Hinchliffe presented possible options to alleviate the immediate need, which included trying to find a temporary press or finding an organization to accept and transport the excess waste. The Council received packets that included a quote...

  • Port to Purchase Building 2 at Blue Mtn. Station

    Michele Smith, The Times|Aug 23, 2018

    DAYTON—During a special meeting last week, Port of Columbia commissioners voted to move forward with purchasing Building No. 2 at Blue Mountain Station in Dayton. Port officials say they have determined that owning the building will assist in the continued development of businesses at the BMS. The Port’s Executive Director, Jennie Dickinson, and private developer Colby Litzenberger have negotiated a purchase price of $264,000. Dickinson said the building was recently appraised at $270,000. Kathryn Witherington, the Port’s Economic Devel...

  • Waitsburg Board delays decision on Grad Requirements

    Emma Philbrook, The Times|Aug 23, 2018

    WAITSBURG—The Waitsburg School Board has decided to postpone its decision on whether to keep a life-skills class as a graduation requirement until the community has had more time to offer input. Nancy Bickelhaupt, who has taught the Life Management Skills course at Waitsburg High School since its inception, was in attendance at last Thursday’s board meeting. She spoke passionately in favor of keeping the requirement. She noted that the course was made mandatory after it had been offered for only a year, and that the decision had been sup...

  • Pioneer Portraits

    Teeny McMunn, The Times|Aug 23, 2018

    Ten Years Ago-August 28, 2008 Organizers of the first Huntsville School Reunion held last weekend at Lewis & Clark State Park were ecstatic with the response to and attendance at the event. Photo caption: Front row: Kay Huwe Baker, Peggy Fisk Lightfoot, Carol Coy Dill, Seated: Larry Huwe, Hazel Allmon Brown, Carolyn Shanander Spalinger, Jo Mays Polumsky, Zeller Fuller Powers. Front standing row: Jeannie Huwe Fuhr, Betsy Hunt Samson, Carol Nick Sexton, Mary Liebermann Phillips, Virginia hunt Travers, Marion Allmon Anderson, Mona Groom Waliser,...

  • Air Quality Leads to Health Problems

    The Times|Aug 23, 2018

    DAYTON—Dayton General Hospital Respiratory Therapist Tom Anderson said there has been an uptick in people seeking medical care because of poor air quality from smoke due to ongoing fires in northern Washington and British Columbia. People are having problems with breathing, burning eyes and nose, chest pain and tightness of breath, which brings on anxiety, and compounds the problem, he said. “On Monday the air quality index was 274, placing Dayton in the Very Unhealthy category, and almost in the Hazardous category for particle pol...

  • Hevel Funds Announces Grants and Scholarships

    The Times|Aug 23, 2018

    WALLA WALLA—A total of $14,926.99 has been distributed this year to support Waitsburg recreation, civic, religious and education efforts from funds established at the Blue Mountain Community Foundation by Dr. S. Roger and Laura Jean Hevel, of Waitsburg. The City of Waitsburg received $2,883.19 to support the operations of the swimming pool from the Friends of the Waitsburg Pool Fund established by the Hevels. Anyone may contribute to this Fund to support the swimming program in Waitsburg. Grants of $2,035.95 each were awarded to the Friends o...

  • Correction:

    The Times|Aug 23, 2018

    Last week, The Times incorrectly reported that Eric Watrud, the new Umatilla National Forest Service Supervisor is replacing Monte Fujishin. Watrud is actually replacing outgoing Forest Supervisor Genevieve Masters. Fujishin is the District Ranger in the Pomeroy Ranger District, and he is not retiring....

  • Birthdays

    Aug 23, 2018

    August 24: Zach Bartlow, Cathy Lambert, Audeana Ritter, Bryan Harris, Denise Reid, Matt Everett, Taelor Carter. August 25: Michaela Nordheim, Marion Spear, Roland LeVasseur, Alan Stephens, Anne Hubbard, Bryan St. Clair, Melissa Lambert, and Monroe McCaw. August 26: Ann Barr, Betty Mason, Beverly Harper, Jackie Savage, Darin Mayer, Jeff Katsel, Steven Lybecker. August 27: Brian Richards, Bonnie Brookshire, Amy Farley, Tom Mock, Kippy Counts, Steve Gusse, Shannon Bloor, Justin Gagnon, Ashley Witt, Michelle Gouge, Eric Mahoney, Shannon Wertz,...

  • Death Announcement

    The Times|Aug 23, 2018

    LAKEWOOD, Wash. – Steven L Gurr passed away of natural causes at his residence in Lakewood, Wash., on July 7, 2018. Steve was a resident of Waitsburg from 1965 to 1976 and graduated from Waitsburg High School in 1972. Steve was cremated, and at his request there will be no services....

  • Columbia River Treaty Talks Too Vital to Ignore

    Don C. Brunell, The Times|Aug 23, 2018

    While most of our attention in the Pacific Northwest these days is on trade wars, tariffs and wildfires, there are critical talks underway between the U.S. and Canada over future allocations of the Columbia River system’s water. The two countries are renegotiating the Columbia River Treaty, which went into effect in 1964. It is a 50-year agreement which both nations can redo, providing there is a 10-year advanced warning. That occurred, and negotiators are now busy meeting. A new agreement w...

  • LMS Should Remain a Requirement

    The Times|Aug 23, 2018

    Dear Editor, I read the recent article on Waitsburg School District considering dropping Life Management Skills (LMS) as a requirement with interest and concern. I am a WHS graduate who benefited from taking Running Start classes in the mornings my senior year. Having exhausted most of my class options at the high school, my Running Start classes helped fill out my schedule, allowed me to earn some transferable college credits, and eased my transition to a four-year college. Now, as a college professor, I may seem like the perfect advocate for...

  • Serious Concerns Over Water Treatment Plant

    The Times|Aug 23, 2018

    Dear Editor, This last Waitsburg City Council meeting, held August 15th, left me with some serious concerns about city maintenance in general and the wastewater treatment facility specifically. The discussion revealed a problem with equipment that was identified years ago as being a problem. The immediate problem has now become an emergency situation, the outcome if no solution is found within the next 2-3 weeks is potential release of untreated or partially-treated waste into the river. This I believe comes with a $10,000 a day fine. There wer...

  • Vacation Bible School & Bicycle Rodeo

    Brianna Wray, The Times|Aug 23, 2018

    WAITSBURG-The Waitsburg Christian Church, located at 6th and Main, sponsored Vacation Bible School for youths ages 4 to 6th grade on August 13-25. This summer's theme was The Moose on the Loose which was attended by a total of 70 children. The Raccoons took first place and along with the help of many community volunteers, were able to collect 480 pounds of goods for the Waitsburg Resource Center. "Pastor Matthew Wyatt and Lash Leroue were the ones who received the pie in the face by the team...

  • Veneta Simpson's Glass Jewelry

    Carolyn Henderson, The Times|Aug 23, 2018

    A mile north of Venice, Italy, is a series of islands called Murano. Linked by bridges within the Venetian Lagoon, Murano is renowned for its glassmaking, a process its artisans have perfected over centuries. Richly colored and with distinctive and unique patterns, Murano glass -- in the right hands -- transforms into one of a kind beads, which are then set into necklaces, bracelets, and earrings. A pair of those right hands belongs to Veneta Simpson, a jewelry artist from Richland who uses a to...

  • Suzi Tasker to Offer Wholistic Health and Beauty Services

    Michele Smith, The Times|Aug 23, 2018

    DAYTON-Sometimes you have to leave home before you appreciate it. Suzi and Duane Tasker and their 11-year-old son, Noa, did just that, and are now happy to be back in Dayton. The Taskers called Redding Calif. home for ten months, but realized quickly that Redding was not going to be their forever home. After 10 months of "healthy perspective," and a visit to Dayton this spring to ready their home for sale, the couple realized how much they missed living here. "When we came home, we recognized a...

  • Johnson Resigns from Waitsburg School Board

    Emma Philbrook, The Times|Aug 23, 2018

    WAITSBURG-After serving for nine years, Waitsburg School Board member Marilyn Johnson has handed in her resignation. While Johnson and new board member Lisa Morrow exchanged a few jokes about Johnson resigning as soon as Morrow was hired, correlation doesn't equal causation in this case, as Johnson had been planning to retire for some time. "I'd like to thank you for your service to the district for the past nine years," said chairman Ross Hamann. "It's been a real pleasure having you on the...

  • Waitsburg School Board Summary

    Emma Philbrook, The Times|Aug 23, 2018

    Aug. 16, 2018 WAITSBURG—Present at last week’s meeting of the Waitsburg School Board were board chair Ross Hamann, vice-chair Marilyn Johnson, members Christy House and Russ Knopp, and newly-appointed member Lisa Morrow. The meeting opened with a presentation by the Walla Walla County Sheriff’s Department on the possibility of the district hiring a school resource officer – a deputy who would spend most of his or her time in the district’s three classroom buildings. “Just being there for t...

  • Clint Attebery Wears Many Hats in Dayton and Columbia County

    Michele Smith, The Times|Aug 23, 2018

    DAYTON-Clint Atteberry is well into his second year working out of the county Planning and Building Department as the Code Enforcement Officer for both the City of Dayton and Columbia County. Atteberry said he patrols all eight zones in the city, tackling one zone every day, looking for violations of Dayton's municipal code. He also investigates citizen complaints for both the city and county. "It's an ongoing process," said Atteberry. "We're doing everything by the code, and I'm doing as much...

  • Pasta with Fresh Tomatoes and Corn

    Teeny McMunn, The Times|Aug 23, 2018

    This almost seems like not really a recipe as, in my opinion, pasta salads are a catchall. But I thought this might give someone an idea on what to fix and use some of the fresh vegetables of the season. I will make this next week for our church potluck luncheon, though the dressing I might tweak a bit. INGREDIENTS 8 oz pasta 1 tsp dried basil 4 Tbsp olive oil salt to taste 2 Tbsp red wine vinegar ground black pepper to taste ½ c. whole corn kernels, cooked 1 Tbsp grated Parmesan cheese 4 tomatoes, chopped 2 tsps chopped fresh basil...