Serving Waitsburg, Dayton and the Touchet Valley
Serving Waitsburg, Dayton and the Touchet Valley
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Christmas is a good holiday for Jesus. I like Christmas. I like to get presents on Christmas. Also Christmas is a holiday to be with family and to be with your whole family. Some kids do not have family so you should be grateful that you even have a family to spend Christmas with. Christmas is a special day because Santa will put you on a nice list. You get presents on Christmas if you've been good. Christmas is a good day and in my opinion because I love Christmas. Christmas is a wonderful...
Sean William Stonecipher Sollars, 18, of Waitsburg, died in a single-car rollover accident on August 31, 2024, on Middle Waitsburg Road. Sean was the son of Suzanne Stonecipher-Sollars and Mark Joseph (Joe) Sollars. Sean was attending WSU and studied Agriculture Technology and Production with a minor in Crop and Soil Sciences. He was home for the Fair to sell his 4H steer. Sean was born on May 18, 2006, at Swedish Medical Center in Seattle, Wash. Sean spent his early years through kindergarten...
DAYTON - When Dayton resident Denise Lane took her first trip to Nepal last year, she hoped to learn about effectively delivering medical and therapeutic care to some of the world's poorest people. She's still learning. Lane is Columbia County's only acupuncture practitioner. She's been at it for 13 years, the last five at the Therapy and Wellness department at Columbia County Health System's hospital in Dayton. This year, she has expanded her practice by offering services in Waitsburg at Blush...
WAITSBURG — On Wednesday, December 20, the Waitsburg City Council voted to approve a three-year contract for Snake River Little League (SRLL) use of the little league fields at the fairgrounds. Abby Grende of Waitsburg, acting on behalf of Waitsburg parents, worked with the city to draft the contract in response to a decision by the SRLL Board at its November 30 meeting to disqualify Waitsburg’s ball fields from use for the 2024 season. On December 5, 2023, the SRLL board posted a press release on Facebook announcing its decision. As sta...
What Christmas Means to Me Waitsburg Elementary Fourth Grade Christmas is special to me for many reasons. One reason Christmas is special is because I get to go to my Grandma's house. Another reason is we drink a lot of hot cocoa. Lastly love because what is Christmas without love? I hope this holiday means a lot to you. The first reason I love Christmas is my family. I love my family because I adore waking up and seeing the gifts under the tree and seeing my family’s faces every Christmas. T...
DAYTON- Mayor Weatherford called the Dayton City Council to order at 6:00 p.m., November 7, 2023. Mayor Zac Weatherford and Council Members Teeny McMunn, James Su’euga, Michael Smith, Kyle Anderson, Dain Nysoe, and Shannon McMillen were at city hall. Laura Aukerman participated using Zoom. Washington State Representative Joe Schmick attended the meeting and spoke during the first public comment period. Schmick said Dayton should have a policy to charge fees for public record requests, in part to cover staff time. He advised the city to amend it...
DAYTON – The Columbia Port Commissioners held their regular meeting at 5 p.m., October 11, 2023, in the Port Office. Commissioners present were Genie Crowe, Seth Bryan, Johnny Watts, and the Executive Director, Jennie Dickinson. After dealing with some routine administrative items, the Commissioners began discussing the 2024 Budget, starting with the Executive Director’s salary. Crowe said Dickenson deserved a fifteen percent salary increase due to her role in committee meetings, numerous projects, and the management of the Blue Mountain Sta...
DAYTON-The Board of Directors for the Columbia County Rural Library held their regular meeting on Monday, July 17, in the Delaney Room. The meeting was attended by the public, in person and on Zoom. Board Chair Jay Ball, board members Chuck Beleny, Kevin Rust, and Sharon Mendal were joined by Interim Director Ellen Brigham. Vice Chair Karin Spann was not in attendance. The meeting opened with Tanya Patton presenting a detailed history of Dayton's library and the community's efforts to secure...
DAYTON – The Dayton School Board met on May 17, 2023, in the High School library: School Board Chair Jeffrey McCowen, and members Grant Griffen, Aneesha Dieu, and Zac Fabian, and Superintendent Rich Stewart were present. Board member Korinda Wallace was not present. Several student and teacher groups gave presentations at the beginning of the meeting. Cole Kenney, a Title 1 Para, gave a presentation on Title Small Groups which offers individualized instruction in reading and math in grades K-5. The program uses “Read Well” to track the stude...
Dear Editor: As I have mentioned before, don’t let “their” opinion be yours. Take time to visit the library, talk to Todd, the director, and see how much the library has to offer. In a recent conversation with a friend, they mentioned the library having pornography, but in the same conversation, they admitted to not having been to the library or talked to Todd. In my opinion, moving a book is not about keeping our children safe but more about control. Keeping our children safe is a whole lot more than moving a book or closing a library that...
My Perfect Christmas by Emily Knudson My perfect Christmas was about two years ago, when my grandma, who I miss terribly, was still here. I was extremely close to her. If I had to wish for only one thing, it would be to talk to her one last time. If I could talk to her one last time, that would be my perfect Christmas. I miss her a lot. Something else that would be a perfect Christmas, would be spending my Christmas in a small cabin in the woods. The woods make me feel safe and protected. The...
DAYTON-The Dayton chapter of the American Association of University Women held a Candidates' Forum on October 5, to allow voters in Columbia County to hear from and ask questions of candidates for local races. Candidates for Columbia County Sheriff, Columbia County Commissioner from District 3, and the Joint Metropolitan Park District attended the event at The Liberty Theater in Dayton. Columbia County Commissioner District 3 Columbia County Commissioner Charles Amerein is seeking reelection to...
Land purchase voted down in split city council vote. DAYTON- The Dayton City Council held a regular meeting at 6 p.m., May 10, 2022. Mayor Zac Weatherford and council members Misty Yost, Teeny McMunn, Dain Nysoe, Kyle Anderson, and Tyler (Tiger) Dieu were present at St. Joseph’s Catholic Church parish hall, while Laura Aukerman attended on Zoom. The city council voted unanimously to authorize the mayor to sign an annual membership for $35 with the Municipal Research and Services Center of Washington (MRSC). MRSC is a nonprofit organization o...
Recently I was introduced to a local police chief who is also a classically trained musician. Doug Boedigheimer is the Police Chief in Milton Freewater, Oregon. He makes the trip out to Orchard Street Studio in Waitsburg to bring his guitars to be set up by my brother-in-law, Joe Patrick. He also comes to talk music. "The first guitar I brought him I had for 31 years, I didn't know about setups and guitar care. I was a music teacher, so this thing has been drug through everything. He turned...
DAYTON – The Port of Columbia held its regular meeting at 5 p.m., March 9, 2022. Chair Genie Crowe, Commissioners Johnny Watts and Seth Bryan, and Port Director Jennie Dickinson, were present. There were members of the public attending in person and over fifty joining on Zoom. Board Chair Crowe opened the meeting with public comment. Dickinson began by reading two from many letters submitted to the board. County Commissioner, Charles Amerein, wrote of his fear that leasing port property to the H...
DAYTON – The Dayton School Board convened their regular meeting, both in-person and over Zoom, at 6 PM, February 16, 2022. Present were Superintendent Guy Strot, Chair Jeffrey McCowen, Vice-Chair Grant Griffen, Zac Fabian, Korinda Wallace, and Aneesha Dieu. The meeting was well attended by the public, both in-person and online. The Consent Agenda, consisting of past minutes and several personnel changes, mainly in the coaching staff, was approved unanimously by voice vote. Before the first public comment portion of the meeting, McCowen gave an...
DAYTON—Support for the Port of Columbia’s broadband infrastructure project is crucial to prividng high speed, reliable, up to date internet to the residents of Dayton and Columbia County. Anne Walsh, speaking on behalf of the Dayton Chamber of Commerce, spoke at a December 14 meeting, encouraging the commissioners to support the project, which is being overseen by the Port of Columbia. The total cost of the project totals $2.5 million, and could provide reliable, high speed internet to more than 1,200 homes and businesses in Dayton. The Port ha...
WAITSBURG-Kindness is alive in Waitsburg. It seems like a prerequisite to becoming part of the community. It comes in all shapes and sizes, in acts big and small. From receiving an unexpected smile on a bad day or heading up an event, kindness is everywhere. The year started strong, with more than 2,000 pounds of food distributed to Waitsburg and surrounding community members. The Waitsburg Christian Church, then led by Pastor Matthew Wyatt, helped organize the day-long event, partnering with...
It's beginning to look a lot like "I can't find my husband a Christmas gift" season! The two guys in my life, my dad and husband, are the hardest people to shop for gifts. Like most men I have ever met, they seem to have everything they need. When asked what they'd like for Christmas, they tell me they don't want anything. Trying to get a jump, I took a trip through Downtown Walla Walla to find something other than the usual Carhartt coat and power tool combo. My first stop, Main Street...
DAYTON-Local retired farmer and Port of Columbia Commissioner candidate Jack Miller recently cut ties with the Columbia County Conservatives, saying that he did not agree with the dangerous core beliefs of the political group. "I didn't agree with a lot of the things that they were espousing, to the point I decided that I did not want to be associated with them in any way," Miller said. "And that was that." The group, which has become known for its anti-vaccination and anti-masking rhetoric,...
I am supporting Fred Crowe for City of Dayton Council, Position #7. Dayton is my hometown, and I care deeply about the future of this community. I believe Fred is the candidate best qualified to serve on the council in position #7. I have known Fred and his wife, Genie, since they moved to Dayton about 11 years ago. They chose to move here because as Fred says, Dayton is a “small, rural town with a lot going for it.” Fred is running for city council because he wants to help our town “function highly and flourish”, and he has the background whic...
Dear Editor, People are quick to believe the bad things they hear about good people. Never has this been more evident. In the last three years I have seen adults I once respected, actively spread rumors and gossip online. They do this because someone else’s views differ from theirs. They leave no room for real open conversation, because their frustration stems from fear. Fear of what? Change? Progress? Spreading misinformation as a public official is something that we should all take a stand against. Vicki Zoller stands for the truth, she a...
In just a few days, cows, curly fries, and farm critters will take over the Columbia County Fairgrounds for a "Blue Ribbon A-Fair." For the young horsewomen from Rocking D Riders 4-H club, the fair began early after the Columbia County Fair Horse Show was moved to an earlier weekend to solve time and space constraints. Having the show held on a weekend before the fair allowed fans and riders to distance themselves during the COVID-19 pandemic safely. Under the guidance of 4-H leader Shelli Bryan...
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...
WAITSBURG-If you had asked former ICU nurse Brittany Brannock about owning a flower farm a year ago, she would have called you crazy. But funny things happen when you take a leap and purchase a 120-year-old farmhouse with a few acres attached. Brittany and her husband, Tre, decided to move back to his hometown in 2020, in a year of change, including selling their home in West Seattle and welcoming their son, Bode, into their lives. The farm is nestled away on a backroad, surrounded by wheat...
