Serving Waitsburg, Dayton and the Touchet Valley
Serving Waitsburg, Dayton and the Touchet Valley
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Ten Years Ago July 1, 2004 Curiosity got the best of Carol Mae Hodgins, proprietor of the Bullseye Gar-NGrill, when a locked safe came up on the block at Classic Auction in Waitsburg earlier this year. The safe cost $825, Hodgins said, and belonged to a Walla Walla attorney named Ringhoffer, who died a number of years ago. . . Inside Hodgins found several itesm include a ¾-carat diamong ring, a Euopean-cut diamond Masonic Lodge ring, a diamond stickpin, a Hamilton watch, some old ledgers, and two deeds for property in Dayton from 1892. This...
[Editor's note: The following is a statement from State Representative Terry Nealey regarding the June 2014 Washington State revenue forecast.] T he Washington State Economic and Revenue Forecast Council last week released its quarterly revenue forecast for the state. Acc ording t o Chief Econo- mist Steve Lerch, the General Fund-State net change is an increase of $157 million for the 2013-15 two-year budget cycle compared to the previous forecast in February. The council also increased its fore...
Dear Editor, I am writing to share an experience I witnessed and was a small part of with Sheriff John Turner. While employed with Providence St Mary Medical Center, I was a member of the Revenue Cycle Dept. which was approached by Sheriff Turner regarding the billing for care of inmates at the jail. Sheriff Turner urged St Mary's to help his team come up with a solution that would benefit the community while maintaining the exemplary care St Mary's is known for. As a result, a contract was put into place for services which saves the taxpayer 5...
First self-taught lesson at Girls State: Don't start a speech off with "Hi, my name is Jane Smith and I'm running for Auditor," or anything that sounds even remotely like that. At Girls State, the day starts at 6:30 in the morning and ends at eleven at night - and that's on the good nights. And so the minute your pitch starts off exactly the same as everyone else's, people start dozing off. Yup, this is it - one of the most prestigious conferences out there - affording its attendees the...
When Pomegranate Center Director Milenko Matanovic left a successful artists collective for something more meaningful, we're pretty sure what just took place in Prescott is exactly what he had in mind. Matanovic turned his focus to empowering and strengthening communities by helping them to work together to create community gathering spaces, like the one recently completed in Prescott. In just a few months, Prescott residents encouraged and supported one another in dreaming, designing and building a space that will leave a lasting legacy on...
When the Girls State brochure noted that "hay fever and allergies are prevalent in the Ellensburg area," I was initially unconcerned as I've never suffered from either. But about a week ago, my eyes started watering and itching, my nose clogged up, and my throat got raw. In other words, almost immediately before traveling to the windiest, most pollen-laden city in the state (during, no less, the worst allergy season North America has seen for a while), I suddenly became allergic to something....
Summer starts this weekend (it's called summer solstice). It'll be gone before you know it, so here are some things you can do to make it more fun and more memorable: 10. Go to the Snake. Lyons Ferry Marina has great food and a boat launch. Walk out to the end of the point and watch the fishermen. The Lyons Ferry Park, right across the bridge, is open this summer too. 9. Go camping on the Tucannon. I haven't been camping in years, but I should. Campgrounds up the Tucannon are great for fishing o...
Dear Editor, Jerry Votendahl's letter of June 5 regarding Tom Cooper not working full-duty as a deputy for nearly two years is clearly intended to implicate Sheriff Turner for revealing confidential information. Missing from Votendahl's letter is the fact that Mr. Cooper, not Sheriff Turner, made this information public in the WWUB article published April 14, 2013. Mr. Cooper's contribution to the article also included personal medical information and claims on how his medical condition should have resulted in different employment decisions by...
The Columbia County Planning Commission considered a proposal this week to make a significant change to the zoning code in Columbia County. On Monday the commission held a public hearing to take comments on a revision that would allow on-site sales of agricultural-related products by businesses as a "conditional use" in the Agricultural/Residential-1 zone. It then held a vote. (I was at that meeting and I'll get back to it in a moment.) There's a map on Page 5 that shows exactly where the AR-1 zones in Columbia County are located. (They're the...
As you read this, there is a little "12" beside my name in the school district's student enrollment spreadsheet. Impossible, right? I mean, if school years could get cited for speeding, the 11th grade would be in an impound lot by now. Hard as it is to believe that next year will be my last year of high school, I find it still harder to wrap my head around the fact that it will be my brother's first. And he's trying out for the football team to boot. I'm not sure whether to feel scared for him...
The purpose of my column is to respond to the editorial offered by The Times in regards to the recent school board decision of making the culminating project (senior project) voluntary versus compulsory. Opinion and input from all sources is highly valued by the Board and is part of the process for making our schools the best they can be. With that said, this response is not seeking to rebuke the editorial, but rather provide some additional clarification. During the last ten years the record will show the board has repeatedly supported making...
When the first All Wheels Weekend was held in 1995, the earliest Ford Mustangs were about 30 years old. Now they're celebrating their 50th anniversary. Cars that were new when the first AWW was held are getting close to being classics themselves. In June of 1995, Elvis would have been 60. Now he'd be almost 80. Justin Shandor, "The Ultimate Elvis," who will appear in Friday night's free stage show, turned 11 that year. The graduating seniors featured in this week's issue of The Times have never known a time when there wasn't an All Wheels...
Dear Editor, I was disappointed to read the article "WHS Drops Senior Project Requirement" in the May 22nd edition of the The Times.While I do not speak for all WHS graduates, I enjoyed the senior project. Compared to the assignments and tests that were used to evaluate my performance, the senior project gave me the opportunity to delve into a specific topic of interest in a "real world" context. The critical thinking skills that I developed through that experience were some of the greatest assets to me as I entered college and continued on to...
Dear Editor, "Walla Walla...known for wheat, wine, and weed." That was the sad comment I overheard from the audience at a Walla Walla City Council meeting earlier this year. Our way of life and doing business in the Walla Walla Valley is changing with the implementation of Initiative 502 (legalization of marijuana). I-502 brings massive "unintended consequences" ranging from the safety and security of our families and businesses to land use zoning codes/policies. As the chief law enforcement officer for Walla Walla County, Sheriff John Turner...
Dear Editor, The Waitsburg Friends of the Library would like to thank the Waitsburg Classic Auto Show committee for their generous donation to our community Summer Reading Program. Waitsburg Friends of the Library...
Ten Years Ago June 10, 2004 Bill Bloor, former City Attorney for the City of Waitsburg and member of the Waitsburg Schools Board of Directors was honored last Friday by Mayor Marty Dunn and Superintendent Robbie Johnson for his service to city government and the schools. Bloor is now chief counsel for the City of Port Angeles and was in Waitsburg for his last official act as a board member, handing diplomas to the Class of 2004, of which his son Ben is a member. Waitsburg Lions Club officers for the 2004-05 year are board members Loyal Baker, G...
A s a kid, I made a couple papier-mché piñatas in the shapes of dogs and cats. The process entailed ripping up the sports section of the newspaper, mixing a few handfuls of flour with water, dipping the newspaper in the flour mixture, and draping it over a balloon or two. After a few days, the paper would be dry, the balloon too shriveled up to make much of a noise when popped with a straight pin, and the haphazard creature ready to saw a trapdoor in and stuff with Tootsie Rolls. I largely a...
Several conversations regarding senior projects have taken place in The Times' office over recent weeks. As reporter Dena Wood covered Yakima student Tiffany Stewart's successful senior project to end the state senior project requirement, Waitsburg's history and motivation in adopting senior projects, and the recent decision by Waitsburg's School Board to drop that requirements, the tone of those conversations moved from amusement to pride to disappointment. This week, The Times received a letter to the editor from WHS alumni and Whitworth...
Ten Years Ago June 3, 2004 Claudia Hevel, daughter of Dr. and Mrs. S.R. Hevel, was recently recognized as the "2004 Honorary Service Award Recipient" from the Los Altos and Mountain View (California) PTA Council. Hevel studied law and is a graduate from Stanford University. She has spent her life working in public interest law and advocacy for the underrepresented and underprivileged in society. Graduation Ceremonies will commence at 8:00 p.m., June 4, in the Waitsburg High school gym.Four students have been chosen to speak on behalf of...
Dear Editor, It gives me great pleasure to write this letter of endorsement on the occasion of Sheriff Turner's intent to seek re-election for the Office of Sheriff in Walla Walla County. I am honored to have this opportunity to memorialize John's countless admirable qualities, integrity, and skills that will contribute to a continuing successful career as Sheriff. My personal and professional experiences with John persuade me that he will continue his extremely professional leadership of the Walla Walla County Sheriff's Office for a se...
For those of you who expect me to discuss a certain bit of news, know that I made a promise concerning coverage of that particular topic earlier this month and I intend on sticking to it. Those of you as out-of-the-loop as I would be under normal circumstances can be reassured that it's nothing terribly earth- shattering. Now that that's out of the way, and I have nothing else to share about my week, I'd like to offer a few completely unqualified words of advice concerning graduation gifts....
