Serving Waitsburg, Dayton and the Touchet Valley
Serving Waitsburg, Dayton and the Touchet Valley
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They had a dream that they worked together to fulfill – and they did. Twenty-nine years ago, Ed Harri (who grew up in Dayton) and his wife Pat launched the Wenaha Gallery at 219 East Main Street. The couple, who both loved art, decided to share that love with Ed’s hometown by opening up an art and framing gallery in 1993. Though the Harri’s lived in Salem, OR, they hired excellent associates who kept in daily contact with them. Ed and Pat also drove regularly from Oregon to Washington to be in the gallery in person and connect with their clien...
DAYTON—The Dayton City Council met on June 14, 2022, for a regular meeting. All council members were present in the meeting room. Many residents filled all available seats, and as many as 25 logged in on Zoom. Multiple public comments were heard, with the majority focused on the wastewater treatment project. All but one speaker, Kathy Berg, were residents of Dayton. Berg, a former Dayton City Councilmember now living in Walla Walla, encouraged current members to attend training and get i...
WAITSBURG/DAYTON—The Waitsburg and Dayton School boards met on June 1, 2022, for a joint meeting to discuss details surrounding the future of the DW Athletics Combine. The loosely followed agenda included discipline, middle school athletics, finances, and future joint board meetings. On the topic of discipline, Dayton School Superintendent Guy Strot and Waitsburg Superintendent Mark Pickel suggested the secondary principals handle disciplinary issues with the combine athletes. This would r...
DAYTON—Residents, business owners, and concerned neighbors gathered at Dayton High School last Wednesday, seeking clarification on the status of the city’s wastewater project. Concerns were raised after the Dayton City Council twice voted against a purchase that was one of the critical steps towards solving the city’s wastewater issue after a decade of planning. “What happens next?” was on everyone’s mind at the June 2 town hall gathering. Cynthia Wall-Fuller, Washington State Department...
DAYTON- The Dayton School Board held a work session meeting at 6 p.m., June 1, 2022, in the high school auditorium and Zoom. All members of the Dayton School Board were present in the auditorium, Aneesha Dieu, Zac Fabian, Grant Griffen, Chair Jeffrey McCowen, Korinda Wallace, Madison Richardson (Student Representative), and Superintendent Guy Strot. The consent agenda included the resignation of M.S. math teacher Brenda Henderson and the hiring of Martin Surridge as an HS English teacher, Pam Nolan Beasley as the elementary STEM teacher, and...
DAYTON- A dedicated group of swimming and water safety enthusiasts are asking for help as planning for a new swimming pool in Dayton enters a critical phase. The Friends of the Pool (Friends) has contracted with Schemata Workshop, Seattle (architects), and Ballard King & Associates LTD, Highlands Ranch, CO (recreational facility planning and operation consultants). The firms will assist with data collection, development of a community assessment, and designs for a new facility. They will also...
DAYTON – The Dayton School Board held its regular meeting at 6 p.m., May 18, 2022. All Board members, Aneesha Dieu, Zac Fabian, Grant Griffen, Jeffry McCowen, and Korinda Wallace, were present in the high school auditorium, Superintendent Guy Strot and student representative Madison Richardson. Members of the public attended in person and on Zoom. The board approved the consent agenda, including hiring two elementary teachers, Angela Kenney and Amanda Wade. It also included the retirement of the high school science teacher, Doug Yenney. Dr. C...
DAYTON-The committee on the task force looking into developing a childcare facility and early learning center in Dayton will provide the public with an opportunity to learn more at a meeting on Monday, May 23 at 6 p.m. at the Columbia County Fairgrounds Pavilion. Former State Representative Terry Nealy will moderate the seven-member panel. Childcare will be provided. "There appears to be a lot of misinformation out there, including this is government-run daycare, that hospital district taxes...
DAYTON- The Port of Columbia held its regular meeting at 5 p.m., May 11, 2022. All commissioners were present, Genie Crowe, Johnny Watts, and Seth Bryan. Port Director Jennie Dickinson was also present in person. Members of the public attended both in person and on Zoom. The meeting began with a presentation on affordable housing in Columbia County by Community Council representatives Catherine Veninga, Rachel Elfenbein, and Laura Prado. The presenters used the Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD) definition for affordable h...
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...
DAYTON- The Dayton School Board convened a special board meeting at 7 p.m., May 9, 2022. The meeting was held in the Dayton High School auditorium and on Zoom. All school board members were present in person, Aneesha Dieu, Zac Fabian, Grant Griffen, Jeffrey McCowen, and Korinda Wallace. The superintendent, Guy Strot, was also present. The first agenda item was the superintendent/principal search. Strot said two paths were open to the board, either hire a permanent Superintendent/Principal or hire an interim one-year Superintendent/Principal. Th...
DAYTON – The Dayton City Council held a work session meeting at 9 a.m. on Wednesday, April 27, 2022, in person and on Zoom. All councilmembers were present; Laura Aukerman, Misty Yost, Teeny McMunn, Dain Nysoe, Kyle Anderson, and Tyler (Tiger) Dieu were present in-person, as was Mayor Zac Weatherford. The purpose of the meeting was for the council and City to work on a strategy to move forward on the City’s sewage treatment plant. Weatherford wanted to emphasize that the project was not dead after the council’s vote not to purchase the recommen...
The Columbia County Commissioners held a regular meeting on May 2, 2022. All commissioners were present for the meeting. The current Public Works Director, Amber Phinney reported that the county received its first $6,000 allotment from FEMA after waiting for more than two years. Phinney added the next allotment should be awarded next month for $93,000. Phinney commended Kellie Steinhoff for her work filing for the allotments and added that Steinhoff is working on paperwork for a third allotment. County Engineer Jeremy Weiland gave a brief updat...
Hidden in Plain Sight program scheduled for May. DAYTON – The Dayton School Board held their regular meeting at 6 PM, April 20, 2022, in the High School Auditorium and on Zoom. All members of the board were present in the auditorium, Aneesha Dieu, Zac Fabian, Grant Griffen, Korinda Wallace, and Chair Jeffrey McCowen. Madison Richardson, the student representative, and Superintendent Guy Strot were also present in the auditorium. Only a few members of the public were present in the auditorium, and fewer than ten were listening in on Zoom. The b...
DAYTON – A caboose on an active railroad track is not something most of us have seen in a very long time. Likely, most people under forty have never seen one. Few people have probably seen a caboose emblazoned with large block letters, "WARNING! REMOTE CONTROL." At Dayton's Caboose Park, visitors can see a yellow Union Pacific caboose up close. With its distinctive cupola, it is a great example of the cars once widely used. From the 1830s, cabooses were used to provide shelter for the crews o...
The Dayton Chamber of Commerce held its annual Community Choice Awards Banquet on Wednesday, April 20, 2022. Each year, the public submits nominations for exceptional citizen, employee, business, and youth. This year, the Chamber added two categories to recognize, Start-up Business and Non-Profit of the year. A selection committee, made up of the Chamber Board and community members, selected the winners. Though this year's banquet remained small, the Chamber didn't want to miss an opportunity...
Dayton School District Superintendent Guy Strot has submitted his resignation to the board. A special School Board meeting was held April 27 to accept the resignation effective June 30, 2022. Strot joined the Dayton School District following the retirement of Superintendent Doug Johnson in 2020. During his tenure he created a restructuring plan and a retention plan for the district. The district has faced many challenges in the last few years, including a large number of students choosing to...
DAYTON – The Dayton City Council met at 6 p.m., April 12, 2022. All Council members were present, Misty Yost, Tiger Dieu, Marchand Hovrud, Dain Nysoe, Laura Aukerman, Teeny McMunn, Kyle Anderson, and Mayor Zac Weatherford. The Chamber of Commerce Director, Belinda Larsen, announced their awards presentations would be held on April 20, 2022, and they are working on the Dayton Days and All Wheels Weekend events. The Chamber is discussing parade routes with the County. The City Council handled s...
DAYTON—Winston Churchill once said, “We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give.” Since 1995, the Columbia County Community Network, ComNet, has provided “umbrella” agreements under its 501(c)(3) tax-exempt status to local organizations that cannot afford or maintain non-profit status or waiting to file for 501(c)(3) tax-exempt determination. ComNet Board President Vicki Zoller explained that under the ComNet umbrella, smaller entities can apply for grants as a 501(c)(...
Bill and Teresa Ayotte have brought the beloved cafe back to Dayton DAYTON-After more than a year, Dayton-area golfers and foodies alike can finally enjoy their favorite Chicken Bill burger, breakfast, or chicken fried steak once again. Returning to the Touchet Valley Golf Course after taking a pandemic-year off, Chicken Bill's Cafe had its soft opening on March 31, and owners Bill and Teresa Ayotte have been busy ever since. "It's been so busy!" Ayotte said. "So many familiar faces are back."...
DAYTON—Columbia County is just one of many Washington government entities that received a Public Record Request from self-proclaimed ‘government transparency advocate’ Eric Hood. The state Public Records Act requires that state and local agencies disclose all records to the public unless the law specifically exempts them. Agencies must reply to requests within five business days to give an estimate of when records will be available and later provide a log to explain any redactions or exemp...
DAYTON-The Port of Columbia Commissioners met Monday, March 21, for a workshop to discuss Touchet Valley Trail. As many as 39 people attended via Zoom, in addition to a packed conference room at the port. Public comment was not allowed at the workshop meeting. Executive Director Jennie Dickinson was joined by Ken Van Voorhis from SPVV Landscape Architects, Brain Hansen, and Adam Schmidtgall, from Anderson Perry (A.P.). Dickinson began the meeting going over a brief history of the trail,...
DAYTON—The Dayton School Board held its regular board meeting at 6 p.m. on March 16, 2022. All members were present, Chair Jeffrey McCowen, Aneesha Dieu, Zac Fabian, Grant Griffin, and Korinda Wallace. Superintendent Guy Strot was also present in person, as was student representative Madison Richardson. The board approved the Consent Agenda without debate. During public comment, Pearl Dennis suggested the board consider hiring a non-certified superintendent as it appears to be allowed by the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction (...
DAYTON—The Northstar Digital Literacy Assessment, offered through Columbia County Library, is aimed at helping adults acquire the skills they need in today’s workplace. “People without basic computer know-how are at a disadvantage when it comes to finding a job because employers expect basic computer skills for most jobs, including many entry-level positions,” said Todd Vandenbark, Library Director. “We joined Northstar because it will help our patrons have a better chance at getting jobs and getting ahead.” The free set of assessments includes...
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...
