Serving Waitsburg, Dayton and the Touchet Valley
Serving Waitsburg, Dayton and the Touchet Valley
Sorted by date Results 176 - 200 of 297
DAYTON – The Dayton School Board held a regularly scheduled work session meeting at 6 p.m. on March 2, 2022. All Board members were in attendance. The night before, the School Board held a two-and-a-half-hour special board meeting which consisted of a long executive session. At the beginning of the meeting, Board Chair Jeff McCowen announced an executive session would be held under IAW RCW 42.30.110 (f). This section of the Open Public Meeting Act (OPMA) allows a closed session specifically t...
DAYTON-The Columbia County Rural Library District welcomes the WSU Extension's Master Gardening Program for a four-week intro into all things gardening, starting with the dirty work- literally! The program begins on March 7 and the first Monday of each month, through June. Director of Library Services Todd Vandenbark said the first class would be about seeds and soil. An introduction to soil, additives, composting, and the benefit of worms will be the second session's topic, and the third...
A news brief titled Dayton Historical Depot Society director leaving post was accidentally included in the March 3, 2022 print edition. The March 11, 2021 news brief announced the resignation of past director Tamara Fritze. Shellie McLeod is the current Depot Director & Events Coordinator of the Depot. Our apologies for any confusion....
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—Columbia Pulp, LLC, announced in a press release on February 12 that it would idle operations, effective February 18. The decision will affect approximately 80 employees over the next several weeks. The reduction in workforce will affect employees at the company’s headquarters in Dayton and the production plant at Lyons Ferry “We made this very difficult decision while continuing to evaluate our strategic options,” said Terry Ryan, Columbia Pulp’s Interim CEO. “We are acutely aware that...
DAYTON- The Port of Columbia Commissioners held their regularly scheduled meeting at 5:02 p.m., February 9, 2022. For the opening public comment period, Jorie Aukerman, a resident of Dayton for four years and Executive Assistant at Columbia County Health Systems, spoke on the need for a childcare center in Dayton. She is the mother of an eleven-week-old child and said she is very interested in hearing the Port's presentation about the childcare center. Aukerman said she hopes to remain in her...
DAYTON-At a Monday morning meeting on February 14, The Club President, Jim Pearson, presented to the Columbia County Commissioners on The Club, following its request for $5,000 from the Juvenile Justice Fund. The Club provides affordable afterschool and school break programs for more than 100 area youth. At its peak before COVID-19 restrictions, The Club had more than 200 members enrolled. Pearson told the commissioners that the past couple of years had been challenging for The Club, facing chal...
DAYTON—The City Council meeting went into session at 6:07 p.m., February 9, 2022. Mayor Zac Weatherford, Council members Teeny McMunn, Dain Nysoe, Laura Aukerman, Misty Yost, and Tiger Dieu were in attendance. The Columbia County Emergency Management Director Ashley Strickland reported that contracted maintenance on the communications systems should be complete by the next City Council meeting. The Consent Agenda was approved with Laura Aukerman abstaining because she said she did not receive a copy of the claim vouchers to review. Mayor Zac W...
DAYTON—The Dayton School Board convened a regular work session at 6 p.m. on February 2, 2022. Although both in-person and Zoom participation by the public was available, the meeting was sparsely attended by the public. There were two topics on the agenda this evening for discussion. The first topic for discussion was the sexual health curriculum. This topic consists of sex education for grades five through twelve and Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) for kindergarten through third grade. Senate Bill 5395, passed by the Legislature and W...
DAYTON-Hail, fire, and drought are all words that make farmers shudder. Thankfully, farmers in the Touchet Valley can have a little more peace of mind, thanks to Obenland and Low. Pomeroy residents Tara and Adam Hodges are the owners of Obenland and Low Agency, offering small and large farm insurance, equine insurance, and home and auto insurance. The original company was founded in 1921 by C.E Obenland and became Obenland and Low in 1981. The couple purchased the agency in 2013 and has...
'If you see a need, plant a seed' has become the driving force behind Dayton's Bulldog Brigade. Organizer Peggy Eakin was the speaker at the January 27 Dayton Kiwanis Club, and she is on a mission to gather volunteers for just about everything in Dayton. Eakin started her presentation emphasizing community support, expressing her excitement to speak to club members who had once made it possible for her granddaughter to visit Washington D.C, take her first flight, and see the world outside of...
DAYTON- The Port of Columbia Commissioners held their monthly meeting Wednesday, January 12, 2022. The meeting was held virtually on Zoom. Two commissioners, Seth Bryan and Johnny Watts logged onto Zoom from the Port conference room. The third commissioner, Genie Crowe, attended remotely. The Zoom meeting was attended by over 40 community members. Executive Director Jenny Dickinson said she had sworn in new commissioners, Seth Bryan and Johnny Watts, before the meeting. Dickinson explained that rules mandate a board secretary be appointed....
DAYTON—The Dayton City Council convened its monthly meeting at 6 PM on January 12, 2022. Four new city council members, Laura Aukerman, Teeny McMunn, Marchand Hovrud, and Tyler Dieu, were sworn in at the January 12 meeting. Misty Yost and Dain Nysoe remain in their seats through 2023, and position six is vacant. Mayor Zac Weatherford announced the passing of City Council Member Byron Kaczmarski, leaving position six vacant. He also reported that Hovrud plans to serve on the council until her move from the area. The council elected Dain Nysoe to...
DAYTON-In 2019, Touchet Valley Golf and Recreation (TVGR), formerly known as the Dayton Country Club, created an aggressive five-year strategic plan for the golf course. The plan includes partnering with multiple organizations to fund and construct an underground irrigation system and potentially expand the existing golf course. The Underground Sprinkler System Installation project consists of planning and fundraising, irrigation reservoir construction, and underground sprinkler system...
DAYTON—The Dayton School Board held its work session meeting at 6 PM on Wednesday, January 5, 2022. The work session meeting was held in person and on Zoom. All the directors were in attendance, opted to meet in person except for Grant Griffin, who chose the remote option. In November, the superintendent administered the Oath of Office to Aneesha Dieu, Jeffrey McCowen, Grant Griffen, and Korinda Wallace. The newly elected directors swore to support the Constitution of the United States and the State of Washington and faithfully discharge the d...
The Dayton City Council convened its regular meeting at 6 p.m. on December 15, 2021. All members of the city council were present except for Byron Kaczmarski. The city council discussed Resolution 1484, which would allow the mayor to execute an interlocal agreement with Columbia County for shoreline planning and master plan updates. Councilmember Mike Paris moved to approve, and Misty Yost seconded. Council passed the resolution unanimously. Next, the Council considered approving a new contract with the union representing the city’s public w...
DAYTON-Touchet Valley Ladies Golf joined efforts to fund the irrigation project at the Touchet Valley Golf course. On December 15, Cherie Hinchliff from Touchet Valley Ladies Golf presented a $2,000.00 check to Sean Thurston, Touchet Valley Golf and Recreation treasurer. This donation was given to help fund the new irrigation project at the Dayton golf course, which will benefit golfers of all ages. The club hosts Junior Golf each year, offering young golfers in our community a free week of...
The Dayton School Board held its monthly meeting using Zoom at 6 p.m., December 15, 2021. All board members were present for the Zoom meeting, David Bailey (Chair), Zac Fabian, Grant Griffen, Jeffrey McCowen, and Fred White. Fred White made a motion to approve the consent agenda, comprised of the minutes for the November 17 and December 1, 2021, meetings, and recommendations to hire Jerry Dedloff Jr. as a custodian and Angie Whaley as the youth & government advisor. Also included in the consent agenda was approval for a stipend for the...
DAYTON – The Dayton School District Directors held a meeting, using Zoom, on December 1, 2021, at 6 p.m.. All members of the board were present. As the newly appointed board member, Zac Fabian participated in the board for the first time. Mr. Fabian joined the superintendent, Guy Strot, to take the oath of office. The superintendent postponed discussing the strategic plan until the January meeting when the newly elected board members would join the board. Strot walked the board through a presentation of charts and graphs showing the survey resu...
DAYTON— The Dayton City Council held a special meeting at 6 p.m., November 23, 2021. All city council members were in attendance except Byron Kaczmarski, who was excused. The council approved the agenda unanimously. There was no public comment. Paul Ihle presented a daycare facility update. Ihle sits on the standing committee studying childcare issues for the Columbia County Health System (CCHS). The committee is working to identify a suitable location. The architect used by the CCHS has been advising on the project and drafting drawings. Once...
DAYTON—In small communities, heroes come from all backgrounds, and they almost never wear capes. They live quiet lives, hiding in plain sight, taking their satisfaction in a job well done. They may be thanked for each job, but not for the bigger impact they have on their communities. That’s not the case for Dayton, however. At least, not if Gordon Gerlitz can help it. “We have to recognize people while they are still going,” said Gerlitz. “Oftentimes, we recognize people after the fact, but...
DAYTON-The Dayton School Board held their regular meeting on November 17, 2021, at 6 p.m. This week's board meeting began by conducting interviews with the candidates for the vacant board position. James William Wyant, Jr. removed himself from consideration, so only two interviews were conducted. The board interviewed Bryan Martin for about forty minutes, and Zac Fabian's interview lasted less than 15 minutes. After the interviews were concluded, the board moved on to approval of the consent...
DAYTON-Listening to a veteran's story was the perfect topic at the November 11 Dayton Kiwanis Club Meeting. Kiwanis members invited Eric Thorn, a local veteran who served in Vietnam, to share his experiences as a Chinook pilot during the war. "It's coming up on almost exactly fifty years since I got back from Vietnam," Thorn began. "I think it's in another month." The United States became involved in Vietnam when President Eisenhower declared support for South Vietnam in 1955. President Kennedy...
DAYTON-Sleep off all of the Thanksgiving turkey, and head to Downtown Dayon on Friday, November 26, and Saturday, November 27 for the annual Christmas Kickoff festivities. Belinda Larsen, Executive Director of the Dayton Chamber of Commerce, said she started getting inquiries as early as June, from vendors and other interested parties, as to whether they would be hosting a full weekend. Last year, the event went virtual amidst COVID-19 closures and restrictions, and was significantly smaller....
DAYTON- The Dayton School Board held its work session meeting on Zoom at 6 p.m. on November 3, 2021. The first agenda item addressed by the school board was to review the strategic plan. The first aspect of the strategic plan the board looked at was the Board Operating Protocol. Using the protocol adopted by the Reardan-Edwall School District, which Superintendent Strot provided, the board members began a preliminary discussion. The Times intends to cover the proposed strategic plan in greater depth at a later date. The second agenda topic was...
