Serving Waitsburg, Dayton and the Touchet Valley
Serving Waitsburg, Dayton and the Touchet Valley
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WAITSBURG - Returning from a trip to Tuscany, Tom and Judy Bennett brought their new-found love of Neapolitan pizza home to Walla Walla. In 2018, they opened Fiasco, a mobile catering business with a wood-fired pizza oven on a vintage truck. In 2022, the couple scaled up their enterprise by opening American 35 in Waitsburg's former American Legion building. They expanded the kitchen and dining room and opened the restaurant to Main Street with two large glass garage doors. But the real star of...
WAITSBURG —Waitsburg Mayor Marty Dunn called the city council meeting to order on Wednesday, March 19, 2025, at 7 p.m. at city hall. City council members Jillian Henze, Jennifer Bishop, Kevin House, and City Administrator Randy Hinchliffe were present. Council members Jim Romine and Court Ruppenthal were not present. In public comment, representatives from the Touchet River Roundup, known as Woody’s Pig Roast, told the council they disagreed with a memo from the city administrator to the council. Hinchliffe recommended that the council not all...
WAITSBURG — The former city hall was back on the market after the last sales agreement accepted at the special council meeting on March 6 fell through on March 12. The offer accepted at the special council meeting was from Walla Walla residents Delbert and Cindy Steinhorst. The couple's bid was $150,000 for the city hall building and a second city-owned property off E. Sixth St. The offer had a relatively quick time frame, with a feasibility contingency date of March 15 and closing on April 1, 2...
WAITSBURG - Justin Stegall is the Operations Project Manager at Little Goose Lock and Dam. On Saturday, March 15, Stegall, a Waitsburg Lions Club member, invited fellow club members and their families to tour the dam. Little Goose Lock and Dam is one of four dams authorized in the River and Harbors Act of 1945. The dam's construction started in 1963 and had three turbines operational by 1970, adding three more in 1978. The dam is 2,655 feet long with a height of 149 feet. Stegall started the...
WAITSBURG — Mayor Marty Dunn called a special meeting of the Waitsburg City Council for March 6, 2025. The purpose of the meeting was to review and vote on three bids submitted for the purchase of the old city hall building at 147 Main Street. The council accepted the bid from Delbert and Cindy Steinhorst, past Waitsburg residents f who made an offer of $150,000. The offer is for the city hall building and a second vacant lot property on 6th Street the city has for sale. The second property is an oddly shaped, 1.15-acre lot on East 6th Street....
WALLA WALLA - Waitsburg School District will host Whitman College for a Family Science Night on Thursday, March 6, in the Preston Hall gym. Whitman brings science nights to students and families in the fall and spring at different schools throughout the valley; this was the first time it was held in Waitsburg. The event provided an interactive evening of science geared towards K-5 students and their families. Preston Hall was filled with parents watching their children get excited about science...
DAYTON — The Port of Columbia Commissioners held their regular meeting at 5 p.m. on February 12, 2025, at the port’s conference room. Commissioners Seth Bryan, Johnny Watts, Mike Spring, and Executive Director Jennie Dickinson were present. The commissioners handled a few administrative items, including approving minutes from past meetings and reviewing the monthly budget report. There were no new or amended leases to review. The commissioners reviewed and approved a sewer agreement with the City of Dayton, which allowed wastewater pipes to...
WAITSBURG - Cheryl Hansen and her crew of friends harvested the first crop of Riesling grapes grown at Stella's Homestead in September 2024. Hansen contracted Truth Teller Winery to provide Custom Crush, winemaking, and maintenance services to help her create the single-varietal wine, Dona Stella. After harvest, the grapes went to the Walla Walla winery to be processed, sorted, pressed, and slowly fermented by owners and winemakers Rob Wohr and Chris Loeliger. On February 7, Hansen and her crew...
WAITSBURG - Seventeen students from Waitsburg Schools attended the Amazing Shake state finals in Mattawa, Washington, on Tuesday, February 4. The Amazing Shake teaches students about professional skills for success through manners, discipline, and respect to present themselves exceptionally for future opportunities. Participants from Waitsburg, Othello, Royal, and Wahluke school districts spent the day showing judges their skills in handshakes, follow-up questions, quick thinking, and effective...
WAITSBURG — Due to increasing print production costs, I am transitioning “The Times” from a print to an exclusively online publication beginning February 6, 2025. The transition will allow the paper to continue covering local news and support businesses, non-profits, schools, and healthcare systems in the Touchet Valley. “The Times” is committed to providing accurate, fair, and relevant information to its readers and community. I purchased the paper at the end of 2018 when the previous owners planned to close the publication after they coul...
WAITSBURG - In the first semester at Waitsburg Schools, Elizabeth Jagelski introduced Music Exploration to a combined class of sixth and seventh graders. Jagelski led students in exploring music and musical instruments, including bucket drumming and kazoo playing. The students got to vote for their last segment of instruction in music. They could choose between putting on a play, learning to play recorders, or forming a choir to sing in four-part harmony. With ninety-eight percent of the vote, t...
WAITSBURG — The Waitsburg City Council voted unanimously to accept a new offer for the former Waitsburg City Hall building at its regular meeting on January 15. Todd and Carrie Alexander’s offer included a letter introducing the couple and their interest in the building. The Alexanders have many interests, including food, wine, travel, design, art, and music. They recently bought and renovated the JL Elam bank building in Milton-Freewater, built in 1906. It sat empty for over ten years before the couple purchased it. The couple created Ate...
WAITSBURG - The Waitsburg Parks and Recreation District(WPRD) board has received the feasibility study it commissioned from PBS Engineering and Environmental in 2024. The purpose of the study was to determine if a pool could be rebuilt at its current location or on one of two alternative sites. The completed study shows a new municipal pool could be built on the alternative site on the north side of the Touchet River. On January 2, the WPRD board voted unanimously to pursue building the new...
WAITSBURG - Nicole Abel and her Waitsburg Ariculture Education students offer fresh cut trees to local businesses and clubs to decorate for the Festival of Trees. The students put up the trees before Hometown Christmas and pick them up again after New Year's Day. The trees are decorated with battery powered lights and unbreakable but creative ornaments to bring color and cheer to the downtown streets. Trees also compete for recognition as the Hometown Christmas fan favorite. The trees were cover...
WAITSBURG - For the last 21 years, the Waitsburg Booster Club has honored a member in January for their exceptional dedication to supporting our students. Vickie Hamann, a long-time Booster Club supporter, was recognized as Booster of the Year on Saturday, February 1, 2025. Booster Club Vice-President Julie Karl made the presentation after President Ross Hamann read Vickie's attributes, including her contributions behind the scenes, poster making, washing and mending uniforms, organizing...
WAITSBURG - Tom and Judy Bennett brought wood-fired pizzas to Waitsburg in 2022. After buying the former American Legion Post 35 from winemaker Charles Smith, the pair has remodeled, added outdoor seating, and hosted trivia, axe-throwing, burlesque, and live bands. The couple is now adding international travel to the fun. Partnering with The Table Less Traveled, the couple is offering a one-of-a-kind trip to southern Italy to explore Neapolitan pizza's roots. The trip is open to six to 14...
Waitsburg Students brighten the holiday season with music WAITSBURG - Waitsburg Elementary School held its winter program at the high school auditorium on Thursday, December 18. Students from preschool through fifth grade performed to the delight of a house packed with family and friends. The preschool students were directed by their teacher, Eleanora Montgomery. Music Director Elizabeth Jagelski directed the kindergarten through grade five students. Preschool's morning class sang – "We All H...
WAITSBURG – Elizabeth Jaegeski, Waitsburg's K-12 Music Specialist, took on the challenge of bringing back a high school performance art class. "We started the year discussing our bodies, movement, and being comfortable taking on a character. Rule one was to respect each person's journey in developing their character," said Jaegeski. Using puppets and a stage first purchased by Nancy Bickelhaupt for her classroom and now used by school counselor Rosy Nechodom, the class is producing a show on bul...
WAITSBURG - On Friday, December 6, the Friends of the Waitsburg Pool and Waitsburg Parks and Recreation hosted a fundraiser, successfully raising over $16,000. The evening began with a concert, by The Frog Hollow Band at The Plaza Theater. The band generously donated their performance, raising funds from general admission and VIP tickets. After the concert, The Plaza opened its doors to kids for a free movie, including adult supervision, allowing parents to attend the after-concert events at...
WAITSBURG - Waitsburg fourth through eighth-grade students competed in an Amazing Shake gauntlet on Monday, November 25, at Preston Hall. The students were challenged at six different stations. Each student had one minute per station to impress the judges. They were judged on appearance, Je Ne Sais Quoi (i.e., an appeasing quality), handshake, confidence, verbal poise, nonverbal behavior, adaptability, and task completion. The five stations were: Current Events – Participants introduced t...
WAITSBURG - Waitsburg senior Cedar Stegall loves being part of Future Farmers of American, FFA. Recently, she filled out the application, sent her resume, and was interviewed before being selected to be a Sentinel – an FFA District Officer. Stegall looks forward to the program's opportunities to travel and meet new people. She completed her district officer training in Sequim, Washington, where she went on industry tours and learned more about her role as an officer. Stegall attended a m...
WAITSBURG - The Waitsburg School District held its Veterans' Day program led by Music Director Elizabeth Arebalos-Jagelski on November 7, 2024. Interim Superintendent Dr. Carol Clarke opened the program, followed by students singing the Star-Spangled Banner during the Presentation of Flags. Student Body President Cedar Stegall gave a reading of the history of Veterans Day. Veterans, family, and community members enjoyed music performed by students under Jagelski's direction and a guest speaker...
WAITSBURG - Preston Hall Middle School held its Fall Sports, PRIDE, and Attendance Awards assembly on Thursday, October 24. The 2024 Cardinal Volleyball and football teams were introduced at the assembly and received recognition certificates. Many students received certificates for great attendance of 90% and excellence in attendance with 99% in September. and Alex Zuniga. PRIDE Awards for September: Preparedness Sixth Grade-Wyatt Parish, Seventh Grade-Flynn Richardson, Eighth grade-Sasha...
WAITSBURG - Waitsburg High School held homecoming activities during Spirt Week from October 14 – through 18. The 2025 seniors added some new class competition events for this year. The week started with America Day on Monday, and students and staff wore red, white, and blue. At the afternoon assembly, one student from each grade (9-12) donned a blowup costume and competed in a dance. Sophomore Trace Nesje was the winner, performing as an oversized alien. Junior Blake Benavides was a chicken, f...
WAITSBURG — At its meeting on October 16, the Waitsburg City Council voted unanimously to tear down the grandstands, announcer booth, and timing towers at the Waitsburg Fairgrounds. The council found the structures to be surplus and a safety hazard with no value to the city. Weller Public Library Supervisor Sarah Roberts presented an update to the council on the library. She said the interior has been repainted, material checkouts and foot traffic are up from past years, and money has been raised for programs, including the summer reading p...
