Serving Waitsburg, Dayton and the Touchet Valley
Serving Waitsburg, Dayton and the Touchet Valley
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WAITSBURG-Waitsburg's business community has been growing. Empty buildings have found new owners, and the town has a hotel again. New ventures are joining established businesses to bring food, drink, hospitality, art, and unique products to town. On Thursday, September 1, new and old businesses will participate in a city-wide open house with special events, treats, and glimpses into what is available to residents and visitors. From 4 pm to 6:30 pm, The Royal Block Wine Bar and Hotel will...
WAITSBURG—On September 21, 2022, Waitsburg City Council will consider bids for 147 Main Street, which until recently housed City Hall. The city decided to surplus the building last year and accepted a bid for the assessed value of $205,000. The accepted bidder planned to build apartments upstairs and create retail space on the ground floor. Unfortunately, the sale fell through in June. The city reopened the bidding process on July 5, 2022, requesting proposals (RFP) for the historic building. Bidders must submit proposals by 2:00 p.m. on S...
Rosie Warehime has retired as the Weller Public Library manager. She was a grandma figure for many children in Waitsburg and will miss helping people find books, reading with kids, and engaging them in crafts. She had always been excited to go to work and stated it was the most wonderful and rewarding job she had ever had. Before going to work at the library, Warehime worked at Grain Growers for 20 years. She also worked at the AG Link store, in the office at the Green Giant Company, and the Nat... Full story
WAITSBURG—The Waitsburg School Board met on July 21 for a quick business meeting followed by a budget hearing. All board members were present. Board members went over the revised DW Wolfpack Athletic Code of Conduct. Dayton and Waitsburg school districts received the code revisions before the meeting. Dr. Carol Clarke brought up some editorial issues with the current code version, but the consensus was that the content was acceptable. Board member Stephanie Cole gave a brief update on the l...
The Bruce Museum has been spruced up for the summer thanks to two generous grants received by the Waitsburg Historical Society (WHS) this year. The funds allowed repairs to the Juliet balconies, widow's walk, the replacement of rotted support beams, and a complete exterior repainting of the building. Secretary Rebecca Wilson said that historical Society members began working on grant applications in January of this year, and it was an intensive process. The organization identified two grants,...
WAITSBURG-The Six-Year Transportation Plan was approved and adopted at the July 20 Waitsburg City Council meeting. All council members were present during the meeting. The council heard comments from community members before the business portion of the meeting. Comments included concerns about dips in the newly-chip sealed roads in town and statements regarding the library. The six-year plan included eight projects that the city plans to start and complete between 2023 and 2028. Projects include...
WAITSBURG-On Tuesday, July 19, 2022, a fleet of county law enforcement vehicles, including a Mine-Resistant Ambush Protected All-Terrain Vehicle (M-ATV), took over the parking lot at Waitsburg High School for the best possible scenario: Training. The Walla Walla Regional SWAT team, made up of officers from Walla Walla County Sheriff's Office and the Walla Walla Police Department, took advantage of empty classrooms for an active shooter drill. The training began at 7:30 a.m. and finished around 2...
Anonymous donor gives $10k. WAITSBURG –A movement is growing in Waitsburg to see a municipal pool return to town. Waitsburg Parks and Recreation received responses from 110 community members to its survey asking the community to weigh in on potential programs for the city. Results showed respondents overwhelmingly prioritized a new swimming pool for the community. Waitsburg Parks and Recreation District (P&R) and Rural Youth Enrichment Services (RYES) are set to take action. Results from the P...
WAITSBURG-The first Small Town Big Heart Showcase is headed to Waitsburg this weekend. More than 20 vendors will set up at the Gary Thomas Lot at the corner of Coppei and Preston Avenues on Saturday, July 9, starting at 9:00 a.m. Sponsored by the Waitsburg Commercial Club, President Kim Smith said she hopes this will become an annual event. Smith said that while the vendor list is already extensive, more businesses may sign on before the weekend rolls around. Vendors will offer products from...
WAITSBURG—After recent Dayton City Council actions delaying compliance with Department of Ecology guidelines for effluent release, residents of Waitsburg brought concerns to Waitsburg city officials. City Administrator Randy Hinchliffe contacted the Department of Ecology’s Water Quality Program manager Llyn Doremus for guidance. In an email response, Doremus stated that the effluent from the Dayton Wastewater Treatment Plant (WWTP) meets the required permit limits for fecal coliform. “The fecal coliform content measured (weekly) has been signi...
WAITSBURG-Waitsburg is a town that is full of heart, and when it comes to our kids, the community is ready to give at a moment's notice. The Jace Strong Fundraiser dinner, supporting a local nine-year-old battling cancer, was no exception, as nearly 300 people gathered last Saturday to help out. At the end of May, Jace Grende was rushed to the hospital where it was found that he had a significant brain bleed. He was airlifted to Seattle, where they discovered a large tumor that was pressing... Full story
WAITSBURG—Waitsburg City Council gathered for a regular meeting on Wednesday, June 15. All council members were present. Joy Smith commented on a report she shared with the council before the meeting. The report had information regarding employment in the area, housing prices, and local effects of inflation. The noon whistle was brought up by a community member who asked if the city would consider bringing it back. The siren had been operated by Columbia County EMS, who had requested to end t...
WAITSBURG-On June 10, Waitsburg first graders released more than 130 spring chinook salmon into the Coppei River. This was the fifth year Mrs. Hinchliffe's class partnered with the Tri Cities Steelheaders for the Salmon in Schools Program. Students worked with instructor Alex Lau, learning about the lifecycle of the fish and raising their own school from egg to fry.... Full story
The district to facilitate community safety sessions this summer WAITSBURG—Parents of Waitsburg School District students had a scare after a post on Facebook alerting users of a ‘school shooting threat’ was rapidly shared online. The events happened less than 24 hours after 19 students and two teachers were killed by a gunman in Uvalde, Texas. On Wednesday, May 25, a parent of a student enrolled in the district posted on social media that she was aware of death threats being made at the schoo...
. WAITSBURG—The Waitsburg School Board held a regular monthly meeting on May 16 at the Waitsburg Elementary School. All board members, Sarah Boudrieau, Christy House, Stephanie Cole, and Lisa Morrow, were in attendance, with Carol Clarke joining via Zoom. During the secondary principal’s report, Stephanie Wooderchak said the well-attended prom was enjoyable for all. Students from both Dayton and Waitsburg celebrated together at the combined event. Waitsburg’s Megan Forney was selected as the Wal...
The weekend kicks off on Friday evening with the ATV Sunset Cruise WAITSBURG-The third weekend of May is here, and after two years of cancellations, Waitsburg Celebration Days is back and bigger than ever. The weekend-long event will kick off on Friday, May 20, with the annual Sunset Cruise ATV Ride. ATV riders can check in at the Waitsburg Fairgrounds, near the former parimutuel betting booths, starting at 4:00 p.m. Route information will be available at check-in, and riders and drivers are...
WAITSBURG-Time to send The Times your yard sale information to be included on the official Community Yard sale Map. The map will be printed in The Times June 2 edition, on The Times Website, and on social media. Let us help buyers find your sale. Let us know the location of your sale. Please include any information about what you will have on offer. you can even send a few photos of your most delectable sale items. Include your name, contact number, or email for The Times' use only. Email... Full story
WAITSBURG-Waitsburg Celebration Days officials announced that Karen Peters Tonne and Dan Katsel will lead the 2022 festivities as the Parade Marshalls. Karen Peters Tonne is a lifelong area resident, including attending the Waitsburg School District for all 12 years of her schooling. She worked various jobs in the area before she took a job as a mechanical designer. She worked at Hanford, and later, at Key Technology, in Walla Walla. In 1964, Tonne was selected as a Days of Real Sport Princess,...
Well, there are laws, but they never had many teeth, and for quite some time, they have had no teeth whatsoever. Court rulings have consistently determined that a show of disrespect towards the flag or the National Anthem is protected by the First Amendment to the Constitution. But the laws are still on the books, and they describe clearly what is considered respectful behavior and what counts as Flag desecration. Presumably, most people who openly display a flag that has been desecrated do so out of ignorance and not out of an attempt to show...
WAITSBURG—The Waitsburg City Council met on Wednesday, April 20, for a regularly scheduled meeting. April was the first month that the council offered a Zoom option. The option will be available for future meetings, and log-in information is provided at www.cityofwaitsburg.com with upcoming meeting agendas. Those using Zoom said it was difficult to hear. The city is exploring options to improve the online sound quality for future meetings. Walla Walla County Sheriff’s Office (WWCSO) pro...
WAITSBURG—The Waitsburg School Board met on April 21, 2022, for a regularly scheduled meeting. The middle school robotic class presented an overview of some of the projects they have been working on. The robotics class taught by Colby Starring has been learning everything from inventorying supplies, designing robots, implementing a design plan, and coding. Board member Carol Clarke asked if the students were able to work at home. Students said they could not work at home because they didn’t have access to the field-specific supplies from cla...
Waitsburg Commercial Club is holding its Annual Awards Dinner at the new restaurant on April 12. WAITSBURG-A pizza maker and a Bloody Mary mix master walk into a bar. No joke, the bar was the empty Anchor Bar located in the American Legion, post 35, building on Main Street in Waitsburg. Tom and Judy Bennett have embraced the building's history and want to incorporate the essence of the American Legion post and what it once was; good company and good food to their new business American 35. The co...
WAITSBURG—Next week is the Waitsburg Commercial Club Awards Dinner on April 12, at American 35. Since the club could not hold its annual event during the pandemic, it will be three times the fun this year. The club will be presenting awards for outstanding service from community members and businesses for the past three years. The last winners were awarded the 2019 Service Awards for their work in 2018. This year the honorees will receive 2020, 2021, and 2022 awards. The 2022 dinner is dedicate... Full story
WAITSBURG-The Waitsburg City Council met for its regular meeting on March 23, 2022. Councilmembers Jim Romine and Jillian Henze were unable to attend the meeting. Mayor Marty Dunn, Councilmembers Kevin House, Court Ruppenthal, and Randy Charles were present. Twelve community members attended the meeting. After holding a brief public hearing, the council voted to vacate a defunct alleyway and give ownership to Paul and Karen Gregutt, who own the adjacent property. The alley has no utilities...
When Kate Hockersmith convinced me to join her music group after school in 2010, I never thought I'd be writing about it in The Times more than a decade later. I spent much of my childhood inspired by the Blue Mountain Troublemakers, a bluegrass band led by Hockersmith, who traveled as far as Sasayama, Japan (Walla Walla's sister city), to perform. Walking into the Hockersmith home as a peewee 4-H'er, I was awestruck by the music flowing out of the basement. The Troublemakers formed in 2003,...
