Serving Waitsburg, Dayton and the Touchet Valley
Serving Waitsburg, Dayton and the Touchet Valley
Sorted by date Results 634 - 658 of 1805
Tayler Jones and Cade Branson were crowned Queen and King at Waitsburg's junior prom on Sat., April 22. The theme was "Black and White."...
WAITSBURG – It has taken nearly a year's worth of effort, but a rezone of a property owned by Marvin Aronson just off Highway 124, which was recommended by the Waitsburg Planning Commission, was finally approved by the city council at their April 19 regular meeting. The rezone, from R1-residential to a Flexible C-R Zone wasn't what the applicant initially requested, but was what the commission and council felt was the best compromise for all involved. The rezone has been a lengthy process, a...
Several Preston Hall students shared their talents with friends and family at a talent show in the WHS auditorium Monday evening. Zack Wood (comedy) and Kiley Curran (ballet) tied for first place, Natalie Teal (singing) took second, and third place went to Violet Beckman (piano)....
PRESCOTT – Last year, Prescott Park saw the replacement of much-needed toddler playground equipment. Just last week, equipment for 6-12 year-olds was installed at a cost of roughly $65,000. As with the $20,000 toddler equipment purchase, the new playground equipment was purchased with grant funds and private donations rather than taxpayer dollars, according to Prescott Joint Parks and Recreation District co-manager Yvonne Jackson. The PJPRD must collect levy funds each year to continue o...
WAITSBURG – It will probably be years in the making, but Waitsburg's city council took the first step toward straightening Taggart Road, making it a straight shot from Millrace Road to Highway 12. At their April 19 meeting, the council approved an easement with John Lieberman and Mary Phillips to allow for the future placement of a road and waterline. The proposal, which would eliminate two 90-degree turns from Millrace Road to Hwy. 12 via Taggart Road, has been a recurring topic at council m...
WAITSBURG – After 14 years in the business, massage therapist Christine Richards still loves what she does. And with her recent move here, she's brought her business, Essential Theraputic Massage, along with her. "I truly love what I do. I love helping people heal," Richards said. Richards opened her new shop, located at 208 Main Street, just inside the Plaza Theater foyer, in Waitsburg last week. The new location is an extension of the business she has operated in Richland, Wash. since 2013. R...
-Approved a city budget amendment to reallocate funds across the City Streets Fund and the Water and Sewer Fund to cover costs associated with city projects and to allocate additional water and sewer revenue. -Awarded the Main Street Bridge Project to Harry Johnson Plumbing and Excatavtion. -Approved an amended profession services agreement to include construction administration services in the amount of $150,000 with Anderson Perry & Associates to oversee the Main Street Bridge Project. The firm will provide engineering assistance and...
Preston Park was a beehive of activity on a sunny Saturday morning as families turned out for the annual Easter Egg hunt sponsored by the Waitsburg Grange and Commercial Club. Above: Children swarm the lawn after the Easter Bunny blows the whistle. More photos on page 7....
WAITSBURG – Preliminary election results for Waitsburg's mayor and city council members were tallied Monday night, with a few upsets resulting. Incumbent Mayor Marty Dunn received 239 votes, easily holding his position against challenger Debra Callahan, who received 66 votes. But there will be some new faces on the city council, with Terry Jacoy and Jim Romine taking seats on the board. Longtime council frontrunner Kevin House easily retained his title as top vote-getter, receiving 253 votes. S...
WAITSBURG – How to deal with a reported increase in water meter tampering became a topic of discussion at the March 15 city council meeting. The council is hopeful that the problem can be mitigated when the meters are replaced in the future. In his monthly update, City Manager Randy Hinchliffe, said that the city was working on the water meter replacement project and has met with a vendor who provided a cost estimate for replacement and installation of the city’s water meters in excess of $300,000. Last October, Hinchliffe told the council tha...
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WAITSBURG – At their March meeting the Waitsburg School Board approved a lighting upgrade purchase in Preston Hall that will save the district thousands of dollars each year. An energy incentive kick-back from Pacific Power will allow the district to recoup the investment in its first year, alone. In January, District Facilities, Transportation, and Maintenance Supervisor Colter Mohney, approached the board about checking into options for replacing the deteriorating lighting in Preston Hall. M...
WAITSBURG – Local youth bluegrass band Switchgrass Delta will join with other local talent in a fundraising concert at the Plaza Theater in Waitsburg on Sun., April 23 at 4 p.m. Funds from the concert will help pay for the band's upcoming trip to Sasayama Japan in October. Switchgrass Delta is part of the Touchet Valley Acoustic Music Project (TVAMP). Band members include: Emma Philbrook on mandolin, Chris Philbrook on banjo, Robert Walsh on standup bass, and Kaleb Kuykendall on fiddle. The band...
The Waitsburg FFA Trap Team attended the State Trap Shoot at the Wenatchee Gun Club last weekend. Waitsburg's Team 1 placed 11th and Waitsburg's Team 2 placed 25th out of 34 total teams. Tyler Hoffman placed 13th, individually, ou tof 156 competitors with a score of 92 out of 100. Team 1 members include: Tyler Brooks, Tyler Hoffman, Devin Newman, David Just, Laramie Mathews. Team 2 members include: Sydney Fowble, Timothy Daves, Seamus House, Drew Farley, Jade Alleman....
John Langford of Waitsburg's Public Works crew checked out a light fixture and smiled for the camera while replacing the city boulevard banners with newly purchased Waitsburg Celebration Days banners last week. Plans are well underway for the traditional Celebration Days weekend that takes place the third weekend of May each year....
WAITSBURG – Approximately two dozen citizens showed up to hear from candidates at the April 10 Waitsburg City Elections Candidate's Forum, hosted by the Waitsburg Commercial Club, and held at Town Hall. The mayoral candidates, incumbent Marty Dunn and Deb Callahan, were on hand, along with incumbent council candidates Karen Gregutt, Kate Hockersmith, Kevin House, and KC Kuykendall, and first-time council candidates Lane Hill, Terry Jacoy, Dave Paxton, and Jim Romine. First-time filers Lisa M...
WAITSBURG – Walla Walla County is right on track with their timeline for selecting a new Fairgrounds Manager. Interim Fairgrounds Manager Perry Dozier will hand over the reins to newly selected manager William "Bill" Ogg, of Greeley, Colo., on April 17. Commissioner Todd Kimball, who took the lead to fill the vacancy. said he is impressed with Ogg's experience. "Bill's references read like a "Who's Who" of the fair world, and after his interviews, we felt he lived up to every one of the g...
WAITSBURG – Waitsburg High School senior Jacob Elder got what he wished for when a break in the rain allowed him to finish his Eagle Scout project during Spring Break. He squeaked the requirement in just before his 18th birthday deadline. "I chose repainting bleachers because the paint is coming off and that could lead to wood rot or damage to the boards. It would be easier to repaint them than to replace them later," Elder said. He worked with students, family, and fellow scouts to complete t...
WAITSBURG – Waitsburg High School junior Chris Philbrook enrolled in the Walla Walla Southeast Area Technical Skills Center's (SEATech) construction technology program because he wanted to take advantage of a hands-on learning opportunity. The school year has provided him with plenty of practical construction experience as well as the unexpected opportunity to be part of an award-winning team in a micro house-building contest. SEATech students received the "Most Unique" award in the statewide "...
WAITSBURG – Data is only as good as what you do with it, and Waitsburg Elementary School teachers are working hard to put their data to the best use helping students. At the March school board meeting, elementary teachers Deanna Coulston and Gabe Kiefel shared some of the creative ways Waitsburg is putting student achievement data to work in the classroom. Coulston said one of the factors driving success in the elementary school is the PLCs, or professional learning communities. She said the t...
Members of the Waitsburg Quartet entertained the crowd during Jack McCaw's 90th birthday party on Fri., March 31, at the Lions Memorial Building....
WAITSBURG – Ballots for Waitsburg’s annual city elections were mailed last Friday and completed ballots must be returned to City Hall by 8 p.m. on April 17 or must have an April 17 or earlier postmark. This year’s election was extended and council filings re-opened when only four candidates filed for the five open city council seats. Currently, ten candidates are seeking a seat on the council. Candidate profiles can be found on page 7 of this issue. The Commercial Club will host a candidates forum, for both mayor and council candidates, on Mo...
WAITSBURG – After an extensive interview process, the Waitsburg School Board voted unanimously to offer the positions of Waitsburg Schools district superintendent and elementary principal to Dr. Jon Mishra at a March 30 special meeting. Mishra verbally accepted the offer, via telephone, contingent upon successful contract negotiations. The district held preliminary interviews with five applicants, and narrowed the field to two finalists. One of the finalist withdrew, leaving Mishra as the l...
Incumbent council member Kate Hockersmith has lived in Waitsburg since 1992. She has been a 4-H leader, Boy Scout volunteer and Friends of the Library member. She taught preschool/parent education in Waitsburg for 12 years. She currently teaches music, organizes bluegrass jams, and provides music for many community events. She is on the board of Rural Youth Enrichment Services, a member of the Waitsburg Garden Club, the Fairgrounds Revitalization Committee, the Waitsburg Flood Prevention and Eme...
Lane Hill moved to town two years ago and renovated a building on Main Street, which will be used to offer shows, events, and art classes to the community, and to bring workshop tourism to Main Street. She is chair of the Friends of the Fairgrounds committee and is very interested in helping revitalize the Main Street corridor. Hill said she applauds the work of the council, mayor, and city manager and would love to work with them in the coming year. "This has been a tough year and they have...
