Times Opens Dayton Office

DAYTON - To better serve its readers and advertisers in Columbia County, the Times has opened an office half a block from Main Street behind Manila Bay Café next to the court house in Dayton.

"The response to the Times' news coverage, sports stories and advertising opportunities in Columbia County since we took over the newspaper late last year has been overwhelmingly positive," Times owner and publisher Imbert Matthee said. "We felt it was important to have a presence in the community where we've been so well received."

Matthee said the office at 105 Courthouse Way will give Dayton-area readers an opportunity to buy copies of the newspaper, sign up for a subscription, place ads, obits and personal announcements (such as engagements, weddings and stork calls), and provide news tips or story ideas.

The office, which is owned by Ginny Butler and was Keith McMaster's studio until recently, will be staffed part time by Managing Editor Dian McClurg. McClurg, who lives in Dayton and covers much of the news there, will help readers and advertisers with their business needs from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Mondays, Thursdays and Fridays.

Meanwhile, the Times is making progress on the renovation of its office space at 139 Main Street in Waitsburg, where the newspaper will offer more services to residents and businesses, including high-end, highvolume photocopying, scanning, photo reproduction, office supplies, retail and other graphics and printing services using the latest equipment at affordable prices.

"Residents in the valley shouldn't have to drive all the way to Walla Walla for their basic copying and office supply needs," Matthee said. "They should be able to get their ink cartridges, paper products and access to good reproduction services right here."

The renovated Waits­burg office is expected to reopen around Thanksgiv­ing, thanks to the tireless work of North Star Con­struction's Ron Smith and his crew, Matthee said. It will have a reception area with a high-end copying machine and a computer work station for use by customers alongside a new "newsroom," known in the industry as a bullpen. Since the Times changed hands almost a year ago, its circulation has increased nearly 30 percent with much of the demand com­ing from Columbia County readers and subscribers. The Times will be featured in the November edition of the Union Bulletin's Life­styles magazine. "We wouldn't be doing so well without the support of readers and advertisers in the Touchet Valley," Mat­thee said. "They participate in our publication with story ideas, photos and commercial messages.

"Whoever said newspa­pers are struggling wasn't talking about community newspapers that offer accu­rate,

insightful and timely information with help from readers and businesses," he said. For more information about the new Dayton of­fice, readers can call Dian McClurg at (509) 956-8312.