Columbia Pulp, Hospital and Railroad Are Top Stories in Dayton in 2017

DAYTON-Columbia County was a happening place in 2017.

Columbia Pulp

"Pulp Fiction" became fact in July when Columbia Pulp I, LLC secured financing for its $184 million straw pulp manufacturing plant near Starbuck. Excavation began in earnest in August, and the official groundbreaking ceremony and site tour took place in October. The $184 million facility will produce 149,000 tons per year of market pulp from wheat and alfalfa straw and 95,000 tons per year of carbohydrate-lignin co-product. When fully operational the Lyons Ferry Straw Pulp Plant will employ 70.

Dayton General Hospital

The $5.5 million Dayton General Hospital Renovation and Enhancement project that began in June 2016, was finished in December. DGH was renovated to accommodate a full line of outpatient services including: speech and language therapy, occupational therapy, physical therapy, a therapy pool, ultrasound, and behavioral health care, all of which are enhancing the bottom-line financial picture.

Shortline Railroad Reopens

After several years of embargo on a portion of rail track in need of repairs, and a two-year concerted effort on the part of Port officials, 34 miles of track between Dayton and Walla Walla are open again to commercial business. The track had been closed since 2012. On Oct. 7, the Columbia Walla Walla train pulled into the Dayton Historic Depot for a grand opening ceremony.

Real Estate

Realtors paint a rosy picture for home sales and rentals in 2017. They say there has been a slight uptick in home sales since Columbia Pulp broke ground and there is a lot of demand for rentals. Houses in the $150,000-250,000 price range are selling well and rentals are rented before they are even vacant.

Winter Woes

The "Winter of 2017" caused headaches for city and county officials as they began addressing damage to infrastructure from an unusual amount of ice and snow. FEMA has kicked in with 75% of the necessary funding for city street repairs which will take place in 2018. Port officials have been busy all year assessing and repairing damage at Lyons Ferry Marina caused by the inclement weather.

Boys & Girls Club

The Dayton Boys & Girls Club received a $25,000 grant from the State Farm Neighborhood Assist national grant competition to help get the program up and running, as well as grant from the Wildhorse Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation, in the amount of $18,346, to upgrade the heating system in the building. Local citizens, Dan and Ginny Butler, purchased the old bowling alley in Dayton to be given to the Boys & Girls Club for student use.

Dayton-Waitsburg Athletic Combine

The Southeast IB League and WIAA District 9 approved a request from the Waitsburg School District and the Dayton School District to allow the process of creating a full combine for athletic programs in 2018-19. A lack of numbers of athlete participants at each individual school is driving the process.

Communications Updates

In November, voters approved a one-tenth of one percent county-wide sales tax to improve outdated telecommunications equipment which will allow the sheriff's office, the emergency management services department, Fire Districts No. 1, 2, and 3 and ambulance crews to provide for enhanced public safety. There are dead zones in communication throughout the county because of faulty equipment.

Dog Park

Canines have been enthusiastic since the off-leash Dayton Dog Park opened this year. The city donated a .6-acre parcel of land south of the fishpond, installed an irrigation system and planted the grass for the park. The Friends of the Dayton Dog Park conducted numerous fundraisers to support the project and the grand opening celebration took place on Sept. 26.

Recreational Trails

In May, the long hoped for trail, going from Dayton to Waitsburg, was placed on an official map. A committee of local citizens and stakeholders has been working to create a map of non-motorized trail connections going from Dayton to Burbank. The Blue Mountain Region Trails, Bridges, Town, and Rivers consortium will reveal the final map in January, after which the search for funding can begin.