PIONEER PORTRAITS

Ten Years Ago

April 16, 2009

Waitsburg and the surrounding country roads will again play a big role in the 2009 Tour of Walla Walla bicycle stage race and some changes in play this year promise to boost the excitement level and foster strategizing in the final laps of the road race, organizers say.

Two member Wheatland Wheelers Cycling Club, Clint Froke and Bryan Lubbers, are certified League Cycling Instructors (LCI;s) for this year’s bike race. They join two other LCI’s in the community, Patty Froke and Michelle Musia

Photo caption: These lucky Easter Egg Hunters were fortunate enough to have found special eggs entitling them to a plush toy at the Waitsburg Community Easter Egg Hunt, held at Preston park last Saturday. Front: Adan Scott Brunner, Lexi Brannock, Derrick Thomas and Eli Williams. Back Row: Thom House, Destiny Kinyon, Honesty Alexander, Laney Crow and Nicole Best.

Twenty-Five Years Ago

April 7, 1994

Fisheries experts say this has been a pretty good season for steelhead trout fishing, Mark Schuck, Department of Fish and Wildlife biologist in Dayton, said that the catch rate for steelhead trout on the Touchet River this season has been four hours.”That is really quite good," he said. Noting that rate has been as high as 35-hours a fish in past seasons during cold weather. Any time it is less than 10 hours-fish it is really pretty good fishing.

If you’re one of the fans of the CBS-TV soap opera, “The Young and the Restless” you’ve probably seen “Steve” the piano player accompanying “Gina Roma”, a singer on the show, in scenes from Gina’s restaurant. The piano player, Steve Haberman, a recent resident of Waitsburg and who now lives in Walla Walla, makes regular appearances on the daytime soap opera.

The Golden Ambassadors are spreading goodwill in Dayton. Recently a group of retirees from the Green Giant Co. in Dayton got together at the Bob Budig ranch to build park benches that will be placed along the path at the dike. Photo caption: Bob Budig, Dick Daggett and Reyond Richter work on park bench project of Golden Ambassadors.

Fifty Years Ago

April 10, 1969

The Don Thomas Family of Waitsburg has been selected by the Walla Walla County Cattlemen to be the “Cattleman Family of the Year”.

Don and his wife Wilma, live with two of their sons, Dwight and Jay, on Preston land just south of Waitsburg on the middle road. They have a grown daughter, Mrs. Ronald (Donna) Manley who lives in Puyallup and a son Gary who works for Boeing in Western Washington and four grandchildren..

Photo caption: Don Thomas, Walla Walla County Cattleman of the Year, proudly displays some of the Red Australian Cattle Dogs that he raises as a sideline on his ranch near Waitsburg.

Two hundred sports minded Waitsburgites turned out for the community Athletic Banquet Saturday night. Tom Baker, acting as master of ceremonies, introduced all senior athletes and gave a recap of the year’s events.

Seventy-Five Years Ago

April 14, 1944

Miss Mary Loundagin has been named May Queen this year. Her attendants will be Ellen Gagnon, Myra Wardrip, Harriet Nilsson, Jo Ann Dorr, Ruth Wolfe, Jacqueline Alexander, Roselle Collins and Jacqueline Weller.

Phyllis Anderson has been named valedictorian of her class and Coleen Collins, salutatorian. Commencement will be May 25.

Supt. Homer Reed will talk on the “New Process of Education” at the Wednesday meeting of the PTA.

One Hundred Years Ago

April 18, 1919

Barnes Bros., who recently purchased the Palm Club, owned by F. C. Hutchison, will conduct both the Palm Club and Stub’s Place in their present locations.

Giles Callahan last week received his “sheep skin” from the State Board and in now a full-fledged attorney, entitled to practice in this state.

Walla Walla businessmen have made great preparation for the coming tractor demonstration next Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday.

Charles B. Preston, a former Waitsburg boy, living in Portland, has presented a handsome trophy in the form of a large silver cup to the Waitsburg Gun Club to be shot for in the tournament. The trophy must be won three times for permanent possession.

One Hundred Twenty-Five Years Ago

April 13, 1894

Mr. and Mrs. W. B. Shaffer and Mr. and Mrs. L. H. Bonsell will give a progressive razzle-dazzle party at the home of the former on Saturday evening.

C. W. Wheeler this week planted out 200 roses in his garden. This swells his collection to near the thousand line and will make his suburban home a home of blooms and he thinks of christening it Rose Glen.

J. N. Todd this week sold his interest in the mercantile business to Frank Parton and the firm is now Maxwell and Parton.

Owing to the very stormy weather the ice cream social at the Christian Church last Friday night was not as well attended as it would otherwise have been.