News Briefs
- Afternoon on Main Street August 1st
- Adult Aquacize Classes at Dayton City Pool
- Big Improvements at Dayton Depot
- Delany Building Gets Improvements
- Evening at the Depot August 1st
- Four Candidates Vie for Legislative Position
- Huether Joins Blue Mountain Counseling
- National Night Out at Dayton City Park
- Running T Ranch
- Sustainability Lecture Series Continues in July
- Waitsburg Car Show in August
- Youth Soccer Camp in July
Four Candidates Vie for Legislative Position
Incumbent Democrat Laura Grant will face three challengers for her position in the August primary election. Dayton Attorney Terry Nealey and Walla Walla resident Kevin Young have filed as Republicans. Dave Roberts, also of Walla Walla, has filed representing the Regan Independent Party.
This is a special election to replace Representative Bill Grant, who passed away earlier this year. Grant's daughter Laura was appointed by County Commissioners in the four counties in the district – Columbia, Walla Walla, Benton and Franklin – to fill the position until the special election.
The top two vote-getters in the Primary Election, regardless of party affiliation, will move on to the General Election in November. Ballots for the Primary Election will be mailed July 29th, and must be postmarked or returned no later than Election Day, August 18th.
Adult Aquacize Classes at Dayton City Pool
Summer aquacize classes at the Dayton City Pool have begun. Classes are open to all adults and will be held Monday through Friday throughout the summer. Class sessions are noon to 1:00 p.m. and 5:00 to 6:00 p.m., weather permitting.
Cost for aquacize classes is $2 per day. Participants can also purchase a season pass to the pool for $50 for an individual or $85 for a family pass. Fees are payable at the pool.
Non-swimmers are encouraged to participate in aquacize, as no swimming skills are required. Stairs, with a railing, are available for easy entry and exit from the pool.
Aquacize classes consist of walking routines, wall resistance, aerobics, and working various muscle groups in the trunk, legs and arms. Bottle weights are used during some of the exercises to increase strength training. Participants may exercise at their own speed and choose which exercises are best for their needs.
Classes are led by volunteers, and may be self-directed when leaders are not available. For more information on aquacize classes, call Nancy Hoffman at 509-382-4530, Carol Anderson at 509-382-4335 or the Dayton City Pool at 509-382-2441.
Afternoon on Main Street August 1st
Retailers in Downtown Dayton will be holding their annual Afternoon on Main Street event Saturday, August 1st. The event is sponsored by Dayton's Downtown Retailers' Association.
Participating retailers will offer special promotions all day Saturday. They include Patit Valley Products, Wenaha Gallery, Dingles, Crofts Floral and Gifts, Country Cupboard and Mrs. Mc's Antiques by Kay. The event is being held in conjunction with the Evening at the Depot event (see following news brief).
"The Downtown Retailers' Association wants to encourage people to come shop and explore Dayton's historic Main Street before enjoying the Evening at the Depot," says association member Bev Startin, of Patit Valley Products.
For more information about Afternoon on Main Street and classic Main Street shopping, contact one of the participating retailers.
Evening at the Depot August 1st
The Dayton Historic Depot Society will hold its Evening at the Depot Benefit Auction in the Depot's newly renovated courtyard on August 1st. Social hour begins at 6:00 p.m. and the auction will begin at 7:00 p.m.
This is the Depot's primary fund-raiser of the year. Proceeds from the auction are used to finance staff and operations for the Depot Museum. This year's auction includes a wide variety of items, both new and old: wine, framed prints and original art from local artists, a Pendleton throw, a beautiful antique shaving mirror, an antique Victorian lamp, specialty packages and more.
The evening will feature wine and beer tasting and both silent and live auctions. Local wines, including Dumas Station, will be available for purchase, as will locally-brewed beer from Skye Book & Brew. Other non-alcoholic beverages will be for sale and complimentary hors d'oeuvres will be served throughout the evening.
This event is being held in conjunction with the Afternoon on Main Street event, sponsored by the Dayton Downtown Retailers' Association.
Admission to Evening at the Depot is free. Cash and checks are accepted for beverage purchases. Cash, checks, Visa, and MasterCard are accepted for auction purchases. For more information, call the Depot Museum at (509) 382-2026.
Sustainability Lecture Series Continues in July
The third in a five-part lecture series at Dayton's Liberty Theater will explore holistic management, focusing on livestock, grazing and meat production. The lecture will be July 23rd starting at 7:00 p.m. The keynote speaker is Maurice Robinette, a third-generation rancher from Spokane County, and Eastern Washington organizer for the Washington Sustainable Food and Farming Network for the past four years.
Mr. Robinette has been a practitioner of holistic management since 1996 and a certified educator since 1998. He is also the co-manager of "Beefing Up the Palouse", an agricultural pilot-project sponsored by Governor Gregoire to determine the economic feasibility of grazing CRP land in Eastern Washington.
Business case study presenters for the evening include Theodore Carlat, of Dayton, and John Pearson, of Pearson Farm and Fence, in Colfax. Carlat formerly operated an organic chicken growing operation in the Puget Sound for several years. Pearson, a native of New Zealand, settled in the Colfax area and has implemented an intensive record-keeping system on pasture management and cattle weights.
Sustainable concessions, including organic popcorn in eco-select popcorn bags, organic juices and organic candies will be available for purchase.
The final two lectures in the series will be held September 24th and October 22nd. A complete schedule that will be updated as presenters are confirmed can be found at www.bluemountainstation.com or www.sustainablelivingcenter.com.
Running T Ranch
The Party Barn at Running T Ranch.
(Photo by Tami Miller)
Ten years ago, Tim White had a vision. Since then he has developed his property on the North Touchet River into one of the finest event facilities in Southeast Washington. Nestled against the forest with the river flowing through, one can see up the canyon to the base of the Blue Mountains.
Running T Ranch is designed to accommodate large gatherings; the 4,000-square-foot party barn alone can accommodate 250 people comfortably. It's an ideal spot for a wedding, company event, class reunion, or any other special gathering.
The facility is equipped with banquet tables and chairs and several barbeques and grills. A cook shack is soon to be added. His-and-hers bathrooms (wheelchair accessible) and changing rooms are also on-site, tastefully decorated in a western motif. The guest cabin is included as part of the wedding package. A gazebo, an earth pond and the North Touchet River provide a serene setting.
For more information about Running T Ranch, go to www.runningt.com, or contact Tim White at (509) 554-6833.
National Night Out at Dayton City Park
Dayton will join in on the 26th annual National Night Out on Tuesday, August 4th, from 5:00 to 8:00 p.m. This will be the second year in Dayton for the event, which is organized by the Columbia County Sheriff's Office.
More than two dozen exhibitors will be on hand, many with "freebies". Free hamburgers, hotdogs and soft drinks will be provided. The dunk-a-cop tank will be back, with Sheriff Hessler first up. Free swimming will be offered at the Dayton City Pool on the evening of the event as well.
National Night Out (NNO) is a nation-wide anti-drug, anti-crime campaign held each year throughout the country on the first Tuesday in August. Thousands of communities and millions of people take to the streets in a national community picnic.
According to Sheriff's Office Dispatcher Tim Quigg, 1,000 people showed up for Dayton's 2008 NNO event, and even more are expected this year. Quigg says that volunteers are needed to help run errands during the event and clean up after.
Also, an exhibitor's meeting for NNO will be held July 1st at 7:00 p.m. at the Emergency Operations Center on the second floor of City Hall.
For more information about Dayton's National Night Out celebration, or to volunteer, call Tim Quigg at the Columbia County Sheriff's office at (509) 382-2518.
Big Improvements at Dayton Depot
Major improvements were made to the grounds around the Dayton Historical Depot this spring. A new courtyard surface, with new benches, was installed, and a new boardwalk was built surrounding the Depot. Improvements were made to the parking area, and a new fence was built near the southeast corner of the property. The floor of the upstairs gallery was refinished.
The renovation work was made possible by a grant from the Washington State Department of Community, Trade and Economic Development. On Memorial Day Weekend, a special ribbon-cutting ceremony was held to celebrate the completion of the Depot work. The special guest at the ceremony was State Senator Mike Hewitt, who was instrumental in helping the Dayton Historical Depot Society get the CTED funds.
Also, in the past year, a kiosk was built and placed near the west end of the Depot. The kiosk houses a large collection of equipment and memorabilia relating to the move of the depot from the west end of Dayton to its current site in 1899. A mural on the wall of the kiosk, painted by local artist Jackie Penner, depicts the depot being moved.
Huether Joins Blue Mountain Counseling
Blue Mountain Counseling in Dayton has announced that Joe Huether has been named Prevention Coordinator for Columbia County. In this position, Huether will coordinate programs designed to curb the use of drugs and alcohol by youth in our community. He will provide information and education resources for youth and families and will coordinate the Summer Youth Program.
Huether has more than 25 years experience in special education, early childhood education, adult training and technology program development. He has a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology and a Master's degree in Education.
Currently Huether is the Chair of the Columbia County Community Network. He also volunteers with TVAC Productions, and has taken part in many of their performances. He is also active in many community activities supporting youth.
Joe Huether can be reached at 382-1164 or by coming by his office located at Blue Mountain Counseling at 221 E. Washington Ave. in Dayton.
Waitsburg Car Show in August
The Second annual Waitsburg "One of a Kind" Classic Auto Show and Swap Meet will be held at Preston Park in Waitburg on August 8th and 9th. The fun begins with a Saturday evening cruise, starting at 6:30 p.m. The show-and-shine and swap meet will be Sunday, beginning at 10:00 a.m. Entry fee for the show-and-shine is $10. There is no fee for the swap meet.
Sunday festivities will include music, food concessions, vendors and prizes contributed by local merchants. Special Waitsburg Auto Show T-shirts will be available for sale.
Major sponsors of the show-and-shine are Blue Mountain News, Nothing New Antiques, Waitsburg Hardware and Mercantile, Etceteras, Baxter Construction and Hubbard Law Office. The main swap meet sponsor is Tommy's 9th Street Auto in Walla Walla.
Registration forms are available at Napa Auto Parts in Walla Walla, Cenex and Nothing New Antiques in Waitsburg. For more information and entry forms contact Lupe Torres at ltorres6299@charter.net or call (509) 337-6393.
Youth Soccer Camp in July
All kids from first through eighth grade are invited to take part in the Dayton High School soccer team's annual youth soccer camp coming up in July. The camp is free, and will take place July 20th through 23rd at the DHS Baseball/Softball fields. The camp will run from 6:00 to 7:30 p.m. each day.
All participants in the camp will receive a free T-shirt. The first 50 will be provided courtesy of the camp's sponsor, American Energy, Inc. The DHS Soccer team will conduct fundraising to pay for additional shirts.
Amy Schlenz, an incoming senior at Dayton High School, is organizing the soccer camp as her senior project. She asks that interested participants provide her with the following information:
• Name of camper
• Grade just completed
• Home/cell phone number
• Email address
• Shirt size
Please email or mail this information to Amy at:
Email: exercise_a_holic@yahoo.com
Regular Mail: 212 E Richmond Avenue,
Dayton, WA 99328
Delany Building Gets Improvements
Dayton's Henry Delany Memorial Building received a much needed interior makeover in June. Improvements include new energy efficient, full spectrum lighting throughout the building, new counter tops in the kitchenette, fresh wall paint, insulated window blinds, and new carpet and tile.
The improvements were made possible by generous funding from the Friends of the Dayton Memorial Library, the City of Dayton and the Columbia County Rural Library District.
The Delany Building was constructed as an annex to the Dayton Memorial Library in the mid-1970s with money from the Henry and Alice Delany estate as a place for the "rest and recreation of the citizens of Columbia County". Currently, the space is managed by the Library District as part of the library, and can be reserved for meetings or other events free of charge.
For more information about reserving the Delany Building, call the Dayton Memorial Library at (509) 382-4131.