News Briefs
- Be Creative @ Your Library
- Cherry Trees Planted at Dayton Pool
- Dayton Farmers' Market to Open in June
- Dayton Schools Summer Meal Program
- Get Ready for Dayton's 15th Annual All Wheels Weekend
- Library Annexation on Ballot for Dayton Voters
- New Rehearsal Site for Sweet Adelines
- Prescott Pool to Open in June
- Summer Reading Program in Waitsburg
- Tumac Adds Kubota Dealership in Dayton
- Where did the Computers Go?
Library Annexation on Ballot for Dayton Voters
On August 18th, voters in the city of Dayton will decide whether to annex the city into the Columbia County Rural Library District (CCRLD). If the annexation measure is approved, property owners in the city will pay property taxes to the Library District at the same rate as county tax payers, starting in 2011.
The Dayton Memorial Library is currently operated by the CCRLD, under contract with the City of Dayton. The City pays a contract fee of nearly $60,000 annually for the CCRLD to provide library services to City residents. The City owns the library building and assets, including the adjacent Delany Building. It is responsible for maintenance and capital improvements to the building and grounds.
Earlier this year, the City and the CCRLD entered into an annexation agreement, which will take effect only if the annexation measure passes. The agreement calls for the City to transfer ownership of the library building and assets to the CCRLD on January 1, 2010. At that time the City would no longer be responsible for maintaining the Library. The city would continue to pay the management fee until the CCRLD starts receiving taxes directly from city taxpayers in 2011.
The CCRLD was formed in 2005 by the voters residing in the unincorporated area of Columbia County. It is a junior tax district, governed by an independent board appointed by the Columbia County Commissioners. The CCRLD has been under contract with the City to operate the library since January, 2008.
For more information on the annexation agreement and the election, contact the City of Dayton at (509) 382-2361 or CCRLD Director Janet Lyon, at (509) 382-4131. Or visit the CCRLD web site at www.ccrld.lib.wa.us.
Dayton Schools Summer Meal Program
The Dayton Schools Summer Breakfast and Lunch Program will be offered again this year in the Dayton Elementary Multipurpose Room. Meals are free for anyone 18 or under. Meals will also be available for purchase by those over 18.
The program will run Monday through Friday, June 15th through July 10th, except for July 3rd. Breakfast will be served from 7:30 to 8:30 a.m. and lunch will be served from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
For more information about the Summer Breakfast and Lunch Program, call the school at (509) 382-2543.
New Rehearsal Site for Sweet Adelines
Beginning Monday, June lst at 6:30 pm, the Blue Mountain Chorus of Sweet Adelines will rehearse in their new "home": The Unity Church of Peace. Located at 810 C Street, near the Walla Walla Airport, the church sits between Tamarack Cellars and Five Star Cellars.
The Blue Mountain Chorus would like to thank Harvest Foods for providing a temporary rehearsal site for the chorus as they searched for a permanent location.
The largest women's singing organization in the world, Sweet Adelines International provides education in the art of a cappella harmony as well as the opportunity for performance. Interested singers are welcome at any rehearsal. More information is available by calling (509) 526-0499 or visiting the web site: www.sairegion13.org/bluemountainchorus.
Tumac Adds Kubota Dealership in Dayton
Tumac Outdoor has announced the addition of the Kubota line of tractors to its dealership in Dayton. Along with sales, Tumac will provide parts and service support for the full range of Kubota tractors and landscaping equipment for customers throughout the region.
"We are confident that Kubota will be a wonderful complement to our comprehensive product line-up in Dayton," says Tim Larkin, CEO of Tumac Outdoor and Tumac Machinery. Tumac's Dayton store also carries the John Deere line of tractors, Husqvarna power equipment, Honda generators, Traeger Grills, DR Products and Gleaner combines.
Tumac Outdoor - Dayton is located at 218 W. Main Street. The store can be reached at (509) 382-2501 or online at www.tumacoutdoor.com.
Cherry Trees Planted at Dayton Pool
On Arbor Day, April 25th, three Kwansan Cherry Trees were planted in the driveway round-a-bout in front of the Dayton City Pool. City crews dug holes and third-graders from Ms. McGhan's class helped plant the trees.
The addition of the trees was organized by the Touchet Valley Arbor Society and the City of Dayton. Arbor Society member Cathy Lee-Haight says that one of the trees was purchased by the City and was planted in honor of Yamate High School in Japan, which conducts a student exchange program with the Dayton Schools. Lee-Haight and her husband Michael purchased a second tree, and the third tree was purchased by Chad and Darlene Broughton and planted in memory of Muff Donohue.
The Touchet Valley Arbor Society was formed in 2008 to promote and encourage the planting, proper care and pruning of trees in Dayton and Columbia County. For more information, call Cathy Lee-Haight at (509) 382-3069.
Prescott Pool to Open in June
The Prescott Public Swimming Pool will open in June for its 51st season. The pool is open to all members of the public.
According to Patsy Adams, Commission member for the Prescott Joint Parks and Recreation District, the Prescott Pool offers many programs, including swimming lessons, lap swim and water aerobics. The District is also offering arts and crafts programs in conjunction with the Prescott School District. "In addition to providing summer recreational activities for our area, we are able to give employment to many local teens working as lifeguards," says Adams.
Daily rates at the pool are $3.00 for adults, $2.50 for seniors 55 and older and $2.00 for students 17 and under. Season passes are also available. Pass rates are slightly lower for residents within the Parks and Recreation district.
Built in 1958, the Prescott pool has been extensively renovated in the past five years. It is operated by the Prescott Joint Parks and Recreation District and supported by property tax payers in the District. The pool was built by the Prescott School District, and operated by them until 1981, when the Parks and Recreation District was formed. The Parks and Recreation District boundaries are the same as those for the Prescott School District.
For more information about the Prescott Public Swimming Pool, call (509) 849-2214.
Dayton Farmers' Market to Open in June
The Dayton Farmers' Market will open its 2009 season on Saturday, June 13th. This year, two markets will be held each week – Fridays from 3:30 to 6:30 p.m. and Saturdays from 9:00 a.m. to noon. The market will again be located under the shade trees of the Seneca lawn on East Main Street. It is planned that the market will run through mid-October.
Anyone is welcome to be a produce vendor any time during the season. "All they have to do is show up with their own table and pay a six dollar fee, which is good for both Friday & Saturday," says market coordinator, Donna Helsius. "We're trying to make it really easy for people to be involved."
Waitsburg growers Ed and Cathy Lambert are also helping run the market this year. "Mary Alice Beatty did a remarkably fabulous job reviving the market over the last couple of years," says Helsius. "Now she's passed the baton on to others to continue to build on the foundation she laid."
Sixteen interested community members attended the first market planning meeting in May. Another meeting is scheduled for June 5th at 7:00 p.m. at the Delany Room of the Dayton Memorial Library.
Contact Donna Helsius at (509) 382-3173 or Ed and Cathy Lambert at (509) 337-6254 for more information.
Get Ready for Dayton's 15th Annual All Wheels Weekend
Photo from 2007 by Brian Graham
This year's All Wheels Weekend show will be better than ever. A new free feature this year will be "Busker" Mark Riggs performing in the Country Cupboard parking lot. He's a juggler and a unicyclist and he'll entertain your socks off. For information about everything happening during All Wheels Weekend, see the ad on Page 23.
Be Creative @ Your Library
After months of planning and preparation, area libraries are gearing up for their 2009 kids' summer reading programs. Each library hopes to provide the kind of fun engaging activities that will entice and motivate children to read during the summer months.
"Be Creative @ Your Library" is the theme for both the Columbia County and Walla Walla County Library Districts. Special programs are planned throughout the summer to both entertain and instruct kids in various creative pursuits. The Dayton Memorial Library will offer programs in drama, sculpting, yoga, dance and storytelling along with contests and daily question activities. For the first time, Dayton teenagers can participate in a special teen program complete with its own activities, contests and incentive prizes.
The Prescott Community Library will offer special art programs Tuesdays at 3:00 p.m., board games every Thursday and at least one teen night a month through August.
Teachers are especially supportive of summer reading programs. "By reading regularly during the summer, research shows that skills developed during the school year can be maintained and even improved," says third grade teacher and Columbia County Library District Board member, Dawn McGhan. "I hope adults in our communities will encourage participation in this very rewarding, exciting and free summer activity."
Sign-up for summer reading programs begins as soon as school lets out for the summer. More information is available at local libraries.
Summer Reading Program in Waitsburg
By Jan Cronkhite
This year, our wonderful planet-saving readers will be using their reading energy to help save the planet Bookless, which has expended the last resources of their planet and has sent ET to seek out our library mascot, Waitsburg Fred. ET knows that Fred resides in the Weller Public Library and has access to learning about Planet conservation. The Summer Reading Program kids will collect the energy – by reading – to send Fred and ET back to the planet Bookless with the knowledge to revive their planet. We will also learn more about preserving our own planet.
The kids can start registering for our Summer Reading Program the day school lets out, June 10th. We will have programs every Thursday at 1:00 p.m., with exciting guests, prizes and drawings for other prizes. Each P.R. (planet reader) will record the minutes or hours they have read each week, to accumulate the reading energy needed to accomplish the mission. We will have wonderful guests and activities at each weekly program. These programs include visits from Ranger Mike of the Whitman Mission, Mike Denny from the Audubon Society, Mike MacCormack—storyteller, Izzy the camel, annual pet show, solar oven construction, crafts and more.
Where did the Computers Go?
The Columbia County Rural Library District recently installed two new public-use computer desks in the Dayton Memorial Library. The desks feature recessed monitors and pull-out keyboards. The four computers the library owns for public use have been installed in the new desks.
"Public response has been very positive," says Library District Director, Janet Lyon. "Patrons who do online banking appreciate the added privacy." Lyon also says that several people have commented that the new desks don't strain their necks and shoulders like the old tables did.
Dayton custom woodworker David Gloor worked with Lyon to design the solid oak desks based on a picture from a library equipment catalog. The new desks were built to accommodate six computers and the District hopes to offer additional computers in the future.