Farmers' Market Seeks Vendors

The Dayton Farmers' Market is seeking vendors for its June opening. The Farmers' Market is scheduled to be held each Friday from June 13th until October. According to organizer Mary Alice Beatty, produce vendors are particularly needed. "In order for the market to be viable, we need at least two more vendors," says Beatty.

The market will be located in the Tumac Equipment parking lot on Dayton's West Main Street, and will run from 4 to 6 p.m. each Friday. The cost for vendors is $5 per day. For more information on the Dayton Farmers' Market, contact Mary Alice Beatty at 509-382-2235.

Dayton Depot has New Manager

Dayton Historic Depot Society has hired Mary Byrd as the new manager of the Dayton Historic Depot Museum. Mary will be the ambassador for the Depot, meeting and greeting visitors. She will also take over business management duties from Julia Mark, who is retiring. Julia will remain as the Depot's Assistant Manager.

Mary moved to Dayton several years ago with her husband, Jim, to be near her mother who now lives in Walla Walla. Jim works in the Dayton Hospital Lab. She grew up in eastern Washington, and then moved to Alaska when she was 22. Mary and Jim "discovered" Dayton while driving to Pomeroy where her mother lived. Mary always admired Dayton as a "lovely town". She has two grown children who live out of state.

Mary has several years of business management experience and was, until recently, part owner of Just Roses in Walla Walla. Her love of historical books and collecting antiques provides a perfect fit with the historic Depot.

The Dayton Depot is located at 222 East Commercial Street in Dayton, and is the oldest surviving railroad station in Washington State. The Depot will be starting summer hours May 1. Mary can be reached at (509)382-2026 or email her at depot1881@bmi.net.

Art Show at The Wenaha

Two of Walla Walla's finest artists are presenting a joint show at Dayton's Wenaha Gallery May 1 through June 15. A reception with the artists will be held May 24 – during Dayton Days – from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m.

Anne Bullock is a multi-media artist who specializes in clay, but uses a wide range of media. She is particularly influenced by Japanese and Native American aesthetic traditions. Jim McNamara is an oil painter who enjoys painting the landscapes of Southeastern Washington. He believes that painting outdoors produces the most accurate color and the most spontaneous result.

For more information about the show, contact the Wenaha Gallery at 509-382-2124, or visit their website at www.wenaha.com.

Weinhard Hotel Has New Owners

Gary and Shellie McLeod are the new owners of Dayton's Weinhard Hotel. The McLeods purchased the hotel from its original owners, Dan and Ginny Butler, in April. The Butlers restored the historic building at 235 E. Main Street and opened the hotel in May, 1994.

"We're extremely excited about our new venture," says Shellie. "The quality of the building and the furnishings and décor are outstanding, so we'll be able to focus on serving customers rather than fixing the property." Shellie and Gary do have plans to upgrade the hotel's rooftop garden in the near future. A new front awning will also be installed soon.

Shellie has been manager of the hotel since 2001. She started working there part- time in 1998 as a front desk receptionist. Gary is employed by Renewable Energy Systems. For more information about the hotel and its new owners, call 509-382-4032.

Teen Health Care Grant

Improving health care access for local teens is the purpose of a $20,000 planning grant recently awarded to the Dayton School District by the State Department of Health. Health officials say that teens are the group least likely to get the physical, oral, and mental health care they need.

Dayton resident Joe Huether will serve as the Planning Facilitator for grant activities. "Dayton and Columbia County are known for having strong and supportive community groups and organizations," says Huether. "This grant adds to the strength of our local community support."

During the next five months, Huether and the School District will develop plans to partner with a wide range of local groups and individuals to help provide better health care services to teens.

Steve's Barber Shop Opens

Steve Morris and his wife Shelly are the newest business owners in the Village Shoppes in Dayton. They have recently opened Steve's Barber Shop there.

Steve, originally from West Jefferson, OH, met Shelly about six years ago. Shelly is a native of Dayton, and last fall the couple visited Dayton to meet Shelly's family. Steve liked it so well that, with encouragement from the family, the couple decided to move here.

Steve has been a barber for about 40 years. Dayton was about to lose another barber due family reasons, so Steve made a deal to take the shop over and he couldn't be happier. He says that the people here are wonderful and the scenery is breathtaking. The couple is also managing the Knoblock apartments on South Fifth Street.

Stop by for a haircut, Tuesday thru Friday, 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Saturday 8a.m. to 2 p.m. in the back of the Village Shoppes.

Book Signing at the Dayton Historic Depot

The Dayton Historic Depot will host a book signing for the novel "Her Divine Inheritance" by Marguerite Harold. Two granddaughters of the author, Eulalie Schreck and Janice Nysoe, and a great-grandson, Jock Nysoe, will sign copies of the book. The signing will be held from 1 to 3 p.m. at the Depot on May 10th, the day before Mother's Day. Refreshments will be served.

The author's real name was Gertrude Hilbert Dove Wright, who was born in 1873 and died in 1940. She was known to the Donohue family as "Auntie Gert". The novel is a work of fiction based on family history. It gives a synopsis of Gertrude's remarkable life as she lived through many historical events such as the Civil War and the arrival of the country's first automobiles.

The original manuscript is believed to have been written by Auntie Gert in the late 1800s, and after her death it was given to her daughter, Marguerite Donohue. When Marguerite passed away it was found in an old family trunk by Marguerite's daughter, Sharon Donohue Smith. Sharon and other Donohue family members have worked together to publish the book, adding many family photos. The pen name "Marguerite Harold" was developed by Sharon's family and is comprised of the first names of her only daughter and son.

The book is available for sale in the Dayton Depot Museum Shop in both soft- and hard-cover editions. For more information about the book or the book signing, stop by Dayton Depot at 222 East Commercial Street in Dayton, call (509)382-2026 for open hours, or email the Depot at depot1881@bmi.net.

High Speed Internet in Starbuck

Broadband internet service is now available in Starbuck. The service, offered by Columbia Energy, LLC, helps rural households and businesses that rely on high tech internet communications by providing internet speeds 10 – 30 times faster than traditional dial-up service.

Columbia Energy, a wholly owned subsidiary of Columbia Rural Electric Association, is providing this service in Starbuck using two different technologies: Broadband iExtend or broadband satellite, offered through WildBlue. Both services are offered at various speeds depending on the needs of customers.

In addition to Starbuck, the service is also available throughout Walla Walla and Columbia Counties. For more information about the new high speed internet options in Starbuck, call Columbia Energy, LLC at (509) 526-4041.

Art in the Delany Room

The next time you head to the library to check out books, step into the adjacent Delany Room and check out the artwork.

Fine artists from the newly formed Blue Mountain Artist Guild are enlivening the walls of the Delany Room with their paintings, with each artist hanging a new painting once a month. In April, Guild artist members MaryLee Atteberry, Debbie Baxter, Meredith Dedman, Steve Henderson, Martha Mason and Vivian McCauley each showed paintings reflecting subjects relating to spring.

Paintings exhibited in May also follow a spring theme, with summer subjects to follow over the next three months. All paintings are for sale, and information on how to contact each artist is posted in the Delany room. Artists interested in joining the Blue Mountain Artist Guild are encouraged to contact Vivian McCauley at 382-4590.

Dayton is Walking!

For the past few years, the Columbia County Health System (CCHS) has handed out pedometers to many community members to help encourage them to walk more.  CCHS has reported step counts to the Washington Health Foundation for several years and Dayton has remained on the Top 10 Communities list each year.

Washington Governor Christine Gregoire began the program to make Washington the Healthiest State of the Union and the Community of Dayton (which includes Dayton, Starbuck and Waitsburg) jumped on the bandwagon. If you walk or want more exercise, pick up a free pedometer at the hospital, count your steps, and turn them in to Lynn (509-382-2531 x193) each week or each month. Make your steps count!

Church Street Sale May 3

Dayton's fifth-annual Church Street Sale will be held Saturday May 3rd, on South Third Street, between Clay and Park Streets. A huge variety of second-hand items will be available at great prices.  The sale runs from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

The Church Sale jointly benefits many area churches and civic organizations. For more information, contact Ted Paterson at (509) 382-4096.

Democrats Choose Putney as Convention Delegate

The Columbia County Democratic Party held their County Convention on April 19 and chose Marilyn Putney as their delegate to the State Democratic Convention. The Convention will be held in Spokane on June 14 and 15. Putney will also attend the Congressional District Caucus in Spokane on May 7. At both, she is pledged to support Barack Obama, based on votes held at the Columbia County Democratic Caucus, which was held in February.

Putney has lived in Dayton for over seven years and is employed as assistant to Attorney Charles Thronson. At the State Convention she will join delegates from around Washington who will finalize the state Democratic Party platform and select delegates to the National Democratic Convention, to be held in Denver during the last week in August.

At the County Convention, Democrats also chose County Chair Cathy Lee-Haight as their alternate delegate. She will attend either of the upcoming events if Putney is unable to attend. The Democrats also held a spirited discussion about their party's presidential candidates, as well as issues relating to the state party platform.

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Email us at news@bluemtnnews.com or call us at (509) 540-2752.