Salutations! I enjoy this greeting, and it brings to mind the book “Charlotts Web” by E.B. White. The book is a tale of friendship, support, and community, much like I view Dayton.
A little about me. I have lived in Dayton for over 25 years and during that time I have had three children graduate from Dayton High School. My two incredible step-sons and my own delightful son. Now I have grandchildren who have begun their educational journeys just as my boys did. During my years in Dayton, I have almost always been involved with serving the community in some capacity from volunteering to help with events, being a committee member on the Dayton Police Service Task Force Committee, appointed to a seat on the Dayton Planning Commission and holding a seat as a Dayton City Councilor before my recent role as the Mayor of Dayton.
The Dayton community is like no other. Our town has an impressive amount of value to offer, such as cooperative spirit, recreation, and fellowship. These characteristics have always been the draw for myself and why I continually find ways to serve the community. As many of you have seen, there is distinguished growth happening in downtown “Dayton Town”. There is the restoration of the whole block on 3rd and Ferry and current local businesses are throwing down creative ways to draw people in. It is thrilling given the depression seen in the downtown business core over the last 3-5 years. (Thank You Barb Jacks, I think you may have helped to coin that term, “Dayton Town”) With all this promising activity I encourage you to ponder volunteering, and be the force to move Dayton to the next level. Speaking of next level, did you get a view of that fireworks show!?
IN THIS ISSUE
Event Information - Fiddle, Fruit, and Fungi, Halloween Party, Fall into Christmas Craft Faire, Christmas Tree Lighting
Dayton School Superintendent Update
Historical Highlight
Economic Development and Tourism
Code Enforcement Corner
Calendar for September , October and November
Dayton town had its very first incredible fireworks show. The volunteers and support of our local fire district made the fireworks show safe, fun, and breathtaking to watch. I hope you might consider joining the Fireworks committee or the events committee. There is a lot of work to be done before the next fireworks show in 2025 along with all the other festivities in July. Your ideas, support and camaraderie are needed. It is time for our community to grow, to adapt and businesses to flourish. Please be a part of this great movement. We are all in this together. Let us make it an amazing journey.
Be safe and well,
Mayor Frank
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Photo Credit: John Collins
GOOD NEWS!!!
The Dayton Community Food Pantry construction project is now FULLY FUNDED!!!
We've received a very generous grant from the Yamhill Community Care Organization for $229,922 for the Food Pantry Construction Project. This is the second large grant from YCCO in support of this very important facility for our community.
This project wouldn't be possible without the financial support from, Yamhill Community Care(x2), AgWest Farm Credit, Roundhouse Foundation, First Federal, Yamhill County Board of Commissioners, Oregon Community Foundation, Willamette Valley Medical Center, Ford Family Foundation, City of Dayton, Oregon Food Bank, YCAP (Yamhill Community Action Partnership), and $192,424.00 in Grassroots donations from our many local heroes
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whom have given their time, gifts and talents!
We are looking forward to watching this building take shape with Green Spark Homes at the helm!
Estimated completion: February 2025
Thank one and all!
¡Saludos! Disfruto este saludo y me recuerda al libro “Charlotte’s Web” de E.B. White. El libro es una historia de amistad, apoyo y comunidad, muy parecido a lo que yo veo en Dayton.
Un poco sobre mí, he vivido en Dayton durante más de 25 años y durante ese tiempo mis tres hijos se graduaron de Dayton High School. Mis dos hijastros increíbles y mi hijo encantador. Ahora tengo nietos que han comenzado su trayectoria educativa tal como lo hicieron mis hijos. Durante mis años en Dayton, casi siempre he estado involucrada en el servicio a la comunidad de alguna manera, desde ser voluntaria para ayudar con eventos, ser miembro del Comité del Grupo de Trabajo del Servicio de Policía de Dayton, ser designada para un puesto en la Comisión de Planificación de Dayton y ocupar un puesto como concejal de la ciudad de Dayton antes de mi reciente cargo como alcaldesa de Dayton.
La comunidad de Dayton no se parece a ninguna otra; nuestra ciudad tiene un valor impresionante que ofrecer, como espíritu cooperativo, recreación y compañerismo. Estas características siempre han sido mi atrayente y la razón por la que continuamente encuentro formas de servir a la comunidad. Como muchos de ustedes han visto, se está produciendo un crecimiento notable en el centro de la ciudad de Dayton. Está la restauración de toda la cuadra por las calles 3 y Ferry, y las empresas locales actuales están ideando formas creativas de atraer a la gente. Es emocionante dada la depresión observada en el núcleo empresarial del centro durante los últimos 3 a 5 años. (Gracias Barb Jacks, creo que has ayudado a acuñar ese término, "Dayton Town"). Con toda esta actividad prometedora, los animo a que reflexionen sobre el voluntariado, sean la fuerza para llevar a Dayton al siguiente nivel y, hablando del siguiente nivel, ¿¡Pudiste ver ese espectáculo de fuegos artificiales!?
La ciudad de Dayton tuvo su primer espectáculo increíble de fuegos artificiales. Los voluntarios y el apoyo de nuestro distrito de bomberos local hicieron que el espectáculo de fuegos artificiales fuera seguro, divertido e impresionante de ver. Espero que consideren unirse al comité de fuegos artificiales o al comité de eventos. Queda mucho trabajo por hacer antes del próximo espectáculo de fuegos artificiales en 2025, junto con todas las demás festividades de julio. Se necesitan sus ideas, apoyo y compañerismo. Es hora de que nuestra comunidad crezca, se adapte y que los negocios florezcan. Sea parte de este gran movimiento, todos estamos juntos en esto, hagamos de este un viaje increíble.
Que estén sanos y salvo, Alcaldesa Frank
Dayton has had over 500 calls so far this year. We have been on two conflagrations and lent mutual aid to the Falls Fire in Cherry Grove. Dayton currently has 36 volunteers and two paid staff. Eight of our volunteers are high school students. They go to the Yamhill County Recruit Academy for fire training. After they are done with the academy, they can get their EMR license at the age of 16. If they are in good standing with grades, they get to leave the school during the day and respond on calls within our own district. The volunteers are a vital part of our department. When you see one, please give them a thank you. Dayton received a $35,000 grant from OSFM for summer staffing. With that money we hired some of our volunteers to fill part time shift work.
Dayton Fire District is currently working on two projects. One is creating five bedrooms in the upstairs of the station for a sleeper program. The other one is the Hopewell station. The concept is to have two bays, restrooms, small meeting room and a turnout room. We hope to break ground early spring. Our current station in Hopewell, you have to pull one rig out to get the other one out of the station. Our current Board Chair Dean Wegner and board members Steve Quinby, Ross Senn, Chris Baker and Angela Upmeyer has been instrumental in these projects.
I would like to thank everyone that supported us at the Old Timers Weekend Chicken BBQ. We sold out for the first time in years.
Burning is STILL closed. Even with the impending rain. Burning will not open until Oct. 1st at the earliest. You will have to call each day you want to burn. Burn number is 503-472-3344 and is updated after 8:00 am everyday. For what is allowed and not allowed to burn you can go the DEQ website for that info.
School is starting up soon. Remember the school zone speed limit is 20mph. One thing we have had an issue with is pulling over for emergency vehicles. When pulling over please do not pull over on a corner, or on top or bottom of a hill without clear vision of oncoming traffic.
Chief Putman
Dayton Fire District
Photos are curtesy of the Dayton Fire District Facebook Page . Follow the DFD on:
Historical Highlight - Mapping Community Heritage at Brookside Cemetery
Brookside Cemetery in Dayton hosts the resting places for many people who helped develop our city and the State of Oregon. The cemetery earned status as a national landmark many years ago.
People, from across the country, seek their ancestors in our cemetery. Some have researched the veterans laid to rest here. At one time, a group did a living history play of Dayton in the cemetery. Brookside is old, yet very active for those interested in history.
As historic cemeteries go, ours has an idyllic park-like setting. It has been cared for over the years by family descendants, students, school district, a small group dedicated to its care and the City. By 1850, the property was owned by Joel and Sarah Palmer.
etc. We have worked with headstone repair professionals to fix broken stones, and to right stones that had leaned. In 2020, we won an Oregon Heritage Excellence Award for our cemetery project. And the work continues.
We are excited to introduce an interactive map for the cemetery! The web address is: https:// tinyurl.com/3h2h7kyw
What does “interactive” mean for a cemetery map? The online map provides:
The Palmers deeded the cemetery to the school district in 1874, before Dayton was an official town. They believed there would always be a school here and they would be able to take care of the cemetery. Starting in the 1950s and for several decades, the 8th grade held an annual cemetery clean-up day. Students learned about local history and helped in a civic endeavor.
If you live here, do business here, enjoy the park downtown, or you experience the legacy of those who came before; their collective memory is around us every day. It is an honor to maintain the cemetery and find ways to share their history with our community and others.
Around 2016, the school district deeded the cemetery to the City. Since that time, the City has worked with cemetery experts to craft a Preservation Plan for the cemetery –identifying needed headstone repair, maintenance, signage,
A brief cemetery history and stories of some of the individburied here
Cemetery rows and names for each burial location. The rows are numbered on the map. The burial names are clickable.
Burial name link opens info about the person and includes a picture (s) of the gravestone.
Search by name feature
A link at top of page to the map of all Dayton’s Historic Sites.
How do I find the cemetery map online?
• Go to https://tinyurl.com/3h2h7kyw OR visit the City of Dayton website / Community Resources / Brookside Cemetery – the link is located there.
Are the rows numbered /marked in the actual cemetery?
• Not yet – this is a future project.
I have pictures or stories to add – who do I contact?
• Great! We want to keep adding. Send via email to cityofdayton@daytonoregon.gov.
• When we get new pictures or stories, the City Webmaster will add periodically.
A big thank you to the GIS mapping experts at Mid-Willamette Council of Governments who created the map for us: Lesley Hegewald and Juan-Carlos Torres. Our project was supported in part by a Historic Preservation Fund grant administered by the National Park Service, Department of the Interior and the Oregon State Historic Preservation Office.
Photo by Kim Courtin
Photo by John Collins
In 1971, student Cindy Hammitt cleaning grave during annual school event. Photo courtesy of NewsRegister.
Brookside headstone repair work. Photo courtesy of Historic Preserva-
Economic Development & Tourism
We’ve been working on several projects in recent months that we hope to finalize before the holiday season is upon us. There’s never a dull moment at city hall, and staff is often tasked with helping each other put out fires or cooperatively advance pressing initiatives . It’s a team effort in our small city, and we try hard to work with the limited funds available.
We have been pursuing the adoption of an Urban Renewal Plan (URP) that would greatly assist us with addressing infrastructure shortcomings. We have vast needs for sewer, water and street upgrades and replacements, but we lack the financial fortitude to address urgent issues. Grants are really our only potential source of revenue to raise funds, and unfortunately, although we try, it’s a competitive environment where sometimes you win and more often you lose. We hope to work with our taxing districts (fire, school) to arrive at a win/win result for all parties so we can start to address pressing needs.
A win we were able to capture was the award of a grant for $50,000 dollars that will enable us to update our 20-year-old Parks Master Plan. We have already chosen an Oregon-based planning firm to move forward, and the community will be engaged on what park attributes they would like to see for Dayton’s future. The creation of a master plan is essential to supporting additional grant requests, and we are excited to complete this critical document.
We have received approval from the State Historic Preservation Office to replace our existing bandstand in Courthouse Square Park. The new bandstand will be a nearly exact replica of the existing town centerpiece, with an upgrade in construction materials to better handle our seasonal weather. With input from the city’s Historical Preservation Committee, we intend to start and complete the reconstruction project in October.
The flooring in the lower level of the Palmer Creek Community Center was replaced this summer. The old carpet was a challenge to maintain given event traffic, so we installed luxury vinyl flooring that can be easily cleaned. We intend to replace the upstairs wooden flooring with a more durable hardwood this winter.
I continue to be amazed at the construction progress on the Merchant Block. Exterior brick repair and new placement on the back buildings is really bringing the project to life. The building itself remains scheduled to be completed by the end of the year, with a target date of April to open the new upstairs hotel. The end product will bring needed life to our city, and support for our local businesses.
The summer event season has come to an end as we take a break before hosting Halloween at the community center and decorating the park for Christmas. Our giant ornament will be back hopefully augmented with a few additional surprises. Circle your calendar for the Saturday after Thanksgiving as we gather in the park to again light up the town’s Christmas tree.
I’m always excited to share our progress as so much is happening behind the scenes. Enjoy the fall season and I look forward to sharing more soon.
Dave Rucklos
TED Director drucklos@daytonoregon.gov
Keep the local vibe alive—don t miss out on supporting your neighborhood shops and events!
Dayton School District Superintendent Update
I couldn’t sleep last night so, even though I know better, I picked up my phone at 3 AM and started scrolling Facebook. The first post I saw on a community forum painted a bleak picture of Dayton’s schools. For weeks I’ve been staring at a blank screen trying to figure out what I wanted to say for this year’s “welcome back” message to our staff, families, and greater community. That social media post got me unstuck.
First, I won’t mince words. We need to improve. And, we will improve. Regardless of the validity of various metrics and measures that one might reference, it is imperative that we have a sense of urgency to do better by our students. While Dayton staff and students made huge gains across the board last year, we are not yet where we would like to be. However, I want to be very careful about the story we tell that is behind these words.
The stories we tell have so much power. They can frighten and depress us. They can inspire and move us to action. They can serve to divide or unite us. As Superintendent, I’ve spent this last year deep in the pages of our District's story. And like all powerful tales, there are parts that make you smile and parts that make you cringe. The characters are dynamic and the conflict is enthralling. Let’s just say ours isn’t a boring read.
But, I will say it again. We are the writers of our own story. We tell our stories into existence.
Over the last few weeks, I’ve met with program leaders across the district who represented Curriculum and Instruction, Student Services (Special Education, English Learners, Counseling, etc.), Athletics and Extracurriculars, Technology, Food Services, Infrastructure and Safety, Human Resources and Finance, and Communication. Together we dug into where we are at, how we got here, and what that means for our work this year moving forward.
The good news? It is not a mystery why we are getting the results that we are. It turns out that the major issues do not lie with our pirate crew. In large, we have a hard-working, committed, and resilient staff. The majority of the issues we face that are barriers to our success can be found in the ship itself not the physical buildings or infrastructure, but in the structures and systems that either empower us to work together or fracture our trust in each other, and thus, disempower our crew.
How did we get here? We can point to events that strained our unity. We can point to a perpetual cycle of staff turnover. But, I’m not sure it matters. We have been trying to set sail with holes in the boat.
Establishing consistent structures for how we communicate expectations and processes, how we respond to student behavior, how we encourage and enforce attendance, how we schedule and communicate about events, how we ensure each student’s academic progress is tracked, how interventions are provided, how we map out a curriculum that puts students on a trajectory of success, how our budget process captures the voices and needs of all stakeholders
… These are structures that once may have been strong in DSD, but in many places, individuals are shouldering the burden of their programs alone, frantically scooping water from the bottom of the ship as each of us tries to row forward in our perspective life rafts.
Greatness is not achieved in silos. It is going to take all of us to patch up those holes and rebuild, but the work is actually pretty straightforward. We start acting like a team. All of us. We stop tearing each other down behind closed doors and on social media platforms. We own where we are and how we got here. And we pick up our hammers and boards, and start rebuilding this ship together.
I am so inspired by the work our staff are embarking on as we begin this new school year. They are coming together united under Dayton School District’s values of community, integrity, and hope
Valuing community means we always choose our words and actions with the intent to unite, regardless of our various affiliations, opinions, and agendas. It means we stop talking about each other and start talking to each other–that we are courageous enough to embrace healthy conflict over unhealthy peace.
Valuing integrity means we remain transparent and honest with each other and that we pull our weight and do what we say we are going to do.
And, valuing hope means we refuse to give up on finding that treasure … that we are relentless about achieving the happy ending to our story.
If we keep these values at the center of our story, together we can rewrite it. It’s time to pick up our pens, Dayton.
Afterall, who doesn’t love a good comeback story?
Please follow our district on social media for updates on the many programs and projects we are excited to be implementing this coming year.
Big things are happening in Dayton School District. In fact, they are too vast to fit in this letter!
Amy Fast, Ed.D Superintendent Dayton School District
Actualización de la Superintendente del Distrito escolar de Dayton
Anoche no pude dormir así que, aunque lo sé mejor, tomé mi teléfono a las 3 de la madrugada y comencé a navegar por Facebook. La primera publicación que vi en un foro comunitario pintó un panorama sombrío de las escuelas de Dayton. Durante semanas he estado mirando una pantalla en blanco tratando de descifrar qué quería decir en el mensaje de “bienvenida” de este año para nuestro personal, nuestras familias y la comunidad en general. Esa publicación en las redes sociales me sacó del estancamiento.
En primer lugar, no me andaré con rodeos. Tenemos que mejorar y vamos a mejorar. Independientemente de la validez de las distintas métricas y medidas a las que se pueda hacer referencia, es imperativo que tengamos un sentido de urgencia para mejorar por nuestros estudiantes. Si bien el personal y los estudiantes de Dayton lograron grandes avances en todos los ámbitos el año pasado, todavía no estamos donde nos gustaría estar. Sin embargo, quiero ser muy cuidadosa con la historia que contamos y que se esconde detrás de estas palabras.
Las historias que contamos tienen mucho poder. Pueden asustarnos y deprimirnos. Pueden inspirarnos y movernos a la acción. Pueden servir para dividirnos o unirnos. Como Superintendente, pasé este último año sumergida en las páginas de la historia de nuestro Distrito. Y como todos los cuentos poderosos, hay partes que te hacen sonreír y otras que te hacen inquietar. Los personajes son dinámicos y el conflicto es fascinante. Digamos que la nuestra no es una lectura aburrida.
Pero lo diré de nuevo. Somos los escritores de nuestra propia historia. Contamos nuestras historias para que existan.
Durante las últimas semanas, me he reunido con líderes de programas de todo el distrito que representan a los departamentos de Currículo e Instrucción, Servicios Estudiantiles (Educación Especial, Estudiantes de Inglés, Consejería, etc.), Deportes y Actividades Extracurriculares, Tecnología, Servicios de Alimentación, Infraestructura y Seguridad. Recursos Humanos y Finanzas, y Comunicación. Juntos investigamos dónde estamos, cómo llegamos hasta aquí y qué significa eso para nuestro
trabajo este año en el futuro.
¿La buena noticia? No es un misterio el por qué estamos obteniendo los resultados que estamos obteniendo. Resulta que los principales problemas no residen en nuestra tripulación pirata. En general, contamos con un personal trabajador, comprometido y resiliente. La mayoría de los problemas que enfrentamos y las barreras para nuestro éxito se pueden encontrar en el barco mismo... no en los edificios físicos o la infraestructura, sino en las estructuras y sistemas que nos empoderan a trabajar juntos o fracturan la confianza mutua, y por lo tanto, le quitan poder a nuestra tripulación.
¿Cómo llegamos aquí? Podemos señalar acontecimientos que pusieron a prueba nuestra unidad. Podemos señalar un ciclo perpetuo de rotación de personal. Pero no estoy segura de que importe. Hemos estado intentando navegar con agujeros en el barco.
Establecer estructuras consistentes para comunicar expectativas y procesos, responder al comportamiento de los estudiantes, alentar y hacer cumplir la asistencia, programar y comunicar eventos, garantizar que se haga un seguimiento del progreso académico de cada estudiante, brindar intervenciones, diseñar un plan de estudios que coloque a los estudiantes en una trayectoria de éxito, y cómo nuestro proceso presupuestario capta las voces y necesidades de todas las partes interesadas.. Estas son estructuras que alguna vez pudieron haber sido sólidas en DSD, pero en muchos lugares las personas están cargando solas con la carga de sus programas, sacando frenéticamente agua del fondo del barco mientras cada uno de nosotros intenta remar hacia adelante en nuestras balsas salvavidas en perspectiva.
La grandeza no se logra en silos. Nos llevará a todos reparar esos agujeros y reconstruir, pero el trabajo es bastante sencillo. Empezaremos a actuar como un equipo. Todos nosotros. Dejemos de derribarnos unos a otros a puerta cerrada y en las plataformas de redes sociales. Somos dueños de dónde estamos y cómo llegamos aquí. Y tomamos nuestros martillos y tablas y comenzamos a reconstruir este barco... juntos.
Me siento muy inspirada por el trabajo que
está realizando nuestro personal al comenzar este nuevo año escolar. Se unen bajo los valores de comunidad, integridad y esperanza del Distrito Escolar de Dayton.
Valorar la comunidad significa que siempre elegimos nuestras palabras y acciones con la intención de unirnos, independientemente de nuestras diversas afiliaciones, opiniones y agendas. Significa que dejemos de hablar unos de otros y empecemos a hablar entre nosotros: que somos lo suficientemente valientes como para aceptar un conflicto saludable en lugar de una paz nociva.
Valorar la integridad significa que seamos transparentes y honestos unos con otros y hacemos lo que decimos que vamos a hacer.
Y valorar la esperanza significa que nos negamos a renunciar a encontrar ese tesoro... que somos incansables en la búsqueda del final feliz de nuestra historia.
Si mantenemos estos valores en el centro de nuestra historia, juntos podremos reescribirla. Es hora de tomas nuestras plumas, Dayton.
Después de todo, ¿a quién no le encanta una buena historia de redención?
Siga a nuestro distrito en las redes sociales para obtener actualizaciones sobre los numerosos programas y proyectos que estamos entusiasmados de implementar el próximo año. Están sucediendo cosas grandes en el Distrito Escolar de Dayton. De hecho, ¡son demasiado grandes para caber en esta carta!
Amy Fast, EdD Superintendente Distrito Escolar de Dayton
Help your neighborhood stay safe, clean, and increase your neighborhood’s value by looking for any of these common code issues. If you see any of these issues on your property, then please take corrective actions as soon as possible. You may need to reach out to fellow neighbors or nonprofits in the area for assistance. We appreciate you doing your part in keeping our little city a vibrant place to live, work, and play and ensuring Dayton facilitates the health, safety, and livability of our community.
for this. A clear vision area shall contain no planting, fence, wall, structure, or temporary or permanent obstruction taller than 36 inches, measured from the top of the curb or, if no curb exists, from the established street centerline grade.
13. Parking against the flow of traffic on any public way, road, or street is considered improperly positioning parked vehicle which is ORS 811.570
14. Damaged or unpermitted fences. All property fences in the City of Dayton require a Fence Permit. Permit applications can be found on our website or at City Hall and require a $5 permit fee.
Please Note: Uncorrected property violations may result in a Citation (costing $100 or more) and/or legal notice being issued..
Jason Shirley Code Enforcement Officer
From Public Works Supervisor
As you are aware the city still has active construction sites around town. I appreciate everyone’s patience and awareness while traveling through them. All these job sites try their best to have minimal impact on our community as possible.
As work continues with the Footbridge/Utility Bridge we want to remind you that construction continues to affect areas around the bridge job site. The Dog park will remain closed until the Footbridge/Utility Bridge project is complete. There is limited access to the boat ramp and please use caution while accessing this area with construction equipment and vehicles all sharing a single lane. The project is nearing completion.
Construction on the new sewer lift station on Hwy 221 has been in a holding stage due to supply issues. The contractor is doing everything possible to stay on target to hit the completion date. The crews are replacing the outdated lift station. The new lift station will be much larger and have back-up pumps and backup power. This is a huge upgrade since our current outdated station has neither. This is a large project that involves laying new sewer pipes, valves, and pumps. This is a much-needed upgrade and will help the City stay in compliance with DEQ.
Public Works continues to street sweep the first and third Wednesday of the month unless we must reschedule due to City needs. We try our best to communicate these with you through the City App and social media. I appreciate your understanding and patience with the last-minute changes as they come up.
Public Works is expecting to finish flushing fire hydrants, water line blow offs, and cleaning catch basins by the end of this quarter. This is normal maintenance practice for these items, and there is no need to be alarmed if you happen to see the crew doing this.
Crews have been out on a handful of water leaks recently. Please continue to contact the city if you happen to see a water leak. We will do our best to manage these as quickly as possible.
Public Works completed smoke testing in our “Main Central Basin” in August. The City will get a report from our vendor that will outline any issues or residence that need to perform repairs. We will send out repair notices if necessary.
As always if you have any questions or concerns, please contact me dcutler@daytonoregon.gov.
Don Cutler Public Works Supervisor
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