With so many fruit and vegetable farms in Central Washington, it might seem difficult for any one business to stand out. But when you consider that the Yakima Valley is “feeding the world” — as many local farmers proudly declare — there is ample opportunity for farms of all sizes to establish a foothold. Benedicto... Continue Reading →
Originally published in February 2020 •••••• Samantha Bowman has come so far over the past 16 months that casual fans of the Central Washington University women’s basketball team may not remember her from last season. The Wildcats’ sophomore center played in nearly every game as a freshman, but she hadn’t yet figured out how to... Continue Reading →
Anyone in the Yakima Valley who knows anything about good barbecue has likely heard of Slow Poke’s Grill & Smoke. But until recently, the only way you could sample Slow Poke’s meats and sides was to catch owners Dan Gamache and Brandon Perry at select catering events or nationally sanctioned barbecue competitions. That all changed... Continue Reading →
Ten years ago, Windy N Ranch was more of a concept than a concrete business plan. But through hard work and dedication, the Newhall family of Ellensburg has turned their 800-acre plot into a lucrative — and highly rewarding — venture. The diversified, certified organic meat ranch off U.S. Highway 97 started out as an... Continue Reading →
I’m one of those guys people love to hate. Not because I’m a jerk or a particularly disagreeable fellow. It has more to do with a certain after-hours activity that I’ve been involved in for the past dozen-or-so years. You may have yelled my name and not even known whom you were barking at. You... Continue Reading →
The 2019 season produced a lot of highs for the Toppenish High football program, but not quite enough to deliver the Wildcats a state playoff berth. After losing its season opener to Hockinson, Top-Hi rolled off five victories in a row, giving the ‘Cats a chance to play for a spot in the CWAC championship... Continue Reading →
Eisenhower came from behind to defeat rival Davis 41-35 on Nov. 8 at Zaepfel Stadium, putting a cap on the season for both teams. The Cadets trailed 21-12 at halftime, but quarterback Jaiden Corbray led a comeback that gave Ike its fourth win of the season. Eisenhower finished at 4-6 overall (2-4 in the CBBN),... Continue Reading →
Vikings have won 18 in a row as they prepare for 2A final four The Selah High girls soccer team finds itself in a familiar position this week as it continues state tournament play at the Class 2A final four. The Vikings have become state playoff mainstays over the past five years, earning a trip... Continue Reading →
Karate changed Andy Franz’s life. Now, the owner of Goju-Ryu Karate in Selah is using the ancient martial art to change the lives of people around the Yakima Valley. Franz and his eight volunteer instructors work with children and adults five evenings a week at 103 E. Naches Ave., teaching them how to be more... Continue Reading →
It was a memorable day at state for the Selah High cross country teams. Senior Shea Mattson nearly won the boys individual title Nov. 9 at Sun Willows Golf Course in Pasco, finishing six-tenths of a second behind his rival, Eli Kabasenche of Pullman, with a time of 15:24.20. Sophomore Cooper Quigley took sixth overall... Continue Reading →
Zillah-La Salle football 10-18-19
Gilbert Cellars has built up enough name recognition over the past 15 years that the brand would have no problem developing a following beyond the West Coast.But whenever the owners of the Central Washington winery consider ramping up production, they always prioritize their Yakima Valley roots. “We’ve had opportunities to open other tasting rooms outside... Continue Reading →
Nikki Samaniego enjoys the tasting room side of owning a winery. Pouring wine, talking with customers and sharing stories about the Yakima Valley are much more her speed than working out in the vineyards. The co-owner of Severino Cellars in Zillah, Wash., prefers to leave all of the dirty work to her husband and father.... Continue Reading →
A lot has changed since Buck Chan first started working at Keoki’s Oriental Restaurant nearly four decades ago. The city, its residents and their taste in food are all very different now than when Chan and his family emigrated to Yakima from China in 1980. One thing that has stayed the same, however, is Chan’s... Continue Reading →
I’ve always been a huge fan of Asian cuisine. Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Thai, Vietnamese, Filipino, Indian — it doesn’t matter. If I had to rank my favorite ethnic foods, I would have to go with Vietnamese, Thai and Korean — in that order — followed closely by authentic Mexican (mmmm, tacos!). There’s just something so... Continue Reading →
EDITOR'S NOTE: This column was updated and republished in July 2021. ••••• Sports reporting is something I’ve always enjoyed. Covering events, writing features, talking to athletes and coaches — it’s a great job if you can get it. Honestly, following high school teams and reporting on them is more fun than it is work. Hanging... Continue Reading →
Anyone who follows the Selah High baseball team knew 2019 was going to be a good year for the program. With dominant pitching, an airtight defense and a well-balanced lineup, all the Vikings needed to do was show up and they could reasonably expect to win every game. That’s more or less how the season... Continue Reading →
If you haven’t stopped by the Double R Honey Farms shop in a while, now would be a good time to get reacquainted. The beekeeping supply store and honey retailer in Union Gap was remodeled earlier this year — and it’s creating kind of a buzz around town. “We wanted to make it a place... Continue Reading →
The owners of Nino’s Mexican Grill are ready to go big. But for now, they’re taking their expansion plans one step at a time. Joel and Claudia Navarro opened their popular Union Gap restaurant in 2013, and after six successful years, they started thinking about how to grow the business. Now that their children are... Continue Reading →
It’s go-time this weekend for the Toppenish High boys soccer team. After rolling through the Class 2A state playoffs with two convincing victories over Highline (7-1) and Ellensburg (2-0), the district champion Wildcats are playing in the final four for the first time since 2014. Just getting this far is a major accomplishment for the... Continue Reading →
You couldn’t have asked for a better finish to the CWAC baseball district championship game. At least if you’re a Selah fan. The Vikings trailed two-time defending state champion Ellensburg 3-0 going into the bottom of the fourth inning, but managed to chip away little by little to come away with a 4-3 victory May... Continue Reading →
The Rollinger family has been farming in Sunnyside, Wash., for more than a century, so they don’t run into many surprises anymore. The work isn’t easy and new challenges arise all the time. But while Rollinger Family Farms has experienced its share of ups and downs over the past 101 years, the family has managed... Continue Reading →
Blueline Manufacturing Inc. prefers to take a proactive approach to product development. Instead of waiting for their clients to identify the challenges they are seeing in the agricultural industry, owner Gregg Marrs and his team seek out potential issues so they can start delivering solutions. “We go out and find problems and then we solve... Continue Reading →
Ever since Allan Brothers Inc. was founded in the 1920s, the company has always kept a close eye on the future. Today, the Naches, Wash.-based apple and cherry producer — one of the largest fruit growing/packaging companies in the Northwest — is even better prepared for what lies ahead. Allan Bros. has been adding to... Continue Reading →
Many folks who grow up on a farm can’t wait to move away. Others, like Graham Gamache, couldn’t wait to get back. The owner of Cornerstone Ranches in Toppenish, Wash., went off to college in the early 1990s to study English literature. But his heart remained on the family hops and apple farm, which his... Continue Reading →
Here are some more of my favorite photos from the past few months. I'm going to start posting more on Instagram, so look me up: @worldleder
Building up the Toppenish High School baseball program is something that is close to Jaime Cortes’ heart. The first-year Wildcats skipper played for the program back in the mid-1990s and he has been coaching local baseball talent for the past several years at the middle school and with the junior varsity team. Now, Cortes is... Continue Reading →
I’m always amazed by how many coffee shops and drive-thru stands we have in this town. I mean, it’s getting a little crazy around here. From national chain stores to family-owned roadside kiosks, there seems to be more coffee options than anyone could ever need. Someone told me there are 100 of these coffee businesses... Continue Reading →
Heading into the Class 1A state championship game on March 2, the Zillah High boys basketball team was still looking to put together a complete performance at the SunDome. The No. 3-seeded Leopards were tested by Bellevue Christian and La Center the first two days, so it was just a matter of time before the... Continue Reading →
I've always enjoyed news photography, and the past few years at the Business Times have provided me with endless opportunities. Yakima Valley Business Times (2016-present) Feature Photography Agriculture (2018-present) Hood River Valley Sports (2001-05) Outdoor Sports in the Gorge
Twenty-five years into his internet service career, Forbes Mercy continues to innovate. Ever since bringing dial-up internet to Yakima back in 1994, the owner of Washington Broadband has successfully stayed ahead of the curve the entire time, keeping pace with — and in many ways, surpassing — industry behemoths such as Charter and CenturyLink. Over... Continue Reading →
Wine tourism in the Yakima Valley will soon be redefined if plans for a 317-acre multi-use development east of town continue to materialize. The Yakima County Planning Division signed off last month on plans for a winery-themed Master Planned Development Overlay resort that will feature more than 1,100 year-round or seasonal residential units, 150-200 apartments,... Continue Reading →
If you’re thinking about stopping by The Public House of Yakima for a beer, you should probably plan to wait a few. Owner Jim Williams and his staff of five have barely been keeping up with demand since the Northwest-inspired beer-and-food hangout opened Feb. 12 at 5703 Tieton Drive. “It’s been pretty nuts,” said Williams,... Continue Reading →
When Doug Granstrand bought Bill’s Place in 2010, the iconic Yakima bar looked nothing like it does today. The popular food-and-drink establishment on South Third Avenue — one of the longest-running bars in Yakima — needed more than a little TLC; it needed a complete overhaul. The current building at 206 S. Third St. opened... Continue Reading →
There are lots of places to find a good beer in Yakima nowadays, but that wasn’t always the case. As recently as 2007 — the year I moved to town — it was pretty slim pickins around here. You could barely find a good sixer, let alone a growler or twenty-two. Bale Breaker had yet... Continue Reading →
The Selah High wrestling team sometimes flies under the radar, but that doesn’t mean the Vikings aren’t a force to contend with year in and year out. Just last month, Ken Mozingo’s troops finished off their third consecutive seventh-place state finish in Class 2A, bringing home an individual championship and placing three more wrestlers among... Continue Reading →
Once the Selah High boys basketball team fell behind by 21 points to Lynden early in the second half of the Class 2A state championship game March 2, it would have been easy for the Vikings to be satisfied with merely getting that far. But that’s just not how these boys roll. Senior captain Elijah... Continue Reading →
All season long, there was little debate as to which wrestling team was the best in the state. Last weekend, Toppenish High proved what everyone else seemed to know the entire time: The Wildcats are head and shoulders above everyone else. Not just in Class 2A. Every other team in every other classification. Toppenish put... Continue Reading →
Over the past 100 years, the Van de Graaf family has been synonymous with the cattle industry in Central Washington. Ever since retired owner Dick Van de Graaf’s parents emigrated from Holland to Sunnyside in 1918, the family business has revolved around raising some of the finest beef cows in the Northwest and a commitment... Continue Reading →
Farmers all over Washington state have come to depend daily on Ag Weather Net, an extensive weather-tracking network that collects a range of atmospheric data from remote monitoring stations and relays the information to the public over the internet. The 30-year-old network, based on the Washington State University Extension campus in Prosser, provides access to... Continue Reading →
Adam Dolsen has always had a soft spot in his heart for cows. The president of The Dolsen Companies in Yakima grew up working with his father and grandfather at the Cow Palace dairy in nearby Granger, not realizing that he would one day be managing the entire operation. Four decades later, Dolsen still has... Continue Reading →
For Jason Sheehan, owning a dairy farm isn’t just a job; it’s a lifestyle. When raising and milking cows is all you’ve ever known, it’s easy to get out of bed every morning. If you ask Sheehan, part-owner of J&K Dairy in Sunnyside, everyone should be so lucky. “I don’t look at it as work... Continue Reading →
The Valicoff family has been growing produce in the Yakima Valley since the 1930s, but the company didn’t really hit its stride until the mid-1980s, when it became Valicoff Fruit Co. The family-owned apple, pear and stone fruit operation based in Wapato, Wash., started out growing vegetables under the name Valicoff Gardens before transitioning into... Continue Reading →
Family comes first at Evans Fruit Co., a 69-year-old growing and shipping operation based in Washington’s Yakima Valley. The company started small back in 1949, when Bill and Jeannette Evans planted their first 10-acre apple orchard in their late teen years. Over time, with the help of family and friends, Evans Fruit has become an... Continue Reading →
Not all kids who grow up in White Swan have the same employment opportunities as other Yakima Valley youths. But that doesn’t have to be the case. For the young people who live way out on the Yakama Nation reservation — about 35 miles southwest of Yakima — it’s nice to know that there is... Continue Reading →
Ten years ago, lingerie coffee stands were considered a pretty big deal in Yakima. Former Mayor Dave Edler and the City Council spent significant time on the issue, saying in 2009 that “bikini bars” should be regulated by the city’s Adult Business Ordinance. Code enforcement officials eventually targeted a stand on Yakima Avenue called Dream... Continue Reading →
This time last year, Hali Upson didn’t imagine herself owning a bar.She was working an 8-to-5 job and wasn’t thinking too much about her next opportunity. But then, in late August, the Silver Creek Bar & Grill in Moxee closed down. Upson and her boyfriend, Caleb Sluder, decided it was now or never. “I’m not... Continue Reading →
Jamie Muffett was beside himself last month when Yakima County officials announced that they would be pursuing cease-and-desist orders against cannabis-related businesses that operate in unincorporated areas of the county. The CEO of Sticky Budz, a Zillah-based producer and processor of recreational cannabis, is perplexed as to why the county continues to target a substance... Continue Reading →
West Valley Bar & Grill has become a second home to Jim and Roxanne Lowry over the past 29 years. The longtime owners of the popular neighborhood watering hole on South 80th Avenue spend so much time there that they no longer keep up with the hobbies of their youth. They don’t have children, so... Continue Reading →
Jamin Mohler is well versed in all areas of the funeral home business. From embalming to cremation to working with bereaved families, the owner of Brookside Funeral Home in Moxee has done — and seen — it all. In fact, Mohler has seen enough of what goes on behind the scenes in the industry that... Continue Reading →
