Outdoor graduation ceremony planned for Warden High School
CHERYL SCHWEIZER | Hagadone News Network | UPDATED 5 years, 8 months AGO
Richard Byrd/Columbia Basin Herald Confetti was in abundance during Warden High School's graduation ceremony Friday night after the seniors turned their tassels.
Senior Reporter Cheryl Schweizer is a journalist with more than 30 years of experience serving small communities in the Pacific Northwest. She began her post-high-school education at Treasure Valley Community College and enerned her journalism degree at Oregon State University. After working for multiple publications, she has settled down at the Columbia Basin Herald and has been a staple of the newsroom for more than a decade. Schweizer’s dedication to her communities and profession has earned her the nickname “The Baroness of Bylines.” She covers a variety of beats including health, business and various municipalities. | July 21, 2020 8:58 PM
WARDEN — The Warden High School Class of 2020 brings down the curtain on its high school career at 7 p.m. July 24 at the WHS football field.
Former WHS principal Courtney McCoy said Warden School Board members voted to postpone graduation in the hope that a more traditional graduation ceremony would be possible in July. But that won’t be possible, so graduates and their families will drive up to the graduation ceremony.
“We have a six o’clock car parade,” McCoy said, starting from the Warden Senior Center. Students and their families will be allowed to have two cars, and are being encouraged to decorate their vehicles. The parade will be led by WHS staff and school board members, along with two trucks from the Warden Fire Department.
The car parade will wind through downtown to the Warden school campus, and students and their families will park on the football field. Only the cars with seniors and their families will be allowed at the stadium or in the school parking lot, McCoy said.
The valedictorian and salutatorian speeches have been recorded, and will be broadcast during the ceremony. “We’re going to watch together,” McCoy said. The ceremony will be live streamed on the district’s social media.
When the student’s name is called, he or she will get out of the vehicle and receive the diploma. A professional photographer will be available for pictures.
Cheryl Schweizer can be reached via email at [email protected].
ARTICLES BY CHERYL SCHWEIZER
Road closures, roundabout, mean construction season underway
EPHRATA — The grass is starting to turn green, the trees are starting to leaf out, construction crews are starting to build roundabouts – hey, it’s spring. At least one roundabout project is in its final phase, held over from fall 2025. The intersection of State Route 282 and Nat Washington Way will be closed the week of April 6 to allow crews to install permanent lights. “This really is the final (closure),” wrote Grant County Administrator Tom Gaines in a media release. “The roundabout will close at 6 a.m. Monday, and we plan to reopen by Friday, possibly sooner if the work finishes early.”
Ybarra announces run for Washington Senate
QUINCY — State Representative Alex Ybarra, R-Quincy, has announced his candidacy for the Washington Senate. If he’s elected, he would replace Judy Warnick, R-Moses Lake, who announced her retirement in March.
Othello Community Museum to open April 25
OTHELLO — With a couple of new exhibits, a new heating-cooling system, rearranged displays and a thorough cleaning, the Othello Community Museum will open for the summer April 25. The goal, said Molly Popchock, museum board secretary, is to operate for a full season.