Health fair, summer movie Friday in Mattawa
CHERYL SCHWEIZER | Hagadone News Network | UPDATED 3 years, 3 months AGO
Representatives from Fred Hutch Cancer Center will be at the health fair Friday being held as part of the summer movie series in Mattawa. The cancer center was at the June movie night, pictured.
COURTESY PHOTO/CITY OF MATTAWA
Big Bend Community College staff will have information about BBCC programs for people interested in health careers at the health fair in Mattawa Friday.
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 19, 2023 1:30 AM
MATTAWA — Mattawa-area residents can watch a movie Friday night and get information on all things health-related at the same time. The city of Mattawa is sponsoring a combination and movie night and health fair beginning at 4 p.m. Friday at Hund Memorial Park, 101 Government Road. It's the second of three movie nights this summer.
“We decided to do themes this year, (to) be able to provide more for the community,” said Mattawa Mayor Maria Celaya.
The summer movie series is sponsored by the city of Mattawa, Mattawa Community Medical Clinic and the Columbia Basin Health Association. They are partnering with the Fred Hutch Cancer Center, Seattle, for the health fair.
“They’ve been helping - we are collaborating with them,” Celaya said.
The movie, “The Emperor’s New Groove,” starts at dusk. It’s co-sponsored by the Seattle Community Church.
Health fair exhibitors will include the Mattawa clinic, which will highlight its services, and the Grant County Health District, which will provide information on marijuana and tobacco use and prevention, among other topics. Big Bend Community College will have a list of health care education opportunities available at BBCC.
Representatives of Wellness House will talk about support services for cancer patients. The Fred Hutch Center will have staff at the health fair too, Celaya said.
Employees of Education Service District 123, Pasco, will have information about ways parents and other adults can help young people avoid substance abuse. Alcoholics Anonymous will have Spanish-language information on its programs. Radio KDNA, Yakima, will have materials in Spanish on mental health support, gang violence prevention and opioids.
Medical Teams International will have rapid-response COVID-19 testing along with updated coronavirus testing and guidelines from the Washington Department of Health. Lourdes Counseling Center will have information on its inpatient and outpatient behavioral health treatment options.
A program that provides support services for parents of preschool children, Wahluke Llumina Nuestros Suenos, will have information on its program and will be enrolling preschool children in the Imagination Library program, designed to promote early childhood literacy. It’s sponsored by the Dollywood Foundation, founded by legendary singer Dolly Parton.
People for People will talk about the transportation and other support services available through the agency. Alternative Nursing Services will have employment and training program information.
People can find out about health insurance options from representatives of New York Life and Coordinated Care. Community Health Plan of Washington also will have information on its healthcare coverage options. Other health fair exhibitors include OIC of Washington.
Summer movie nights also draw food, drink and merchandise vendors, and some of them will be setting up Friday night, Celaya said.
Cheryl Schweizer may be reached via email at [email protected].
ARTICLES BY CHERYL SCHWEIZER
Power lines, dam upgrades headline Grant PUD capital plans
QUINCY — The Grant County Public Utility District is projected to spend about $118.6 million on a multi-year project to build additional transmission lines from Wanapum Dam to Quincy, about $103.3 million to finish a new maintenance facility in Ephrata. Those are the two largest projects outlined in the PUD's proposed 2027 budget.
Income and priorities subject of Ephrata budget discussion
EPHRATA — Balancing requests and revenues, what can and should be done in 2027 and what can wait was the subject of a budget discussion at the Ephrata City Council meeting Wednesday.
GCFD 8 firefighter sustains minor injuries when hit by car
MATTAWA — A Grant County Fire District 8 officer sustained minor injuries Wednesday when he was hit by a driver subsequently arrested for DUI. Battalion Chief Doug Anderson and GCFD 8 crews were on the scene of a non-injury collision at about 10:30 p.m. when a car drove through the crash scene, according to a media release from the Grant County Sheriff's Office. The driver, Jorge Ramirez Suarez, 33, Mattawa, allegedly drove through the crash scene, hit Anderson in the leg, and kept going without stopping, according to the GCSO. He was subsequently booked into the Grant County Adult Correctional Facility on suspicion of DUI, vehicular assault and hit-and-run. Anderson was treated at the scene. He joined GCFD 8 in 1998 as a volunteer firefighter, said Barb Davis, the district's business manager, and is still a volunteer. He has served as a GCFD 8 captain, assistant chief and interim chief, as well as battalion chief.