Mattawa spring cleanup scheduled for this weekend
CHERYL SCHWEIZER | Hagadone News Network | UPDATED 1 year, 4 months AGO
A Mattawa city backhoe dumps items in the container during a previous spring cleanup. Mattawa residents will have the chance to dump off those big items of junk this weekend.
FILE PHOTO
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. | April 9, 2025 3:30 AM
MATTAWA — Just as houses have a spring cleanup, so do cities. Mattawa’s spring cleanup is scheduled for this weekend.
Cleanup days for city residents are Friday and Saturday, but Public Works Director Juan Ledezma said it could run a little longer if there’s still room in the garbage containers. Each residence is limited to one load.
“It starts on Friday, and at this point, it’s running until Monday,” Ledezma told Mattawa City Council members April 3.
Spring cleanup 2024 was so busy that the garbage containers were full by Friday afternoon. City officials will post announcements on the city’s social media, letting residents know if items are still being accepted.
The garbage containers will be located at the city water tower, 710 First St. People must live in or around Mattawa to participate. Qualifying areas include Desert Aire, Beverly, Schwana and the unincorporated areas of Grant County around those towns.
The cost depends on the size of the vehicle hauling garbage. A passenger car will be $10; a pickup or SUV is $20. A vehicle with a small trailer, a maximum of 6 by 10 feet, is $30. Bigger trailers are $40.
The city is accepting household items big and small, from old couches and tables to stoves, dishwashers and dryers. Consumer electronics and appliances such as microwaves, lawn mowers, toys like bicycles, will all be accepted. Yard waste, including bagged leaves and branch clippings will also be accepted. Tires will be accepted; the cost is $4 per tire.
Houshold hazardous waste is not accepted, nor is commercial or construction waste. Commercial vehicles, commercial trailers and tires are prohibited.
A separate downtown cleanup is also planned.
ARTICLES BY CHERYL SCHWEIZER
Road projects on hold for Labor Day weekend
MOSES LAKE — With Labor Day weekend dead ahead, drivers will be able to move freely about the state. Most road projects are on hold for the holiday weekend. Nobody will be working on the Hansen Road overpass on Interstate 90, but the lane restrictions that are in effect will continue through the end of the project.
Cost estimates for water source alternatives given to Moses Lake City Council
Protected under the U.S. Endangered Species Act, efforts are ongoing to keep it self-sufficient
MOSES LAKE — It’s going to cost a lot of money to provide alternative water sources for the city of Moses Lake, but some of the possible alternatives will cost more than others. City officials provided the Moses Lake City Council with costs for various alternatives Tuesday.
Dryer vent cleaning is important -- but often overlooked
MOSES LAKE — Not all the maintenance a house needs is visible. Sometimes a potential problem just goes unnoticed until it causes trouble, sometimes serious trouble. But a lot of potential problems give off warning signs. Clothes dryers often do when they need a good cleaning.