Mattawa council looks at improvements to Wahluke grad parade
CHERYL SCHWEIZER | Hagadone News Network | UPDATED 1 year, 5 months AGO
Graduates of the Wahluke High School class of 2024 in the post-ceremony parade. Improving the parade was a subject of discussion at the Mattawa City Council meeting March 20.
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. | March 26, 2025 2:10 AM
MATTAWA — Changes could be coming to the parade that follows Wahluke High School graduation.
The parade was held in lieu of graduation in 2020, and seniors and their families have staged a parade every year since. Wahluke Principal Cody Marlowe told Mattawa City Council members the class of 2025 wants to continue the tradition, and WHS administrators are working to make it better.
“There are some things that we want to do, having a parent meeting for all the senior parents and the seniors, making it a required (meeting) if you are going to be part of the parade,” Marlowe said. “We feel like it’s still a really popular event, and kids will still want to take part in it, and parents will too. But we feel like we need to tighten up the reins a little bit on some of those expectations.”
He asked for suggestions from council members.
Council member Tony Acosta said council members had received complaints that the parade route essentially shut down traffic city-wide. He suggested reviewing the route. Council member Fabiola Hernandez said more help was needed for traffic control and asked for additional volunteers.
Council member Wendy Lopez said more advance notice would be a good idea since that’s a Friday night during cherry season and a lot of workers from nearby orchards are coming to town. There should be a way to keep the parade and accommodate residents and visitors who aren’t involved in graduation, she said.
“You only graduate once,” Lopez said. “Some kids, (they’re) the first generation graduating from high school and they feel proud. Their families feel proud. We just want to do something safer for the community and all involved.”
Mayor Maria Celaya suggested that the council delay approving the application pending an updated plan, and council members agreed to that.
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