Children’s Village Continues to Expand Services for Children With Special Needs
May 15, 2012
Yakima’s Children’s Village, a facility that provides a variety of medical and therapy services for children with special needs, has recently completed its first expansion project since inception doubling the size of the building. This will allow existing programs to serve more children and allow the staff to focus on outreach programs in rural communities.
According to Jackie McPhee, executive director of Children’s Village, “This expansion will enable us to better serve families who have children with special needs and expand outreach efforts to help identify these children in underserved populations. This has been our mission for several years but couldn’t due to not having enough examination and treatment rooms.” The $7 million dollar expansion added 12,000 square feet, and remodeled another 5,000 square feet of existing space, increasing the overall size of the building to 36,000 square feet. In addition to more exam and treatment rooms, the expansion added offices, community meeting rooms, and expanded the playground area for children. “This expansion is helping put a dent in the four-to-six month waiting list for services. We’re very pleased the community saw the need for these children and helped us achieve our fundraising goals making this expansion possible,” McPhee added.
For more information about Children’s Village and volunteer opportunities, click here.
Bike Enthusiasts Welcome Spring with Canyon Bike Tour
May 7, 2012
The Yakima River Canyon linking Yakima to Ellensburg is truly one of our region’s scenic treasures. Every May local bike enthusiasts look forward to dusting off their bicycles with a casual ride through the beautiful canyon sans motorized vehicles. May 20th marks this year’s annual Your Canyon for a Day Bike Tour.
The ride is organized by, and also a fund raiser for, the Yakima County chapter of Crime Stoppers. The organization wanted a fund raiser the entire family could participate in and every year brings children using training wheels to seniors in their 90’s. According to Dave Purcell, board chair of Crime Stoppers, “There are riders who have participated every year since the event’s inception. Families thoroughly enjoy being able to take their time, ride the route at their own pace, and simply enjoy the river, the spring flowers, and wildlife of the Yakima Canyon without having to worry about cars. That’s why we named the event ‘Your Canyon’ for a Day.”
The Seattle-based Cascade Bicycle Club, the largest bike club in the nation, lists the Canyon Bike Tour as the safest event for families due to water and snack stations set up every few miles, eight bike repair stations, and no motorized vehicles on the 17.5 mile route. Over the years, the event has grown drawing in over 1,500 riders with a large percentage of them from out of town. There are participants from New York, Florida, and Illinois, in addition to a significant portion from the Puget Sound region. The event not only supports a valuable program with Yakima County but it also supports local tourism. For registration information, click here.
Filipino Community Hall Celebrates 60th Anniversary
April 30, 2012
During the 1950s our local Filipino-American community joined together to build a special cultural center in Wapato. It turned out to be the first Filipino Hall built in the Western United States. Now 60 years later our entire community is celebrating the Hall in a big way. Members of the Filipino-American Community of the Yakima Valley (FACYV) are organizing a major party to commemorate their roots in the Valley and their special facility in Wapato.
According to Dori Peralta Baker, former board member of the FACYV, “This event celebrates the Filipino heritage that the Yakima Valley has. It also celebrates the diversity of the Valley and honors the support by many in this region who stood by Filipino families during Alien Land Act of the 1930’s, primarily Yakama Nation Chief Jobe Charley.” The Alien Land Act barred Filipinos from buying or leasing land. As a result, a group of local Filipino leaders were arrested and many families left the area. By 1939 the Act was declared unconstitutional but it didn’t encourage folks to sell to them. Chief Jobe Charley traveled to Washington, D.C. asking permission to lease or sell tribal land to them and the request was granted. “Thanks to Chief Jobe’s efforts, we are still here and proud to live in the Yakima Valley.” Baker added.
Pete Jamero
This year’s celebration will be held at the Yakima Convention Center, doors open at 5:00 p.m. with dinner served at 6:00. Entertainment includes traditional Filipino dancers from Yakima and the Tri-Cities and the keynote speaker will be former San Jose State University professor Peter Jamero, a Filipino historian and author of Vanishing Filipino Americans: The Bridge Generation. The Bridge Generation is the first born on American soil and the primary builders of the Filipino Hall in Wapato. Forty-eight original members of the FACYV were present at the 50th anniversary of the Hall, this year only 17 survive and all will be honored at this year’s event.
Tickets are $30.00 and must be purchased in advance. To contact a member, click here.
Cinco de Mayo Festivals Commemorate the Region’s Culture
April 23, 2012
Cinco de Mayo is a huge celebration in the Yakima Valley. With events in both Sunnyside and Yakima, the first weekend in May is a particularly festive time. Our Latino community has been here for generations, and they now account for 45 percent of the county’s population. A large portion of these families have roots in Mexico but you’ll easily find people from other Latin American countries who now call Yakima Valley their home.
The small city of Sunnyside, located in the Lower Yakima Valley, will experience nearly twice the amount of visitors to their city of 15,000 during the three day event beginning Friday, May 4th. According to Pam Turner, executive director of the Sunnyside Chamber of Commerce and long-time event organizer, “This year marks the 24th anniversary of our Cinco de Mayo event is certainly our city’s largest attraction; we can easily draw up to 25,000 to 30,000 if the weather is good throughout the weekend. We have tourists from all over the Northwest who enjoy the games, the dancing, and the horse competitions on Sunday. It’s a great way for us to highlight what a wonderful community Sunnyside is.” The fun begins on Friday with carnival rides and booths full of local vendors and specialty foods. Saturday brings Mariachi dancers and other traditional music groups. Two of the main events are held on Sunday with the parade in the morning followed by the much-anticipated Charro competition. This Mexican-style of horse and rider attracts competitors from all over the U.S.
Downtown Yakima will also be a hot spot for celebrating Cinco de Mayo with entertainment, dancing, food, and fun for both Saturday and Sunday. There will be mariachis, ballet folklorico groups, and street soccer for both youth and adults. A parade on Sunday will feature many of these groups along with Charros and the newly-crowned Miss Cinco de Mayo and her court.
This year marks the 150th anniversary of the Puebla Victory on May 5th, 1862. On this day 4,000 Mexicans battled an 8,000-strong French army and defeated them near the town of Puebla, southeast of Mexico City. The victory was such a success it crushed the French ruler’s, Napoleon III, hopes of establishing a Latino empire with French interests. The town of Puebla still celebrates this victory and considers it an important chapter in their country’s history.
To learn more about these Cinco de Mayo events, click here.
The Granger Cherry Festival – From “The Hill” to the Celebration
April 16, 2012
Opening Day for Local Fishing is Part of Our Heritage
April 9, 2012
From the Garden to the Table – Spring Fare Abound
April 2, 2012
From Yakima to Mt. Rainier – A Trail Honoring Justice William O. Douglas
March 26, 2012
Spring Brings Valley Inspiration to the Kitchen
March 19, 2012
Yakima River Canyon Marathon – Borne Out of Scenic Beauty
March 12, 2012
