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.

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.

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 50^th 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.

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 4^th.   According to Pam Turner, executive director of the Sunnyside Chamber of Commerce and long-time event organizer, “This year marks the 24^th 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 150^th anniversary of the Puebla Victory on May 5^th, 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.

There are only a couple things that have changed since that first event, the name shortened to become The Granger Cherry Festival and folks come from all over Washington state to enjoy the fun and the live entertainment provided at Hisey Park’s amphitheater.  According to Valde Valenzuela, Lion’s Club treasurer and long time event coordinator, “Through the years, the festival has created unity within our community while having fun at the same time.   It also serves as the primary fundraiser for the Lion’s Club.”

The festival, held on the last weekend in April, begins at noon on Friday with carnival rides and food and craft venders.  Saturday morning features the town’s parade at 11:00 a.m., complete with the recently crowned Miss Granger and Little Miss Granger and their courts.   Following the parade, live bands play at the amphitheater, and various dance troupes and performers enjoy the community stage at Hisey Park.  The festival is capped off by the popular fishing derby beginning at 7:00 a.m. on Sunday.  Prizes are awarded to the three largest fish caught.  There are many more activities offered throughout the weekend, something for everyone.

Granger is still a small farming community but it has done amazing things over the years.  The city is very proud of their heritage and their pride clearly shows as you drive through town.

The season kicks into high gear on April 28^th.  To prepare the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife has been busy planting trout in local waters consisting of Granger pond, Reflection Lake at Sarg Hubbard Park, along with Rotary and Myron Lake in the Yakima County.  In neighboring Kittitas County Fio Ritos, Matton Lake, and McCabe Pond have received thousands of rainbow trout, some of them jumbo-sized.  “Rotary Lake in Yakima has been particularly good with some trout up to two pounds apiece,” said Eric Anderson, a WDFW fish biologist based in Yakima.  “As the weather continues to warm and the winds subside, fishing should pick up in lakes throughout the region.”

It’s important to ensure you have the proper license to fish throughout the year.  Below are a couple of links providing information where to fish, fishing seasons, and licensing

Licensing & Permitting
Where to fish in Washington
Fishing locations in Yakima County

Fishing is truly a national pastime and it gets a lot of attention in the Yakima Valley.  Whether you are after world class fly fishing opportunities on the Yakima River or want to introduce your kids to angling at a local lake, there are plenty of options in our Valley for people of all interests and ages.

The Kitchen Garden

For home cooks who find joy in cooking with harvests from their own gardens, Yakima area garden centers nurseries and specialty shops, have everything Valley gardeners need. With warmer weather, local garden shops are already busy with customers ready to plant their first spring crops. “We’re seeing more people every day,” says Cindy Mahre, owner of Loo Wit Gardens in Yakima.

While we find Loo Wit Gardens at a new, bright and airy location in Chalet Place at 56^th and Summitview, we can expect the same dedication to offering local gardeners an extensive collection of unique plants selected specifically for hardiness in our Valley. Mahre already has some hardy culinary herbs, such as thyme, in stock and expects more herbs arriving through March and into April. Look to Loo Wit Gardens for unique herbs such as lemongrass and several varieties of thyme and basil, including Thai basil. “We also have a lot of new cookbooks coming in,” says Mahre. “We always have good kitchen garden books.”

A cult favorite,Cowiche Creek Nursery at 2401 Cowiche Mill Road in Cowiche, opened for the season on the first weekend of March. By early to mid-April, we’ll find vegetable and herb crops in stock. “Things are coming out later than usual because of the colder weather,” explains Cowiche Creek’s Jeannie Stephens. She expects potato and onion sets and cool weather vegetables soon, but recommends waiting to plant. “The ground is so cold and wet that your vegetables will just sit in the ground and they’ll rot,” she says. “Wait until the ground is a little dryer and warmer.”

Kitchen gardeners can also find the first spring herbs in stock at Russell’s Nursery, along with an extensive selection of seeds and seed starting supplies. At 6710 Tieton Drive in Yakima, they also have onion and potato sets, cool weather crops such as chard, and a full array of berries, including gooseberries, currants, huckleberries, marionberries, boysenberries and blueberries. Expect more herbs and vegetable starts arriving through spring.

For something special, look for a unique collection of heirloom and specialty seeds for the kitchen garden from Reene’s Garden Seeds at Garden Girl in downtown Yakima. These popular seeds, with varieties such as Cinderella pumpkins, heirloom watermelon radishes, lemon and Armenian cucumbers, and edamame, sell quickly but garden girl, Lenette Rohl, has more on the way, along with her array of heirloom tomatoes and herbs, including culinary lavender.

Look to garden centers, from Lowes and Home Depot to those at Walmart, Fred Meyer, Shopko and Bi-Mart, for collections of familiar herbs, vegetable starts and seed starting supplies.

Events for The Kitchen Gardener—

Mark your calendar for the Yakima Arboretum’s plant sale on Friday and Saturday, May 11 & 12. This annual event is a fantastic resource for tomatoes and other vegetable starts grown particularly to thrive in our local climate.

For The Table

Look to local boutiques to find fun new spring items for showcase your favorite culinary creations with family and friends. When it comes to the table, “everyone is so ready for spring’s bright colors,” says Evie Chambers of CC Ltd. at Westpark in Yakima. “Everyone really loves the linens from Le Jacquard Français to brighten the table in the spring,” she says. New this season, CC Ltd. features acrylic glassware, Chilewich placemats and runners and flameless candles for indoor-outdoor entertaining. Don’t forget to try new seasonal flavors from Tea Forte.

In addition to The Shopkeeper’s lines of fine tableware and décor, this spring, find whimsical dishware and décor, as well as furnishings for outdoor entertaining. Also new, find a new line of Thomas O’Brien stemware and barware.

Douglas came to Yakima after the death of his father in 1904.   As a young boy, he considered himself too frail to keep up with other boys so Douglas began hiking the hills around Yakima and Selah to strengthen his legs.  By age 15, he was an accomplished hiker and well known among Indian tribal leaders from Yakima to Mt. Rainier.

He ultimately graduated as valedictorian from Yakima High School (now Davis High School), earned his bachelor’s degree from Whitman College, and then graduated from Columbia Law School in New York.  In 1936 President Franklin Roosevelt appointed Douglas to the Securities and Exchange Commission.  After three years, President Roosevelt nominated him to serve on the Supreme Court where he became the longest serving U.S. Supreme Court Justice in history until his retirement in 1975.  During his tenure, Justice Douglas used his influence and love of nature to preserve wilderness areas in at least six states around the nation.  He never forgot about the mountains back home and would spend vacations and break time at his cabin at Goose Prairie.

The William O. Douglas Trail has twelve distinct eco-systems due to the Cascade Mountains rain-shadow effect providing hikers a variety of vegetation zones from arid shrub-steppe to alpine.  Along the way are many lakes and ponds, both named and unnamed, cliffs and peaks, with breathtaking vistas of Mts. Rainier and Adams.  There are still a few sections of the trail that need to be linked or further improved but outdoor adventurers can now find and follow Douglas’ path all the way from Yakima to Mount Rainier.  Douglas is one of Yakima’s most famous residents to it is great and appropriate to see this new trail named in his honor.  In his words, “It is only by foot that one can really come to know the nation.”

Resource links:

William O. Douglas National Heritage Trail

Washington Trail Association/William O. Douglas Trail

Cowiche Canyon Conservatory

New and Notable

Last year, Yakima’s garden girl, Lenette Roehl, created a natural extension of her popular garden shop when she opened The Garden Girl’s Kitchen. “I love the kitchen … I enjoy cooking for those I love and, for me, the kitchen and the garden go hand in hand,” says Roehl.

With a selection as innovative and eclectic as you find at Garden Girl, Roehl features specialty food items including vinegars, sea salts, pasta and sanding sugars. Try Roehl’s Belgian pearl sugar in a blueberry champagne cocktail, use the Chardonnay smoked fleur de sel with spring’s fresh Chinook salmon and choose the blackberry Balsamic vinegar for a salad with the season’s first berries. For your entertaining needs, Roehl has a selection of unique serving and bake ware ranging in styles from contemporary to French country; you’ll find cake pedestals in all sizes, stovetop espresso makers and bamboo utensils just perfect for spring picnics.

In The Kitchen

Longtime favorite destinations for Yakima’s home cooks and bakers have new items in stock this spring. In addition to The Cookie Cutter’s extensive stock of specialty kitchen tools, you’ll find fun, new items for cooking with kids, along with pasta from Pasta Mama in Richland and Yakima Salt, a delicious apple wood smoked sea salt that’s delicious with Yakima lamb and grilled salmon.

Another unique idea, The Cake Decorator Shoppe features new all-natural flavored sugars. In huckleberry, strawberry, raspberry, almond-vanilla and peppermint flavors, they add something special to your favorite baked treats. Try the raspberry sugar on homemade scones for a springtime brunch. Other new items, raspberry, lemon and key lime curd, infuse baked goods with luscious flavor. Use a little lemon curd to make an unforgettable lemon-blueberry muffin batter. Don’t forget to check out spring break classes for kids and new birthday parties at The Cake Decorator Shoppe.

Spring means fresh Chinook salmon season at Deep Sea Deli where you always find an impressive selection of artisan cheeses, olives and pickled vegetables, specialty rice, quinoa and couscous, sea salts and Asian specialties including tamarind paste and black sesame seeds. Try new certified organic sauces and marinades under the Deep Sea Deli brand and don’t forget about their house-smoked salmon.

Specialty Foods and Sweet Treats

With warmer weather, Tieton Farm and Creamery is back in production and we’ll once again find their artisan cheeses in stock at local shops such as Deep Sea Deli and Garden Girl’s Kitchen. On their website you’ll learn about their handmade cheeses made in small batches and their commitment to sustainable farming practices.

For sweet treats, check out one of the Valley’s many specialty bakeries and chocolatiers. In the nine years since their 2003 opening, Essencia Artisan Bakery has become Yakima tradition. Daily specialties include artisan breads, pastries, desserts and hand-dipped truffles. Their lunch menu features seasonal house-made soups and paninis. Don’t forget to order Essencia’s hot cross buns for Easter!

Try Yakima’s new Truly Scrumptious Bakery at Track 29 for their signature cupcakes in seasonal flavors and Sticky Fingers Bakery in Naches for a selection of local favorites. Visit Sweetiepie Babycakes online for cupcakes, pies and cheesecakes all made to order using organic flour and sugar, dairy, eggs, local produce, and hand-crafted cheeses. Their seasonal and holiday-inspired treats will make wonderful gifts for Easter and teacher appreciation week this spring. You can also find Sweetiepie Babycakes goods at Garden Girl’s Kitchen.

Visit Boehm’s Candy of Yakima chocolates from Boehm’s Candies of Issaquah, including special Easter treats and The Yakima Food Cooperative’s website for a list of local resources for home cooks.

Known as the Dolphin Team, Bob and Lenore ultimately chaired the first even 12 years ago (and they still organize the event today).  This year’s marathon is extra special to Bob, it’s his 500^th marathon and he’ll be running it at 82-years-old.  According to Lenore, “Bob has run marathons all over the United States and although Yakima River Canyon Marathon is close to him, he still feels it’s the most beautiful.  Around every corner is something new, bighorn sheep, bald eagles, even elk sightings, but the beauty and serenity of running alongside the Yakima River itself makes the run unique.”

The event was popular from the beginning, drawing nearly 500 runners.  Today approximately 600 register for the event each year.  They come from all over the world to enjoy the marathon because they enjoy the camaraderie amongst the organizers, the Hardcore Runners Club of Yakima, and the annual awards dinner hosted that evening at the Selah Civic Center, the event headquarters.  Formed in 1977, the Hardcore Runners Club boasts over 200 members and is the primary sponsor for several events throughout the year.  In addition, they actively support the Yakima Greenway Foundation and help them organize their annual Gap2Gap relay later in the spring.

For more information about these topics, click on the links below:

Yakima River Canyon Marathon
Hardcore Runners Club of Yakima
The Dolphin Team
Bureau of Land Management, Yakima River Canyon
Gap2Gap  relay event