For your calendar: Lyle Lions will only meet once a month in July and August — July 18 and Aug. 15. More information will be available about the September meeting schedule later this summer.
The monthly pancake breakfasts will continue as usual, on the first Saturday of the Month — July 2 and Aug. 6. On the menu: Omelets, ham and eggs cooked to order, and endless pancakes. Cost is $7 for adults, $4 for ages 6-12 and free for children 5 and under.
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The Lyle Lions Community Center has new, more efficient wifi to help facilitate community meetings and activities, said Annie Maguire, Lions secretary.
“We no longer have our old land line — which wasn’t getting much use anyway,” she added.
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Planning is underway for this summer’s cooling shelters. Washington Gorge Action Programs is partnering with the Mid-Columbia Community Action Council and other agencies to offer cooling services for those looking to escape the summer heat in Klickitat, Skamania, Hood River, Wasco and Sherman counties.
More information will be released soon.
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Lyle Fire and Rescue District has created a cadet program for youths ages 16-18 interested in exploring a career in emergency services.
This is a “realistic intro to fire and medial careers, including wildland firefighting and rescue training,” according to a press release.
Students who participate can earn Career and Technical Education (CTE) credits along with real-world skills. Those interested should call 541-365-2500 or email community liaison@lylefire.com.
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The next Lyle Community Council meeting will be July 12 at 6:30 p.m. at the Lyle Activity Center (unless otherwise announced). Meetings may also be watched online.
The council meets on the second Tuesday of the month.
The council’s focus is to promote the interest and welfare of Lyle citizens by promoting community involvement, provide updates on issues affecting the community, organize a collective voice to decision makers and provide a forum for individuals to express concerns and opinions.
For more information, visit www.facebook.com/LyleCommunityCouncil; to receive updates or share viewpoints, email lylecouncil@gmail.com.
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The Washington State Department of Health (DOH), in partnership with the Washington State Blood Coalition, is encouraging eligible donors to give blood this summer. Blood centers in Washington state are preparing for the summer months ahead — which is a critical time for blood donations.
“Blood donations usually start to drop around this time of year due to summer schedule and vacations,” said Curt Bailey, president and chief executive officer, Bloodworks Northwest.
“But we need everyone’s help to keep our blood supply stable for those who need it.”
The call for donations this summer is especially urgent due to an ongoing nationwide blood shortage. Earlier this year the American Red Cross announced a blood crisis, citing its worst blood shortage in over a decade. Washington Gov. Jay Inslee and Umair A. Shah, MD, MPH, Secretary of Health, have urged people in Washington to donate blood if able to do so.
“Donating blood is a safe activity that can save lives,” said Andrew Rose, COVID-19 incident commander, Washington State Department of Health, whose team in the office of Emergency Preparedness, Resilience and Response meets regularly with local blood centers to monitor safety and supply. All types of blood are needed for cancer treatment, trauma cases, and many other situations. A donation appointment usually takes less than an hour and includes a donor screening process to evaluate each person’s temperature, current health and travel history. Actual donation time is about 10 minutes.
“Our primary focus is to ensure a safe and reliable blood supply in our community,” said Angel Montes, Regional Donor Services executive, American Red Cross, explaining the blood center coalition’s call to action.
Christine Swinehart, executive director, Cascade Regional Blood Services, added, “We know that people care and will step up when they learn how important the need is. We’re here to make the process as easy as possible.”
More information about donating blood, including how to schedule an appointment and updates related to COVID-19, is available from local blood centers:
Vitalant: www.vitalant.org/
Cascade Regional Blood Services: www.crbs.net/
Bloodworks Northwest: www.bloodworksnw.org/
American Red Cross: www.redcross.org/local/washington.html/
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