Too many fires have threatened the Gorge residents these past few weeks. First the Lyle fire on the Fourth of July, and then a couple days later, the “Lyle Hill Fire” above the High School Grounds broke out.
By Mildred E. Lykens
While it was being fought, another, more recent one raged across the brushy fields on the east side of Highway 197 leading to the Industrial Park in Dallesport near The Dalles Bridge on the afternoon of July 15, which was quickly contained. I hope and pray that everyone that decides to enjoy the summer will be the most careful with their backyard barbecues and camp cooking will be extra careful with their fires.
For those who are not sure of what the “OK” program is all about, I’ll take some space here to explain it a bit. It is a program aimed to get and keep our youth off and away from substance abuse. It is gleaned here, in part, from one of their email awareness efforts and can say it best:
“Our Klickitat Prevention Coalition is a Drug Free Communities program operated under Washington Gorge Action Programs (WAGAP), a multipurpose human service organization helping individuals, families, and communities with basic human needs.
“The coalition started by focusing mostly on youth substance abuse prevention, and now have expanded our efforts to encompass a more comprehensive prevention focus, as substance misuse is interconnected with many different social determinants of health. There are identified inequities in the Social Determinants of Health areas of economic stability, education access and quality, social and community context, health care access and quality, and neighborhood and built environment that will take community involvement and investment, legislation, cultural shifts, and funding to address.
“Our coalition is aiming to unite the local coalitions to support prevention initiatives aimed at shifting community norms, while enhancing protective factors and reducing risk factors. Our Klickitat Prevention Coalition is focused on working towards a healthy, vibrant and connected Klickitat County through partnerships of youth and adult community members working to reduce negative health outcomes in Klickitat County. We continue to gather more people around the table, expanding our insights, ideas, and partnerships, while mobilizing action steps toward helping our community members live healthy and successful lives.”
So if you are looking for a worth while place to volunteer your time, this is a good one to invest in.
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