Community News - September 27, 2012

Blessing of the

Animals this Sunday

St. James Episcopal Church will hold a Blessing of the Animals service on Sunday at 10 a.m. in the church garden at 1134 Columbia St. to honor the life of St. Francis of Assisi, the patron saint of animals and the environment.

Community members are invited to bring well-behaved dogs on leashes and cats in carriers, and other pets. Photographs can be substituted for animals uncomfortable in church or who have died.

A morning prayer service will be conducted, focused on thanksgiving and blessing God’s gift of the animals in our lives. For additional information contact St. James at 795-8162.

Punkin Chunkin at market October 5

The Wahkiakum Chamber of Commerce will hold their annual Punkin Chunkin contest at the Two Islands Farm Market at 3 p.m. on October 5.

Freshly roasted corn on the cob and hamburgers made with locally grown beef will be available for purchase.

Participants can build and bring their own trebuchet and try to outshoot the Rogenator. Prizes will be awarded.

For more information, contact the Chamber at 795-9996.Two Islands Farm Market is located at 59 W. Birnie Slough Road on Puget Island.

PTO to hold book sale for school funds

The Wahkiakum Parent Teacher Organization will hold a used book sale tomorrow (Friday) and Saturday at the library on Main Street in Cathlamet.

The sale will run from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. both days. All books were donated to the PTO by the library and the proceeds will be used to make improvements at Wahkiakum schools.

"A huge thank you from the PTO to the library for donating these books for our children," said PTO member Jessica Vik.

The PTO plans to make improvements to the school library and help purchase new playground equipment for the elementary and middle school including a handicap swing.

Events mark Disability Awareness Month

To mark Disability Awareness Month, Cowlitz County will present two events.

On October 15 will be a showing of the film Where's Molly? at the Kelso Theater Pub at 6:30 p.m. The film focuses on Jeff Daly and the search for his younger sister Molly. Afterwards a discussion facilitated by Daly and his wife Cindy will be held. For more information, contact sallybartlett@lifeworksusa.org or call 360-425-5494.

On October 25 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., an event entitled Together We Can and organized by local employment vendors and community partners will offer information on transition, assistive technology, employment, living options, Social Security and more. All workshops will be held at the Cowlitz County Expo Center and are free and open to the public. Clock hours are available for this event and lunch will be provided. Space is limited; for more information and to RSVP, contact nhencey@slstart.com or call 360-577-5717.

Tribal council to meet

The Chinook Tribal Council will be meeting on October 13 at 11 a.m. at Ft. Clatsop in the Netul Room, in Astoria. Tribal members are encouraged to attend. Potluck luncheon (no kitchen facilities). For more information, call 360-875-6670.

Caregiver workshop set for October 2

The Southwest Washington Agency on Aging and Disabilities is sponsoring a Caregiver Workshop on October 2.

To be held from 10 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at the PeaceHealth Women's Pavilion, 1660 Delaware Street in Longview, the workshop will cover topics such as emergency preparedness, how to navigate Medicare, Personal Emergency Response systems and community resources.

Those caring for a loved one at home are encouraged to attend. The cost is $5 which includes lunch; scholarships are available. Respite care is also available. For more information or to register, call 360-577-4929 or toll free at 1-800-682-2406.

Elder Options offers new caregiving class

Washington State implemented a new law in 2012 that increases caregiver training from 28 to 75 hours. The former Fundamentals of Caregiving training has been replaced with the Home Care Aide (HCA) training with a new certification process.

This training is now mandatory for caregivers working with seniors and the developmentally disabled in adult family homes, retirement/assisted living facilities and home care.

The 75 hour class includes 50 hours of on-line training that can be completed at home, and 25 hours of classroom training. Orientation and Safety class covers handling emergencies and the skills lab covers proper body mechanics, back safety and skills demonstration. Dementia and Mental Health classes cover common mental health disorders.

Classes are available through The Care Careers Academy in Clark and Cowlitz Counties. Call 696-5920 in Vancouver, 636-1000 Longview or 1-800-608-2388 for more information. Classes start October 2 and October 18.