Kittitas Valley League of Women Voters celebrated its 50th Anniversary April 27 at Hal Holmes Center, with about 60 in attendance.

A panel of accomplished women discussed subjects ranging from their first election to the strides women have made over the years. Speakers included Ann Murphy, president of the League of Women Voters of Washington; Laura Osiadacz, county commissioner; Nancy Lillquist, Ellensburg city council; Candace Hooper, Kittitas County superior court judge; and Katherine Murphy, secretary of the LWVWA board. KVLWV President Kathy Matlin welcomed the guests, and Gayl Curtiss moderated the discussion.

The Kids We Lose is a 90-minute documentary about the human side of being and having a child or student with behavioral challenges, and the struggles faced by parents, educators, staff in facilities, and law enforcement professionals in trying to ensure that these kids receive the help they need.

Panel discusses opioid addiction in Kittitas County

UPDATED 3/22/19: The addicted are our neighbors, our friends, and our family members.

“Statistically, emergency room care is ten times as expensive as going to see your primary care physician and about 10% as effective overall in terms of outcomes. So you’re talking about the most expensive, least effective kind of healthcare when you access 911 and go to the emergency room [for addiction issues]…If we stop pretending like this is somebody else’s problem…[If we] recognize the true cost of opioid addiction, work backwards and apply what we’re already spending on [some] real solutions; we’re going to be a lot further ahead, both in terms of the outcomes and actual dollars spent.”

Rich Elliott, Kittitas Valley Fire and Rescue