Cheers: Kudos are in order for everybody involved with Stuff the Bus programs for both the Vancouver and Evergreen school districts — from organizers to volunteers to those who donated school supplies. The foundations for each district recently concluded a coordinated effort to collect backpacks and markers and everything students need for the coming school year. With the National Retail Federation calculating that the average family spends $97 on school supplies, donations can make a big difference for families in need.
The larger problem is the fact that so many families are in need, with 47 percent of Evergreen students and 51 percent of Vancouver students qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch — a level of poverty that should be unacceptable and will require vast solutions. But for now, the Stuff the Bus programs provide a modicum of relief. Although the programs have formally concluded, donations are still being accepted at schools throughout the area.
Sad: The recent death of Vancouver’s Bob Farrell at the age of 87 brought a flood of nostalgia for baby boomers who grew up in the metro area. Farrell was the founder of Farrell’s Ice Cream Parlours, which became a cherished part of childhood in these parts. Known for their innovative ice-cream presentations and high-energy employees, the restaurants were a frequent locale for birthday parties and other celebrations.
Farrell became an involved member of the Vancouver community later in life, and also founded the Newport Bay and Stanford’s restaurant chains. As Michael Fleming, Farrell’s current CEO, put it, “Bob, I believe, is the Walt Disney of restaurants.”
Cheers: One of the region’s premier events is taking place this weekend with the Vancouver Wine & Jazz Festival at Esther Short Park. Headlined by vocal jazz quartet The Manhattan Transfer and by trumpeter Arturo Sandoval, the festival once again will deliver first-class music and a festive sophistication to the heart of the city.
This is the 18th annual Vancouver Wine & Jazz Festival, and the event has evolved into the best of its kind in the region. Organizer Michael Kissinger noted that Latin jazz and military bands will be featured this year as the festival once again brings nationally noted acts to Clark County.
Jeers: A questionable tiebreaking system and an unfortunate decision by a youth softball coach from Washington made national headlines this week. The coach of a group of 11- and 12-year-old athletes from South Snohomish rested several of his best players for a game at the Little League World Series in Portland — essentially throwing the contest.
Part of the issue is a score-differential tiebreaking system that made it more beneficial for the team to lose 8-0 — the final score of the game — rather than, say, 3-2. That system needs to be adjusted. But the coach also violated one of the ethos of sports, particularly at the youth level — always do your best and then accept the results as they come.
Cheers: The fruits of the labor from Woodland residents are about to ripen, with the school district preparing to unveil its new high school. A grand-opening ceremony will take place Aug. 31, with festivities and a tour of the 154,000-square-foot campus being offered.
In 2012, Woodland voters approved a $52.8 million bond issue to build a school and replace the district’s 60-year-old facility. Considering that the previous school was built for 350 students and that enrollment now stands at 650 — and continues to grow — the need for a new building was evident. Woodland has made an investment in students that will pay dividends for decades to come.
