Cheers: To civic involvement. Regardless of the eventual outcome, debate over a proposed oil terminal at the Port of Vancouver has generated copious public engagement. On Tuesday, a nine-hour hearing in front of port commissioners drew about 200 speakers who shared their opinions regarding the terminal; on Friday, a commission meeting also drew extensive public interest.
The Columbian long has editorially opposed the terminal, but at the moment it is worth celebrating the many comments and opinions the proposal has generated. While people might have differing views about the terminal’s benefits for Vancouver, we trust that residents are simply supporting what they believe is best for Clark County. The extensive involvement of the public has demonstrated how deeply a large number of people care for this community.
Jeers: To Washington’s ID system. Because the Legislature has not moved to fix the state’s driver’s license regulations, many residents might eventually find themselves unable to board airplanes or enter federal facilities. Congress adopted the REAL ID Act in 2005, and since then Washington has lollygagged on bringing the state into compliance. The gist: Because the state does not require proof of legal residence before issuing a driver’s license, those licenses do not meet federal standards.
The new deadline for compliance is Jan. 22, 2018, meaning the issue must be addressed in next year’s legislative session. After that, residents with standard driver’s licenses would need additional identification, such as a passport, to board a plane. Once lawmakers decide to update the system, residents likely will pay a heavy price with confusion at airports and long lines at the DMV seeking new licenses.
Cheers: To the Portland Trail Blazers. The only National Basketball Association team in the Northwest begins competition in the playoffs this weekend, and that in itself is the mark of a successful season.
Coming into the season, the Blazers were expected to finish with somewhere between 25 and 30 victories and were considered long shots to qualify for the postseason. Instead, they won 44 games against 38 losses, becoming one of the season’s biggest success stories and invigorating basketball fans throughout the region.
Jeers: To cheating in high school football. An independent investigation into the highly successful program at Bellevue High School found, among other items, that coaches directed athletes to attend nearby Academic Institute — basically a diploma mill that still allowed them to play for Bellevue. The investigation also found that boosters paid for players’ tuition at Academic Institute, and that false addresses were used so players could gain eligibility.
While it is disappointing that coaches would be involved in such subterfuge, it is appalling that “boosters” would enable blatant cheating. When average citizens care that much about high school football, they have completely misplaced their priorities.
Cheers: To art. Two stories this week celebrate the artistic skills of Vancouver residents. Gordon Sage, 94, a survivor of the Pearl Harbor attack that sparked the United States’ involvement in World War II, is going to have his painting of the attack displayed at the National WWII Museum in New Orleans. “I feel humble and grateful,” said Sage, who had a long career as an art teacher after his military career. Meanwhile, students in a Hispanic club at Fort Vancouver High School have produced a colorful 16-foot-by-6-foot mural to hang in the Vancouver Police Department’s West Precinct.
Recognition for both projects serves as a reminder of the life-affirming power of art.
