Cheers: To law enforcement. These are difficult times for police officers throughout the country as they perform dangerous and often thankless jobs. So Washougal Mayor Sean Guard and Camas Mayor Scott Higgins put together a community celebration for officers and citizens. Some 70-plus residents attended, mingling with officers and enjoying some pizza that was donated by Papa Murphy’s and then cooked and delivered by the local fire department. “They have big ovens,” Guard noted.
Citizens and police officers often engage only during the most stressful of times, which has contributed to distrust of law enforcement in many areas. In addition to providing an enjoyable time for all involved, the Camas-Washougal event allowed officers to engage with the public and establish positive relations that can pay dividends for the communities.
Jeers: To oil in ground water. One month after the derailment of an oil train near Mosier, Ore., monitoring devices have detected oil contamination in the ground water. Officials installed monitoring wells following the derailment and resulting fire, and the contamination was revealed this week. Drinking water in the town is not affected.
Oregon officials plan to install a treatment system that injects air into the underground water to help break up the contamination. But that points out the real issue surrounding the trains: Railroad companies and oil companies should be held accountable for any unexpected environmental costs instead of foisting those costs upon taxpayers.
Cheers: To reading programs. One innovative and fun way to get children to read was highlighted recently by Columbian reporter Adam Littman. Three libraries in Clark County are participating in Read to the Dogs, which has young students read storybooks to trained dogs.
“A dog is not going to judge you,” said Cindy Bean, who helped spearhead the program at the Ridgefield Community Library. “A dog will listen. It helps kids to open up more.” For many young students who might be shy about reading aloud, sharing a story with a canine can be less stressful than doing so in front of a teacher or parent. Any program that makes reading an enjoyable experience is a beneficial teaching tool.
Jeers: To Washington’s mental-health system. A federal judge has fined the state $185,500 for failing to provide timely competency hearings to hundreds of mentally ill defendants. In 2015, the court ordered the state to conduct evaluations within seven days of a judge’s ruling; the fine is for a lack of adherence to that ruling.
Washington’s mental-health system has been beset by a series of failures in recent years, both in providing hearings and in regards to the safety of patients and staff at Western State Hospital near Tacoma. The system is broken, and state officials have demonstrated little ability to fix it.
Cheers: To immunizations. With the school year rapidly approaching, state officials are reminding parents to make sure their students have up-to-date immunizations. This is a particularly important reminder for young students who are entering school for the first time; last school year, 85 percent of kindergartners in Washington had all their required vaccinations.
Immunizations have become a subject of controversy in recent years with the growth of an anti-vaccine movement. But all legitimate scientific studies — and there have been many — support the effectiveness and safety of vaccinations. Cheers go to parents who reject fraudulent scare tactics (look up Andrew Wakefield) of the anti-vax movement and take simple measures to protect their children and others.
