In Our View: Cheers & Jeers

Cheers: To plans for Block 10. The empty block kitty-corner from Esther Short Park has long been unfinished business in downtown Vancouver’s thriving redevelopment. Partly landscaped, it looks pretty good for an empty lot, but there are better days ahead. This week, Gramor Development President Barry Cain updated the city council with his firm’s plans for an 11-story tower on the site that would include a ground-floor grocery tenant, topped with several levels of parking and between 200 and 275 apartments. The timeline calls for a grocery tenant to be signed by next spring, and construction to take place the following year, with the grand opening set for three years from now. Gramor’s impressive The Waterfront Vancouver project and the block’s central location leave us optimistic that after several false starts over the years, something great is in store.

Jeers: To an increase in car thefts. First the good news: The FBI’s latest annual compilation of crime statistics show that crime rates, including violent crimes, dropped in 2016-17 in most Clark County jurisdictions. And in most of the county, vehicle theft rates have been flat or declining for a decade. The exception was in Vancouver and Camas, where auto theft actually increased.

Police officials correctly note the numbers are just a snapshot, and not an indication of a severe or continuing problem. But if you or someone you know has a frequently stolen vehicle — mid-1990s import sedans come to mind — it might be worth it to buy one of those anti-theft devices that locks onto the steering wheel. And, of course, never leave valuables in plain sight in an unattended car, even just for a little while.

Cheers: To Dusty Anchors. Just in December, Ridgefield High School’s longtime girls softball coach got the worst possible news: a heart condition, brought on partly by his service in the Vietnam War, was likely to end his life within a few months. Undeterred, he led the Spudders throughout the season and into the playoffs. Now he has received an update: a new treatment seems to be working, and his prognosis has improved. We wish Coach many more years, and many more victories.

Jeers: To Spicoli wanna-bes. If you haven’t seen the best high school movie ever made, “Fast Times at Ridgemont High,” you might not get the reference to a stoned surfer dude ordering a pizza to be delivered to his U.S. History class. It’s a classic scene. Now, 36 years after the movie came out, Jeff Spicoli’s grandkids would probably be in high school, but ordering food to be delivered is apparently a thing at Vancouver’s Skyview High School. Kids, the principal says no, so just buy the cafeteria lunch.

Cheers: To the Lord’s House. In May 2016, a still-unidentified arsonist set fire to the Vancouver United Church of Christ, also known as First Congregational United Church of Christ, a longtime landmark towering above Hazel Dell’s Highway 99 strip. Damage was severe, and the intricate architectural design made its repair difficult. On Sunday, the congregation celebrated the completion of the project with a worship service and rededication.

“The fire was a terrible experience, but through the faith of this church and the loving hand of God, we could not be brought down,” said Bert Martin, who led the rebuilding committee.

Jeers: To phony wine. Apparently Oregon’s vintners have detected some Californians labeling their rotgut red as Oregon’s renowned pinot noir. They claim the mislabeling of the wine as from “Oregon Territory” is “fanciful,” but they should buy a map and label the source of their grapes correctly. Better yet, buy the good stuff from Washington.