Cheers: To the Clark County Council. Councilors voted this week to end the county’s moratorium on marijuana businesses. Temple Lentz, Julie Olson and John Blom voted in favor of lifting a ban that has been in place since statewide voters in 2012 chose to legalize recreational use of cannabis. The ban in unincorporated sections of the county has been reasonable; voters in those areas opposed legalization, and state law allows for jurisdictions to prevent marijuana sales.
But lifting the ban makes sense. Residents in unincorporated areas can choose from numerous shops that have been approved in local cities; the county’s moratorium did not prevent people from legally using the drug. Meanwhile, the county has missed out on tax revenue generated from an industry that is legal in Washington. Indeed, there are public health concerns that accompany marijuana use. But those concerns are unchanged whether or not marijuana businesses exist throughout the county; people have been using marijuana since even before recreational use was legalized.
Jeers: To environmental degradation. In yet another example of the need for humans to demonstrate more concern for the planet, a cleanup crew has pulled 40 tons of abandoned fishing nets from the Great Pacific Garbage Patch. A group of volunteers sailed from Hawaii to clean up some of the patch, which is estimated to be larger than the state of Texas. Fishing nets that can entangle whales, turtles and fish were specially targeted.
As one organizer said: “Our success should herald the way for us to do larger cleanups and to inspire cleanups all throughout the Pacific Ocean and throughout the world. It’s not something that we need to wait to do.”
Cheers: To Independence Day. Sure, there were some glitches with local celebrations, but the important thing is that residents took part in acknowledging the nation’s birthday. The big celebration at Fort Vancouver National Historic Site saw noticeably smaller crowds than in previous years, and a separate fete at the Clark County Fairgrounds saw the fireworks show cut short when a fire broke out in a nearby field.
So, things were not perfect. But we still feel celebratory about the opportunity for community gatherings that honor the United States and its founding. Regardless of the festivities, nothing can change the fact that the Fourth of July is a uniquely American holiday.
Sad: The death of Judge Fred Stoker. The former judge, who served for 24 years in Clark County District Court, died last month at the age of 85. Stoker worked as chief deputy prosecutor for the Clark County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office before being appointed to the bench in 1974.
Roger Bennett, Battle Ground Municipal Court judge who previously argued cases in front of Stoker, told The Columbian: “I thought he was extremely fair. He literally was more concerned with treating people with respect and getting a result that was fair and appropriate in a case. He didn’t let the legal technicalities get in the way. I think everyone who went in front of him got a real and honest, legitimate result in their case.”
Cheers: To Abbie Kondel. The 21-year-old Brush Prairie resident has been crowned Miss Washington, after being runner-up the previous year. Kondel, who plans to delay her senior year at Brigham Young University to represent the state, will focus on an anti-addiction platform titled “Be Smart, Don’t Start.”
In addition to representing Washington at events throughout the state and beyond, Kondel will take her tap dancing talent to the Miss America pageant in Atlantic City, N.J., in September.
