Cheers: To Vancouver City Council. After opposition from many citizens, city officials are rethinking plans for bike lanes along three north-south streets north of downtown. City planners had devised a proposal for creating protected bike lanes and removing some on-street parking, with work along Columbia Street expected to start this summer. But at a meeting Monday, council members tabled the plans for now.
This is how government is supposed to work. The desire for bike-friendly corridors is driven by good intentions and concerns about safety from bicyclists. But when local residents expressed legitimate concerns about the loss of parking, council members opted to further examine the issue. The bottom line is that a compromise acknowledging the needs of all citizens is possible; it just will take a little more time than initially expected.
Jeers: To some Washougal residents. More than 50 people attended a Washougal City Council meeting this week to recommend turning the city into a “Second Amendment sanctuary city.” Advocates want local law enforcement officials to ignore any laws “repugnant” to the right to keep and bear arms.
We applaud citizens for approaching the council and expressing their opinions, but the idea of a Second Amendment sanctuary city itself is repugnant. Advocates decried Initiative 1639, a gun-control measure passed in a statewide vote last year, and one told the Camas-Washougal Post-Record, “Our rights are not up for negotiation.” No, they are not. That is why we have courts to decide the constitutionality of laws and why it is the duty of police officers to enforce those laws.
Cheers: To the Camas Downtown Association. The city may have lost out to Searcy, Ark., in a contest to be featured in an online reality show, but the experience was beneficial. Camas was one of six finalists for a $500,000 grant to remake downtown businesses and be featured on “Small Business Revolution — Main Street.”
The downtown association spearheaded Camas’ efforts to draw attention to the city, generate online votes and convince the show’s producers that they should be selected. Although they didn’t win, the efforts led to community involvement and drew attention to the potential of downtown Camas.
Bummer: The closing of Luepke Flowers and Finds. After standing at the corner of 13th and Washington streets for 110 years, the flower shop closed this week. Since being founded by Frank and Edla Luepke in 1909, the store has been a Vancouver institution even while undergoing a handful of ownership changes in recent years.
Owners say they hope to attract a restaurant to the distinctive art deco building, which was built in the 1930s after the original building burned down in 1937. The exterior of the building will remain largely unchanged, having been added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2016. Regardless of what inhabits the space, the loss of Luepke Flowers represents a changing Vancouver.
Cheers: To reading. Once again, many local schools celebrated the birthday of Dr. Seuss with a helping of green eggs and ham for students, supported by Beaches Restaurant and Bar owner Mark Matthias and a team of volunteers. Meanwhile, Gause Elementary in Washougal held its annual “Moms and Muffins” event in which students read to parents while enjoying some breakfast.
Any program that celebrates the joys of reading is worthy of cheers. Getting students interested in reading is the foundation of a strong education and a lifetime of learning.
