Cheers: To firefighters. The dedication of those who battle wildfires is awe-inspiring. Traversing steep, rocky, heavily forested terrain to battle blazes that are unpredictable and precarious requires remarkable courage. And while kudos always are warranted for those who undertake such a dangerous task, fires near the metro area have brought added attention to their efforts.
Officials reported this week that the Archer Mountain Fire east of Washougal is fully contained. That doesn’t mean the blaze, which has scorched about 260 acres, is out; it just means it is unlikely to expand. Meanwhile, crews continue to battle the Eagle Creek Fire on the Oregon side of the Columbia River Gorge. That blaze has burned more than 40,000 acres and, as of Friday, was nearly 30 percent contained. In working to protect humans, structures and much-loved wilderness, firefighters have earned our appreciation and respect.
Jeers: To Jerry Oliver. The Port of Vancouver commissioner floated an idea to extend a lease for an oil terminal until 2021. As it stands now, port commissioners can reconsider the lease every three months. “I’m sick and tired of every 90 days having to sit there and listen to the same lament from the proponents and opponents,” Oliver said. His idea was voted down, 2-1.
The terminal proposal is undergoing review by the state Energy Facility Site Evaluation Council. And while the council has been slow in completing its review, we have little empathy for the frustrated Oliver. Listening to the public is part of the job of being a port commissioner — perhaps the most important part. If Oliver is sick and tired of that, perhaps he should consider resigning from the commission.
Cheers: To the local economy. The latest data suggest that the median household income in Clark County rose to $69,062 last year — an increase of about $4,000 over 2015. “That’s a huge jump,” regional economist Scott Bailey said.
Bailey credits the increase to a tightening job market. As workers become more scarce, employers are willing to increase wages in order to attract them. Employment has been steadily increasing during the recovery from the Great Recession, but wages have been slow to follow. That trend finally seems to be reversing, a strong signal that the recovery is rippling through all sectors of the county.
Jeers: To malodorous wood. Weyerhaeuser, a Seattle-based wood products company, has a stinky problem that could cost it up to $250 million. Company officials say more than 2,000 homes have been constructed using a new formaldehyde-based resin coating on portions of the framing. It turns out the coating emits an odor that has homeowners complaining and preparing lawsuits.
Weyerhaeuser acknowledged the problem in July, estimating it would cost $50 million to $60 million to fix. But a new filing has that estimate jumping to at least $225 million. The lesson for all homebuilders: Homeowners don’t appreciate stinky wood in their residences.
Cheers: To Mount St. Helens. As it has since its massive 1980 eruption, the volcano not far from Clark County’s doorstep continues to provide a valuable laboratory for all manner of research.
Recently, scientists installed 140 seismometers around the Loowit Trail at the mountain, hoping to glean information about what is taking place under the ground. For nearly four decades, Mount St. Helens and the area around it has been a very large petri dish for studying how volcanoes work and how ecosystems recover from catastrophe. With a new generation of seismometers, researchers hope to learn even more about the plumbing network below the surface.
