Cheers: To parking regulations. One small effort to address parking problems near downtown Vancouver appears to be helping. After city officials posted signs prohibiting cars on one side of Anderson Street, east of Interstate 5 along the Fort Vancouver National Historic Site, motorists have heeded the warning and left space for emergency vehicles to pass.
While that action has had the desired effect, it also draws attention to a growing issue in downtown. With a strong economy leading to an influx of businesses — and with the Waterfront Vancouver development taking shape, parking is a big issue in the city. A lack of parking can diminish economic gains by keeping customers out of the area and making life difficult for employees. City officials must continue to make parking availability a priority in order for the downtown area to reach its potential.
Jeers: To criminals. Lesson to would-be burglars: If you are going to break into a business in the middle of the night, it is best not to choose an escape-room facility. Escape-room businesses challenge players to solve a series of puzzles in an allotted amount of time to escape from a secure room, and early Sunday morning, a burglar called 911 to report his own break-in at NW Escape Experience in Hazel Dell.
According to court records, Rye Wardlaw said he broke a door handle by accident and called to report himself, then left when he got scared. Responding deputies found him near the building. As business owner Tamara Bertrand joked, “We now have a 0 percent escape rate with criminals.”
Cheers: To meteorite recovery. Scientists have completed what is believed to be the first ocean recovery of a meteorite off the coast of Grays Harbor County. On March 7, large pieces of meteorite crossed into the atmosphere, lighting up the sky over northwest Washington and creating a sonic boom.
Marc Fries, who might have the world’s coolest job title as NASA’s curator of cosmic dust, said, “This one was enormous. It looks like about two (metric) tons of meteorites fell.” The largest chunk was about 10 pounds. Using remote-controlled vehicles to traverse the ocean floor, scientists recovered seven sediment samples, and Fries said he has identified four pieces that he believes are from the meteorite.
Jeers: To dwindling orcas. An annual census of orcas in the Pacific Northwest indicates that their numbers are shrinking. The census counted 75 orcas in Puget Sound’s three pods, representing a 30-year low for the population. Officials also reported that no calves have been born in the past three years.
Scientists say the dwindling population can be linked to pollution, which accumulates in the orcas’ prey, and then gets stored in an orca’s fat and suppresses its immune system. In addition, that favored prey, Chinook salmon, are not as abundant as they once were. Gov. Jay Inslee has formed a task force to address the issue, saying, “The orca will not survive unless all of us in the state of Washington somehow make a commitment to their survival.”
Cheers: To job opportunities. Under pressure from Washington’s attorney general, seven national fast-food chains have agreed to end policies that block workers from changing branches. The policies limited wage growth and opportunities for workers.
Attorney General Bob Ferguson said: “Our state antitrust laws are very clear. Businesses must compete for workers the same way as they compete for customers. You can’t rig the system to avoid competition.” The decision is a victory for fast-food workers, who had their leverage for seeking higher wages diminished by the policies.
