Cheers: To Fort Vancouver. For tourists looking to take in a piece of Vancouver’s history, the Fort Vancouver National Historic Site is frequently the first stop. Through Fort Vancouver, Vancouver Barracks, Pearson Air Museum and the McLoughlin House, the area east of downtown tells the story of the early days of white settlement and provides clues to how Vancouver became the city it is today.
Now, the historic site has received a $1.8 million grant to rehabilitate a stretch of East Fifth Street, which runs north of the fort. The project, which is expected to be completed in 2022, “addresses the site’s highest priority for improving visitor access and circulation within the campus,” Superintendent Tracy Fortmann said. The site has undergone steady improvement over the years, making it more attractive to visitors and enhancing its ability to tell the story of Vancouver. The latest grant will add to that.
Jeers: To the Seattle City Council. About one month after unanimously approving an annual “head tax” of $275 per employee upon businesses in the city, Seattle councilors have overturned the divisive plan. Large corporations, led by Amazon, decried the tax and a movement arose for residents to repeal it at the ballot box.
While there were good arguments to be made on both sides of the issue, it is clear that council members engaged in poor management and misread public sentiment. Then, while voting to repeal the tax this week, they blamed businesses, taxpayers, and a “tsunami of propaganda” for public opposition. As columnist Danny Westneat of The Seattle Times wrote, “Possible simple explanation: Maybe it’s just not a good idea?” The debacle should serve as a lesson to all governments about the importance of being in touch with the people they serve.
Cheers: To sidewalk maintenance. With dedicated funding approved in recent years, a city of Vancouver program for maintaining sidewalks is receiving more and more reports of needed repairs. Six months ago, the city hired a new sidewalk inspector, and the public has responded with plenty of suggestions.
Homeowners are responsible for maintaining sidewalks on their property, but there are many public areas that require city attention. Keeping those sidewalks in good condition enhances safety and accessibility, making Vancouver more livable for residents. “We haven’t really been formally broadcasting this sidewalk program,” the city’s Ryan Miles said. “The word has been getting out there.”
Jeers: To the plague. A boy in Idaho is recovering after contracting bubonic plague, the first case in the state in more than two decades. Fewer than 10 cases of plague are reported in the United States in a typical year, and the last case in Washington was found in King County in 1984.
The disease is typically transmitted by fleas from dead animals, and it is most notorious as the primary cause of the Black Death that killed an estimated one-third of the world’s population during the 14th century. The latest case appears to be an isolated one; we hope it remains that way.
Cheers: To The Black Pearl. The tale of an upcoming events center on the Washougal waterfront is more than a story of a new business. It is about the dedication of a family.
Bill Sheretz had envisioned a premiere restaurant near the Port of Camas-Washougal but died before that vision could be realized. Now, his wife and children are completing construction of an events center at the site and are taking reservations for reunions, wedding receptions and even a prom. “We’re going to run it as a family business and enjoy what my husband began,” Kim Sheretz said. The facility is expected to open in August.
