Cheers: To sprucing up. Downtown Vancouver has received a bit of a face-lift, with the unveiling of Vancouver Waterfront Park, Grant Street Pier, and a new welcome sign at one of the city’s primary gateways. While the waterfront development has received much attention, the new sign at the corner of Sixth and C streets is a less grandiose change but will be seen by thousands of people each day.
Located where offramps from northbound Interstate 5 and westbound Highway 14 enter downtown, the sign features a rock wall adorned with “VANCOUVER” in large letters. Work remains to be done at the site, but it already is an improvement over the previous nondescript entrance to the city. As the axiom goes, you never get a second chance to make a first impression.
Jeers: To a data breach. Burgerville officials say malware in the company’s computer network might have led to customers having credit card and debit card data stolen. The breach dates to September 2017 and could involve card numbers, expiration dates, and three-digit security numbers; customers are encouraged to review credit statements for unauthorized charges.
Company officials say their network was compromised by FIN7, an international cybercrime group. The FBI reports that the group has targeted more than 100 U.S. companies since 2015, affecting businesses in 47 states. Burgerville officials say the breach has been closed, but the incident is a reminder of the constant threat of cyberattacks.
Public service announcement: Monday is the deadline for online or mail-in voter registration in Washington in order to be eligible for the Nov. 6 general election. To register online, you can visit the secretary of state’s website and will need a state driver’s license or ID. If you want to register in person, you have until Oct. 29 and can find information at the Clark County auditor’s website.
Americans are fortunate to have the right to vote, but it is a right that far too many of us take for granted. While we often lament low voter turnout — such as Clark County’s 36 percent for the August primary — those numbers do not include people who have not bothered to register. If you want to have a say in decisions that affect your life, register to vote, study the candidates and issues, and fill out a ballot.
Jeers: To overharvesting sea cucumbers. You likely have not given much thought to the echinoderms, but apparently they are a big deal. So big that the owner of a Washington seafood company has been sentenced for overharvesting them — two years in prison, a $1.5 million fine, and three years of post-prison supervision.
Hoon Namkoong under-reported the amount of sea cucumbers he purchased from tribal and nontribal fisheries in Puget Sound by 250,000 pounds between 2014 and 2016. He then sold them to buyers in Asia and the United States. In undertaking his illegal activity, we’re guessing that Namkoong acted cool as … oh, never mind.
Cheers: To federal compliance. The U.S. government has deemed that Washington’s new plan for state driver’s licenses and ID cards adhere to federal guidelines. In order to be eligible to board commercial flights or enter federal buildings, residents will need one of the state’s enhanced identifications, beginning in October 2020.
That deadline is a mere 15 years after the REAL ID Act was passed in the wake of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. Since then, the federal government has provided Washington with a series of waivers that allowed the state to avoid being compliant. The Legislature finally addressed the issue this year, and federal approval means that a long-running saga will soon be behind us.
