Cheers: To Edgar Martinez. After being on the ballot for 10 years, one of the most popular players in Seattle Mariners history finally has been elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame. In voting announced Tuesday, Martinez was named on 85.4 percent of the ballots, surpassing the required 75 percent for election. When the induction ceremony is held in July, he will become the second player to be depicted with a Mariners hat on his plaque, joining Ken Griffey Jr.
Martinez, who played in the major leagues from 1987-2004, was one of the best hitters of his generation. But his role as primarily a designated hitter rather than a position player led to doubts about his worthiness for the Hall and to his decadelong wait. Mariner fans never doubted his value to the team and the role he played in saving Major League Baseball in Seattle. For them, Martinez’s election to the Hall of Fame is long overdue.
Jeers: To measles. As of Friday, 30 confirmed cases of measles had been reported in Clark County this year; several other cases also were suspected. In addition to endangering the health of residents, the outbreak is costly to county government. Clark County Public Health Officer Dr. Alan Melnick said: “This is going be likely hundreds of thousands of dollars if not more. This is going to be pretty expensive.”
Most of those infected reportedly had not been vaccinated against the disease, following a growing and disturbing trend fueled by misinformation. Not long ago, measles were considered eliminated in the United States, but an absurd anti-vaccine movement has led to a revival of the disease. Everybody who is able should receive a measles vaccination.
Cheers: To Gary Medvigy and Erik Paulsen. Medvigy was selected to the Clark County Council, and Paulsen is joining the Vancouver City Council. Medvigy replaces Eileen Quiring as representative from District 4, after Quiring was elected as council chair. Paulsen replaces Alishia Topper following her election as Clark County treasurer.
Both newcomers have strong credentials for the positions. While we expect to agree with them on some issues and disagree on others, we wish them well and trust that they will govern in a thoughtful manner.
Jeers: To flying rocks. A 20-pound chunk of rock from a blasting site flew several hundred feet and crashed through the apartment bedroom of 9-year-old Brody Schlosser in Washougal this week. Nobody was injured, but the Schlosser family has been shaken by the incident.
North Idaho Drilling Inc. has been blasting in the area to make way for utility lines. Company officials declined to speak with The Columbian, but it is clear that something went wrong. We hope that state investigators get involved and that the company is held accountable for an accident that could have been much worse.
Cheers: To pitching in. As the federal government shutdown dragged on, volunteers at Fort Vancouver National Historic Site helped to pick up the slack — and the trash. Sara Rediske helped organize a cleanup last week and wrote to The Columbian, “I wanted to make sure when folks get back to work they are not left with heaps of extra work.”
The shutdown lasted five weeks, leaving about 800,000 workers across the nation on furlough or working without pay. For places such as Fort Vancouver or Steigerwald Lake Wildlife Refuge, that meant the facilities were open but no employees were there to manage the areas. Cheers go to volunteers who helped clean up; jeers go to a dysfunctional government that had people out of work.
