Cheers: To checking in. Local law enforcement agencies are instituting a program designed to mitigate the sense of isolation that has accompanied the coronavirus epidemic. The Senior Wellness Check will have volunteers regularly check in on local citizens by phone to ensure that they are well and are effectively coping with the stress brought about by stay-at-home orders. “Being alone and isolated is one of the greatest fears of older adults,” reads a release from the Clark County Sheriff’s Office. The program will help “older adults who live alone to have comfort and security in the knowledge that somebody is checking in on them on a regular basis.”
Volunteers will be paired with seniors who sign up for the program, with calls coming at a time and frequency mutually agreed upon. With the sheriff’s office and several city police departments taking part, it will help remind those who live alone that we are all in this together.
Tears: Over canceled fireworks. This isn’t worthy of a jeer; it’s a predictable and necessary precaution that is an unfortunate sign of the times. But we can’t help but feel sadness over the cancellation of Vancouver’s Fourth of July fireworks display.
David Pearson, CEO/president of The Historic Trust, which helps coordinate the display, said: “It is with deep regret we have had to make this decision. This is one of our favorite community events.” It’s one of ours, as well, and for years has been one of Vancouver’s trademarks. The event has been canceled once before in its 57-year history — in 2009 during the Great Recession. We hope that the pyrotechnics will return for 2021.
Cheers, we hope: To the Vancouver Farmers Market. City Manager Eric Holmes has issued an emergency declaration that will reopen the popular street market, but concerns remain about its ability to operate safely. City officials stress that social-distancing rules will be enforced, and say the scaled-down market will have plenty of safeguards in place.
The reopening can provide some relief for farmers who depend on the market to sell their products. It also can provide customers with fresh, locally sourced produce. But it will require officials to keep a close watch and ensure that guidelines are followed to prevent the spread of COVID-19. If people are unable to follow the rules or if too few patrons are willing to visit, officials should be quick to once again shutter the market.
Jeers: To Zoombombing. Zoom, which allows people to hold virtual meetings online, has become the go-to software during this time of social distancing. Unfortunately, that has led to troublemakers hijacking meetings and posting violent or pornographic content.
With educators ranging from elementary schools to colleges using Zoom to conduct class, they also have to worry about online security. “With all these people moving online — all sort of Zoom newbies — it’s become this huge target,” said Mike Caulfield of Washington State University Vancouver. We hope security measures are improved — and that the jerks get bored with their shenanigans and move on.
Cheers: To the Tiffany Hill Act. Gov. Jay Inslee has signed into law a bill named for a Vancouver woman, who was murdered in a school parking lot last year by her estranged husband. The law, which unanimously passed the Legislature, will give victims of domestic violence access to technology to monitor the location of their abuser.
Nothing can bring Hill back to her family and loved ones. But the law in her name can help prevent similar tragedies.
