Believe it or not, there is some cheery, fun, light-hearted news out there. While COVID-19 has dominated our thoughts and while we remain concerned for those impacted by the virus, we have managed to run across some uplifting stories.
So, rather than sharing our typical Saturday Cheers & Jeers, today we offer nothing but cheers. Because we all could use some good news:
Cheers: To snow. Clark County residents were surprised last week by snowfall that accumulated up to 2 inches at higher elevations. A heavy dusting covered streets, yards and roofs, providing a wondrous if unseasonable landscape. Children and young-at-heart adults could be found throwing snowballs at one another, and snowmen were even possible in some locales.
Temperatures quickly returned to levels more typical of mid-March and melted what had been a pleasant surprise. But for a brief time, Clark County served as a winter wonderland that brought out the kid in many of us.
Cheers: To running. Organizers of the Couve Clover Run have come up with a clever way to deal with the coronavirus outbreak. Rather than have hundreds of runners gather in downtown Vancouver on Sunday as scheduled, they are turning the event into a virtual run this year.
Walkers and runners who signed up to cover the 3-, 7- or 10-mile routes are encouraged to traverse the distance on their own or in small groups and share photos or videos online. Runners will be on the honor system to report their times, and participants still will receive shirts, swag and medals — in addition to getting a bit of exercise.
Cheers: To The Iron Man of Disneyland. This one isn’t local, but it is worth sharing. Jeff Reitz of Huntington Beach, Calif., visited Disneyland for 2,995 consecutive days before the pandemic caused the park to close indefinitely. That’s every day for more than eight years, with Reitz typically visiting after work at the Department of Veterans Affairs.
“On the negative side, I didn’t get to choose the end. But on the positive side, I didn’t have to choose the end,” he said. We could jeer the fact that the coronavirus has caused many people to alter vacation plans, but for now we shall cheer Reitz’s devotion to The Happiest Place on Earth.
Cheers: To a celestial show. The planets and our moon have been providing some entertainment this week. Mars, Jupiter, Saturn and a crescent moon have been clustered together, with Mercury peeking just above the horizon.
All of it happened amid the earliest March equinox in 124 years, with Thursday evening marking the official beginning of spring in the Northern Hemisphere. It also has been a good time to spot Sirius, the brightest star in our night sky. Barely 8.6 light years away, Sirius is especially brilliant this time of year. With all the depressing news lately, we’ll consider this a reminder that the sun will come up tomorrow.
