In Our View: Cheers & Jeers: Bee happy; release concerns

Cheers: To a bee campus. A series of wildflower gardens at Clark College cover 3 acres and provide important habitat for bees. As indicated by several letters to the editor at The Columbian, residents have noticed and are appreciative of the vibrant colors emanating from the gardens. We’re guessing the bees are appreciative, as well.

“There are more species of bees in Washington than there are birds,” biology professor Steven Clark told The Columbian. Each month, Clark conducts a survey of the bees in the gardens: “Our native bees are so small, they’re the size of a fly. You can miss them. And when it’s windy, the native bees will hunker down. The bumblebees don’t care.” As global bee populations decline, Clark College is working to help the pollinators and has earned official designation as a “bee campus.”

Jeers: To late-night releases. As detailed in an article by Columbian reporter Alexis Weisend, Clark County Jail officials sometimes release people in the dead of night — even if they have nowhere to go. “Those that are experiencing mental crisis and things like that, we would love to keep them until the daytime,” Jail Services Director David Shook said. But state law limits the authority to hold people who are due to be released, regardless of the time of day and when paperwork is completed.

From Jan. 1 to April 30 this year, 55 people were released from the jail between 1 and 5 a.m.; eight of those self-identified as homeless. “They’re just released in the middle of the night with no way of getting anywhere, no way of contacting anyone,” one defense attorney said. That is not a tenable situation for the people or the jail’s neighbors. Legislators should find a workable solution.

Cheers: To a new judge. Clark County Superior Court is adding a 12th judge. Six candidates have applied for the position, and Gov. Jay Inslee will make an appointment, likely by the fall. The Clark County Council added the position in this year’s budget and last week approved funding for support staff.

With our growing population and with the increasing complexity of cases, the need for an additional adjudicator has been evident for some time. Spokane County, the closest to Clark County in terms of population, has 13 Superior Court judges. Expanding our county’s court will better serve the public.

Jeers: To scammers. The Clark County Sheriff’s Office and the FBI both have issued warnings about scams targeting Northwest residents. In some cases, callers claim to be from the sheriff’s office and ask for money in lieu of arrest, demanding delivery in cryptocurrency or gift cards. “Those should be the final red flags,” a sheriff’s sergeant said.

In other instances, the FBI warns, scammers target people who already have been victims and claim to represent recovery law firms. The lesson, as always: Be wary of unsolicited contacts, and never reveal personal financial information.

Cheers: To a kinkajou rescue. Described as looking like “a cross between a monkey and a tiny bear,” a kinkajou has been rescued from a highway rest stop near Yakima. Kinkajous are mammals native to the rainforest, and officials have no idea how one ended up climbing a signpost in Central Washington.

The creature was taken to Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium in Tacoma, where it is being quarantined and undergoing a health check. After that, its future is not clear, but requests for adoption are not being considered. “Despite their cuteness, kinkajous do not make good pets,” zoo officials said.