Limited Access signs posted at town entrance

Bill Reynolds | Apr 15, 20200

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WE LOVE YOU! STAY HOME – From the tulip fields, where they are not supposed to be (see page 7), out-of-towners flock into La Conner. Yes! say the coffee shop owners. No say the vulnerable population of old-timers. Mayor Ramon Hayes wants to slow but not stop these golden geese. – Photo by Ken Stern

As a prank, someone once spray-painted the word “Don’t” atop a Visit La Conner promotional sign outside town.

Fast forward a generation to last Saturday when motorists entering La Conner at the roundabout were greeted by signs reading “Locals Only” and “Limited Access.”

But this time it was no prank.

Mayor Ramon Hayes authorized placement of the signs in response to concerns of residents about the potential spread of COVID-19 here by tourists and following a Friday news conference during which Gov. Jay Inslee urged local officials in Washington state to underscore his “Stay Home, Stay Healthy” policy.

The temporary signage, put in place on a beautiful sunlit spring day, created an immediate buzz on social media and around town.

There was, however, enough pushback on its tone that the “Locals Only” sign was quickly removed.

“I think it was very uninviting and rude,” Kim Broadhead of Stompin’ Grounds Coffee Co. said of the Town’s messaging.

She and others took their complaints directly to Hayes.

“I chatted with him. We had a difference of opinion,” Broadhead said diplomatically. “He said people haven’t been practicing social distancing. He did agree to meet us halfway and take down the “Locals Only” sign.”

The “Limited Access” signage remained in place through Sunday.

Posters on social media were split between support and disapproval of the signs. All doubted the signs would either be obeyed or enforced.

Some sought a middle ground, suggesting that a “Stay Home, Save Lives” sign – similar to the one at the south Anacortes roundabout – might have struck a more favorable chord.

Hayes, himself a business owner and, as a musician, someone who well appreciates perfect pitch and maintaining harmony, seemed to agree. He indicated changes are in the works.

“The Chamber of Commerce most likely will be putting up a banner (at the entrance to town) saying that essential businesses will be open,” Hayes told the Weekly News.

“It’s a difficult balance, for sure,” Hayes said. “On one hand you have businesses who are trying to survive and don’t need the mayor making it harder. On the other hand you have a choir of locals concerned with people shoulder to shoulder some days downtown with little to no social distancing. All of this preceding what would normally be one of the busiest weekends of the year and all of that in the shadow of the governor’s directives.

“We started out with a ‘Locals Only’ sign along with ‘Limited Access’ signs,” he said. “After a plethora of complaints and a concern from the businesses that they did not know this was coming – I viewed that as a legitimate criticism – we modified the sign to say, ‘Limited Access’ and removed the ‘Locals Only.”’

Broadhead confirmed that having not been given any forewarning was an issue for business owners allowed to remain open under state pandemic guidelines.

“The right thing to have done was to have given us a heads-up,” Broadhead said. “They should have let us know those protocols were in place.”

Nor was the timing ideal, said Broadhead, pointing out the town is “on pins and needles” due to consequences of the COVID-19 threat.

Increased vandalism of local businesses has led the Town to hire a private security firm to conduct night patrols while the “Stay Home, Stay Healthy” mandate is in effect.

Hayes is uniquely positioned to see all sides of the issue.

As the owner of what is deemed a non-essential business, his projected spring revenue stream has dried up. As a town resident and parent, he was among the first to be alarmed at the potential spread of COVID-19, questioning whether the State 2B Basketball Tournament in Spokane the first week of March – at which the La Conner High girls’ team was a participant – should have been held as scheduled.

He pondered the COVID-19 situation recently while at his Trumpeter Gallery store on First Street.

“From my shop, where I work all day with my door locked, I watched a steady stream of cars all day, but we certainly weren’t overrun,” he said. “I’ll be the first to acknowledge there are no perfect solutions in this environment.”

Broadhead, meanwhile, vows to maintain a glass half-filled approach despite her business being off 60 per cent from this time last year.

“It’s hard,” she said, “but I’m staying positive. I’m thankful for what I have.”

Washington, Oregon and California pledge COVID-19 control cooperation

OLYMPIA —Washington Gov. Jay Inslee, California Gov. Gavin Newsom and

Joint statement from the governors:

COVID-19 has preyed upon our interconnectedness. In the coming weeks, the West Coast will flip the script on COVID-19 – with our states acting in close coordination and collaboration to ensure the virus can never spread wildly in our communities.

We are announcing that California, Oregon and Washington have agreed to work together on a shared approach for reopening our economies – one that identifies clear indicators for communities to restart public life and business.

While each state is building a state-specific plan, our states have agreed to the following principles as we build out a west coast framework:

Our residents’ health comes first.
As home to one in six Americans and gateway to the rest of the world, the west coast has an outsized stake in controlling and ultimately defeating COVID-19.
Health outcomes and science – not politics – will guide these decisions.
Modifications to our states’ stay at home orders must be made based off our understanding of the total health impacts of COVID-19, including: the direct impact of the disease on our communities; the health impact of measures introduced to control the spread in communities – particularly felt by those already experiencing social disadvantage prior to COVID-19; and our health care systems’ ability to ensure care for those who may become sick with COVID-19 and other conditions.
This effort will be guided by data.
We need to see a decline in the rate of spread of the virus before large-scale reopening, and we will be working in coordination to identify the best metrics to guide this.
Our states will only be effective by working together.
Each state will work with its local leaders and communities within its borders to understand what’s happening on the ground and adhere to our agreed upon approach.
Through quick and decisive action, each of our states has made significant progress in flattening the curve and slowing the spread of COVID-19 among the broader public.
Now, our public health leaders will focus on four goals that will be critical for controlling the virus in the future.
Protecting vulnerable populations at risk for severe disease if infected.
This includes a concerted effort to prevent and fight outbreaks in nursing homes and other long-term care facilities.
Ensuring an ability to care for those who may become sick with COVID-19 and other conditions.
This will require adequate hospital surge capacity and supplies of personal protective equipment.
Mitigating the non-direct COVID-19 health impacts, particularly on disadvantaged communities.
Protecting the general public by ensuring any successful lifting of interventions includes the development of a system for testing, tracking and isolating.
The states will work together to share best practices.

COVID-19 doesn’t follow state or national boundaries. It will take every level of government, working together, and a full picture of what’s happening on the ground.

In the coming days the governors, their staff and health officials will continue conversations about this regional pact to recovery.

On Monday a similar agreement was reached by the seven governors of Connecticut, Delaware, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania and Rhode Island. All 10 governors, on both coasts, are Democrats.

Source: Gov. Jay Inslee’s office