Kudos to the City of Ocean Shores, Mayor Crystal Dingler and the Quinault Beach Resort and Casino for their fast action in partnering on a biker weekend in Ocean Shores in late July. The city and the resort were planning separate events the weekend of July 26-28, both aimed at attracting bikers. When the promoter working with the city pulled out, it looked like the event at the convention center in town was off. But city and casino officials got together right away, and they’re working out events at different locations that will complement each other instead of compete with each other, which makes a lot more sense. The biker weekend used to bring huge crowds to Ocean Shores, but it has waned a bit in recent years. This partnership has the potential to get it back on track.

Grays Harbor County’s Drug Court just celebrated its one-year anniversary. It’s an enlightened approach to dealing with people caught at the intersection of crime and drug addiction. Ask police and they will tell you that much, if not most, of the relatively petty crime they deal with has its origins in someone’s addiction to drugs and the lengths they’ll go to get them. The court, overseen by Superior Court Judge Stephen Brown, works with convicted criminals who seem likely to benefit from a second chance. Often, they still get jail time, though maybe not prison time; and they are required to meet conditions that show they are getting treatment and taking steps to get off drugs. It won’t work in every case, but it sure seems better than a stint in prison and return to an addiction likely to start the cycle all over again.