Hits & Misses
Karen Mansfield/Observer-Reporter
Miss: After more than 20 years of delays, REAL ID requirements took effect Wednesday without much impact to the flying public. In the days leading up to the deadline, long lines were the norm at the state’s Department of Transportation license centers after people were told, ad nauseum, that they wouldn’t be able to get on a plane without the identification or a valid passport. It turns out that travelers with the proper documents to confirm identity won’t be denied boarding flights – at least for now – but it will likely cost extra screening time at the airport. Moral of the story: If you plan to fly, do yourself a favor and get REAL ID. It will save time and aggravation.
Hit: A shout-out goes to Kathy Cameron, who is this year’s Washington Branch NAACP Human Rights Award recipient. Cameron, who co-founded the Washington County Gay Straight Alliance in 2005, was honored for advocating for the LGBTQA+ community in and around Washington County and her efforts to “uplift the common and foundational values of integrity, dignity, and respect for all people.” Together, she and husband Peter Cameron built The CENTER on Strawberry, a welcoming community center in downtown Washington to house the programming of WCGSA. “We get one life on Earth and we should just spend it being kind, respectful and considerate to those unlike us as well as those who are just like us,” she said in accepting the award last week.
Hit: It’s National Nurses Week, and we would like to extend our sincere gratitude and appreciation for those compassionate men and women who selflessly spend their days and nights delivering health care. The first National Nurses Week was observed in October 1954, and President Richard Nixon proclaimed National Nurses Week in 1974. In 1990, the American Nurses Association extended the celebration to mark May 6 through 12 as Nurses Week. “Nurses are an integral part of care delivery. Nurses are at the heart of it, they are the heart of the care we provide,” said Jeff Alvarez, chief nursing officer and vice president of patient care services at UPMC Washington and UPMC Greene. We couldn’t agree more.