Highlights and lowlights of the week’s news

HIT » The past is becoming present, with the opening of a drivein theater in Chico.

Dan Gonzales is putting up a temporary one in his Meriam Park project, for the duration of the COVID-19 pandemic at least.

There hasn’t been a drive-in in Chico for 35 years, when the Starlite down on the Midway closed.

Time was they were a feature of almost every town, large and small, an offshoot of American car culture. They were also a critical feature of teenage culture, for reasons we won’t go into here.

But their popularity waned, and that’s understandable.

The sound was typically horrible, coming from a speaker you hooked atop the driver’s window. You were victim to the weather, and mosquitoes, and pranksters roaming in the dark.

But with the pandemic, most indoor theaters are closed, and the drive-in option is looking pretty good again.

Thanks to Gonzales for taking this project on.

MISS » Here we go again. It’s election season, that all-toocommon phenomenon that brings out the absolute lowest levels of idiocy in some people.

Almost daily, we get reports that election signs were stolen. Or covered with graffiti. Or that a headquarters was vandalized.

Every time it happens, we hear the same thing: “The other side is doing it to us. We never do it to them!”

(Naturally, we hear that from both sides, and we often hear it from both sides on the same day.)

Given the frequency with which it seems to happen, it’s pretty apparent the acts are usually done by rogue individuals who either have too much time on their hands, are so enraged at the mere sight of a candidate’s name that they are driven to commit a juvenile act, or — if you can believe this — actually believe their actions might help swing an election in their favor.

It won’t. It’s just stupid. And any time somebody gets caught doing it, we hope they’re held up as an example from a law enforcement standpoint.

HIT » At one time, it was evident that Butte County could do better at alerting and keeping the public informed about disasters, especially wildfires.

This county took it to heart, with the Butte County Sheriff’s Office fully engaged.

With the North Complex West Zone fire at 43 percent containment as of Friday there still is plenty of work to be done, but a pause for review is worthwhile.

Long ago, the county opted in to social media as one way to alert the public, but in this fire, the sheriff’s office has taken it several steps further.

It set up a call center, where residents who don’t have strong or reliable internet service — common in the foothill fire zone — can call and talk to a person about alerts, orders and warnings and other pieces of information.

The department also has been quite active on Facebook, specifically answering the public’s questions. One person asking a question represents many with the same concern, so the sheriff’s office is doing more to improve communication.

The county too deserves kudos for hosting the nightly fire updates that bring together CalFire-Butte County, Butte County Public Health, weather and air quality experts, and other critical officials. Anyone can watch the conference on their computers or phones.

There still are broadband issues, but the strategy at work now in Butte County is so much better, and we hope the public notices.

MISS » Sad to say, it was a massive disservice by the U.S. Postal Service when it came to mail service in the fire-impacted areas.

We don’t mean the lack of delivery. Heavens, no one should be in a fire-ravaged area delivering mail.

The problem was when the Sacramento headquarters decided that residents in towns like Berry Creek, Feather Falls, and Forbestown should pick up their letters and packages in Yuba City. Drive at least an hour, up and down mountain roads to Yuba City, not knowing if there was mail waiting.

Then two days later, that information changed and residents of evacuated towns and others were sent to other post offices, albeit closer. A day later, those assignments changed again.

These poor people could have been waiting checks, medication or even birthday cards. Certainly the anxiety caused by the wildfire didn’t need to be expanded by trying to keep track of where mail was going. Why didn’t it go to Chico?

But the worst part is that it’s not the first time and won’t be the last time that mail was rerouted from fire-stricken areas. There should have been a plan in place years ago that residents could count on, and we hope that’s under construction by the postal service.

“Hits and misses” appears each Saturday. Items are compiled by the editorial board.