Editorial: Roses & thorns

THORN

Caught on video

Somebody knows this guy.

The suspect — a man who showed clerks a handgun Wednesday evening as he robbed Harvard Avenue Drugs and Gifts of several bottles of the narcotic painkiller Oxycontin Wednesday evening — made a mistake. The public needs to help police capitalize on the error.

The suspect walked up to the drive-through pharmacy window and pulled a mask over his face before the robbery began. The man didn't realize it was all caught on a video surveillance camera, with his face clearly shown prior to his donning the mask. This the second time the store has been hit by drugstore outlaws this year.

Here's a thorn for dangerous behavior. Go to our Web site — www.nrtoday.com — and watch the video attached to the robbery story. The suspect can be seen pretty clearly. Call 541-492-6794 if you know who he is. Tips can be left anonymously.

We don't need this kind of crime in our community. Anyone who's brandishing a firearm and terrorizing clerks at a drugstore drive-up window needs to be driven somewhere else — like to the Douglas County Jail.

ROSE

Dose of prevention

As the folks at Harvard Avenue Drugs and Gifts could tell you, people will commit desperate acts to get their hands on certain chemicals. And that's just one reason to avoid keeping unused medicines around the house.

Not only could the vials be a target of burglars, they also could attract the attention of children and teens who could overdose or become addicted to the contents.

A plethora of pills can also create confusion for the legitimate patient, who might reach for the wrong container.

Still, people with expired or leftover prescription drugs face a bit of a quandary when they're ready to rid themselves of the extras. Toss them into the garbage, and they could be plucked out by people who shouldn't have them, or decompose at the landfill.

Flush them down the toilet, and you'll create another kind of environmental damage in streams and rivers.

A solution is available on Saturday. A coalition of medical professionals, social service agencies and law enforcement groups has organized a free event that day for people to bring in unwanted prescription drugs for proper disposal. It takes place from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Boys & Girls Club of the Umpqua Valley, 1144 N.E. Cedar St., Roseburg.

Thanks to all who helped plan a worthy effort with no unpleasant side effects.

ROSE

Cool school

Douglas County residents have long known of the successes that occur for students who attend Phoenix School of Roseburg. Since its inception in 1981, the school has been recognized as a place where bright underachievers thrive, at-risk kids get the extra attention they need, and other students get a fresh start in a smaller learning atmosphere.

Even though we've known all the good the school provides, it's satisfying to have others recognize the efforts of the school staff. That's why we're pleased to see the school named Charter School of the Year by the Northwest Center for Educational Options.

Placing first couldn't have been easy with 100 secondary schools in the running, but Phoenix has often stood out among its peers. It was previously named Alternative School of the Year.

The school has maintained its alternative school approach while also becoming a charter school. The combination seems to be working. The school has a 95 percent graduation rate and it rates satisfactory in the Adequate Yearly Progress reports.

Congratulations to the caring administration, faculty and staff on winning the award, and thanks for doing such a fine job of educating about 200 students each year at your school.