One thing about sitting within earshot of newspaper reporters is you get a preview of coming attractions.

Back in the late summer of 2003, my former colleague Heather Lalley was making calls for a feature story that would  be headlined "Queer Eye For The Mayor: We turn to a fashion-savvy team of local gay men to give the candidates advice on style"

As Heather freely acknowledged high up in her totally readable feature, which ran 10 years ago this week, the whole thing was spun from a cable TV hit of that summer, "Queer Eye for the Straight Guy."

Among the candidates with whom she visited were Sheri Barnard, Steve Corker, Tom Grant and John Powers.

And Jim West.

I still remember overhearing Heather on the phone trying to convince West to take part in this little project.

As I recall, he was less than enthusiastic at first. There was a pause after Heather mentioned the name of the Bravo channel show. He wasn't familiar with it, he told her.

But once the future mayor got over his concerns about the nature of the story, he provided Heather with some decent quotes.

Speaking of the gay consultant who gently critiqued his staid look, West said, "Tell that kid to call me and he can take me out and buy me a suit."

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