Public Periscope

Not taking this sitting down

The Spokesman-Review reported Thursday there would be no benches outside the downtown bus station for eight weeks. So readers may have been surprised if they noticed some benches were there on Friday. … This wasn’t some grand conspiracy by the media to confuse you. Instead, it’s the work of County Commissioner Steve Hasson, who was so angry his fellow Spokane Transit Authority board members ordered concrete benches that he ordered two of the county’s wooden benches moved to the bus station. … Other board members wanted concrete, which they said would prevent vandalism or theft. Hasson called the concrete benches “an affront on the derriere” and hopes for a groundswell of opposition when they replace the wooden benches in December. Wooden benches are OK outside the courthouse, the downtown library and the Intermodal Center, he noted. … So why is there all this bickering over add-ons to the new $20.6 million bus plaza? STA officials originally decreed there would be no benches outside the station. Rider complaints have forced the change.

Fashion update

Temporary county Commissioner George Marlton has taken to wearing a new button at some public meetings, but the message is about the same. … Apparently still smarting over coverage of his unsuccessful election bid, he’s sporting a lapel emblem that proclaims “Bad Paper.” For those who don’t get it, that’s a clever take-off on The Spokesman-Review’s slogan, “Good Paper.” … We thought the bright yellow button with the red slash through the letters S-R was a much snappier design. But to each his own.

Signs of the times

Spokane taxpayers shelled out about $20,000 over the last two years to fix and replace street signs damaged by vandals, according to Bruce Steele, city director of transportation. About half fell victim to graffiti, others were bent way out of shape. … A growing problem are those promotional stickers from radio stations. “They just slap ‘em up there,” said Steele, who added the most common targets of vandals are the ones marking bus stops. “They get bored waiting for a bus and before you know it, they’re shaking the post.”

In the Olympics or Cascades?

Maybe she was just a tad lost. Or maybe she was thinking about taking an alternate route home. But state Transportation Commissioner Alice Tawresey whipped out a copy of the state road map during a discussion of Sherman Pass … “Some of you may not be familiar with Sherman Pass,” acknowledged Sen. Bob Morton, R-Orient, who talked about hazards along Eastern Washington’s highest pass during the commission’s annual meeting in Spokane earlier this month … To be fair to Tawresey, some East Side residents might have trouble finding the Kitsap Peninsula, where she makes her home.

Getting involved

Due to a typographical error last week, Public Periscope may have left the impression that there were more openings on city boards and commissions than we actually have. To clear up any confusion, here’s what the city needs: One adult commissioner for the Chase Youth Commission; two new members for the Human Services Advisory Board; five members for the Human Rights Commission. Applications for all positions are available from the Mayor’s Office, 5th Floor, City Hall.

, DataTimes MEMO: Public Periscope, published Mondays, is compiled by Jim Camden from staff reports. Write us c/o The Spokesman-Review, Box 2160, Spokane 99210. Or call Cityline at 458-8800 on a Touch-Tone phone, the press 9120 to leave a message. or send e-mail to jimc@spokesman.com.

The following fields overflowed: CREDIT = Compiled by Jim Camden from staff reports