Public Periscope

We did notice, and appreciate it

“Next thing you know they’ll be making us coffee. This is a reporter’s paradise.” That was how one newsman covering an accused killer’s first court appearance Monday in Ephrata reacted to friendly treatment from local officials … Grant County Prosecutor John Knodell offered to make 20 photocopies of court documents for journalists who came from Seattle, Spokane and points in between for 14-year-old Barry Loukaitis’ hearing. Consensus was that reporters hadn’t met a friendlier bunch of county employees … Some speculated the courthouse crew learned to manage media circuses in September when rocker Courtney Love pleaded guilty to assaulting another singer during the Lollapalooza Festival at The Gorge … We favor another theory: Times of crisis bring out the best in good people.

Music to our ears

Here’s another comment we love to hear, one that shows some people really do understand the significance of the state’s Open Public Meetings Act. After The Spokesman-Review published a story questioning meetings of the Spokane School Board, the Mead School Board double-checked its meeting practices … “We don’t want to even appear to be evasive,” Mead superintendent Bill Mester said.

Opposing views

Two very different reactions to President Clinton’s signing last week of the Telecommunications Law that governs everything from phones to TV to computer services: City Councilman Chris Anderson, who is far and away the most cyber-active person at City Hall, turned the background color of his home pages black, in mourning. He explained that the blackout was to show grave concern for “the federal government’s interference with this important medium of communication.” The type, however, was changed to a lighter color, so Internet surfers could still read his messages … Gov. Mike Lowry had a much more celebratory take on the law, saying the state hopes to attract megabucks from the telecommunications industries that may be expanding in response to the law. “We’re definitely open for business,” he proclaimed … Time will tell who is more right about the landmark legislation.

Reagan fan club

Dan Eagle, a local ad man and button monger, came up with a way to boost two of his favorite things: Ronald Reagan and the Washington State University Cougars … Eagle designed a calendar that has Reagan’s smiling face holding up the Coug’s sweatshirt he was given on a 1986 visit to the old Coliseum. The calendar also sports the football schedule for the fall season … Eagle unveiled it at a Reagan birthday party last week for like-minded Cougar fans, and sent a copy to the former president’s family.

How appropos

Speaking of different calendars, next Monday is the start of the Chinese New Year. Under that astrological calendar, the year of the Rat, Public Periscope will refrain from making undue references to the fact that this is also a major election year.

An upcoming tele-Gramm?

Phil Gramm, the U.S. senator who wants badly to be president, sent out a statement mentioning his campaign was the first to open an office in Washington state … If he does as badly in today’s Iowa caucuses as in last week’s Louisiana caucuses, some not-so-kind Republicans in rival camps are suggesting he will also be the first to close an office in the state.

, DataTimes MEMO: “Public Periscope,” published Mondays, is compiled by Jim Camden from staff reports. If you have a question about government, growth or development, we’d like to help find an answer. Write us c/o The Spokesman-Review, Box 2160, Spokane 99210, or send us a fax to 459-5482 or e-mail to jimc@spokesman.com. Or call Cityline at 458-8800 on a Touch-Tone telephone; then press 9120 to leave a message.

This sidebar appeared with the story: Hot Topics Saturday: Reps. Jean Silver and Duane Sommers, of Spokane’s 6th District, hold a pair of town hall meetings to discuss what the Legislature is doing to us - er, for us - this session. 10 a.m., Lindaman Center, Whitworth College, 300 W. Hawthorne; 1:30 p.m., Ferris High School cafeteria, 3020 E. 37th Ave.

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