Public Periscope

Farm politics

While we are pleased Washington state did so well in the latest sign-ups for the Conservation Reserve Program, we couldn’t help but wonder at how that good news was announced. Agriculture Secretary Dan Glickman broke the news at a press conference in Olympia - more than a few miles from wheat farms that take advantage of the program. … Glickman’s visit was wellcoordinated with Sen. Patty Murray’s office, and the campaigning Democrat was there for the announcement. The offices of Reps. George Nethercutt and Doc Hastings, two East Side Republicans whose districts contain most of the CRP land, never got word from the department about the Olympia fete, although other House members from both parties did.

The lack of an invitation might be just one of those silly bureaucratic snafus. But Glickman definitely signaled he was happier with Murray than Nethercutt, each of whom had prodded the department after many Washington farmers were left out of the program last year. The farm czar described Murray as tenacious. Glickman may have been thinking of Nethercutt, who once tried to get two top ag officials fired, when he said, “You win more friends with honey than you do with vinegar.”

Reading: priceless or pricey?

Starting in April, readers living across the county line or inside the city will pay more to use Spokane County libraries - $70, up from $55. The county library district expects to sell about 270 cards this year, mostly to people in southern Stevens County or North Side city neighborhoods where county libraries are more convenient than city branches. … The district started charging city residents for cards in 1995 - reciprocity for the city libraries’ decision to charge county residents to use city libraries. There, the price for a nonresident card ranges from $40 to $100 a year, depending on the services desired.

Itk won’tk happenk againk

The Spokesman-Review mistakenly added a “k” to county official Fran Boxer’s name in a story last week, for which the paper duly apologized. But some folks just won’t let it die. … The interim chief administrative officer herself, in a memo to county commissioners, signed off as Frank Boxer. Going full circle

Former Spokane Mayor Jack Geraghty has rejoined the public relations consulting firm he left when he ran for mayor. … A press release issued last month by Alliance Pacific Inc. said Geraghty will be a senior partner in that firm as well as continue to be president of Jack Geraghty & Associates. … In a speech last month, the former mayor hinted that he soon would be “going to work for a woman.” Alliance Pacific’s president is Kerry Lynch, who took over the firm, which Geraghty had helped start, when he left in 1994.

Watch out for Bill Murray

If you see more teens than usual in offices and businesses today, it’s because it’s Groundhog Day. Rather than spend dawn in front of a marmot’s hutch worrying about sunlight, Junior Achievement of the Inland Northwest is asking businesses to let young people “shadow” them for a few hours. … The students will get a look at workplaces and perhaps an incentive to stay in school. Businesses get a chance to strengthen ties to young people and maybe even recruit future workers.

, DataTimes MEMO: “Public Periscope,” published weekly, is compiled by Jim Camden from staff reports. You can contact us by mail c/o The Spokesman-Review, Box 2160, Spokane 99210; by fax at (509) 459-5482 or by e-mail at jimc@spokesman.com.

This sidebar appeared with the story: HOT TOPICS Tuesday: Election day for school levies and bond issues around the state, including districts in Spokane, the Valley, Medical Lake, Cheney, Deer Park, Reardan, Liberty and Freeman. Valley fire district has a levy, too. 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. at the standard polling places.

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