Public Periscope
Those looking for a 5-cent cigar are safe
Good news for history buffs: The Spokane Regional Health District’s new prohibition against outdoor tobacco advertising does not apply to the historic murals on three downtown buildings. … Among the many faded wall signs on Spokane’s oldest brick buildings are an ad for Bull Durham smoking tobacco, another for Henry George 5-cent cigars and one for La Azora cigars. At first, it appeared the three murals ran afoul of the new rules, which ban all tobacco ads more elaborate than black print on a white background. … But after conferring with the district’s attorney, Dr. Kim Thorburn announced last week that the murals can stay. The new rules specify signs designed for “commercial advantage,” noted Thorburn, head of the health district.
None of the three products is still being sold, according to a clerk at P.M. Jacoy’s. So the health district decided the signs are exempt from the new rules.
No shades of gray
But don’t think the health district is going to cut any slack on other displays of tobacco products. It released what computer folks might call FAQs, or frequently asked questions, about the new regs, and the message is clear. … If it’s anything other than black text on a white background, it’s got to go, the district says. White letters on red background or yellow on green? Paint over it.
Can a clerk wear a T-shirt that advertises a tobacco product? one retailer asked. …“If the shirt is black text on a white background, then it may be worn. If it is in color and the clerk can be seen from the outside, then it would be in violation of the regulation,” the district said.
It’s the thought that counts
It was just a small gesture, a token tip of the hat to Orville Barnes, who is leaving the City Council this winter after eight years. City Manager Bill Pupo, with support from City Attorney Jim Sloane and nods of agreement from the City Council, suggested naming an unpaved stretch of street in the Indian Trail neighborhood Orville. … Appropriately enough, it’s a street that intersects with Barnes Road. Now people can say: “Meet me on the corner of Orville and Barnes.” … It’s the kind of honor that ranks right up there with Martin Luther King Way or John F. Kennedy Boulevard in other cities.
Unfortunately, the dirt road already was on the agenda that very day to be vacated by the city, so the signs never went up and Orville Street never made the map. … Here, in “Periscope,” it is duly documented. But we’re also thinking: Orville, hold out for a cake.
More music reviews
Last time around, “Periscope” mentioned a new local CD that’s not so flattering to U.S. Sen. Slade Gorton. Seems only fair to mention another one that’s supportive of one of the Washington Republican’s big stands. Wylie Gustafson of Dusty, Wash., has cut “Save Our Dams,” a country-western ode about the perils of dam breaching set to the strains of twanging guitar. … Gustafson is no amateur picker, by the way. He’s a Nashville veteran who volunteered his services to his neighbors over the dam debate. The disc liner comes with information about signing a petition against breaching and a Web site for the group with the same name as the song. An organizer for the group says it’s trying to get country stations in the area to put the song on their play lists.