Chalk it up to a clever idea

EDITOR’S NOTEBOOK

Back East, fall means a crisp chill in the air, leaves turning

stunning shades of orange, red and yellow, turtle necks and wool

sweaters. Some might say Southern California doesn’t know a change of

seasons. But they’re wrong. Here, fall is simply election season --

when people get a bit nasty and cities get down right ugly. At each

corner, stop sign, underpass and straightaway -- bright, garish signs

assail you.

While campaign signs are there to offend, on the East Coast there

is foliage to distract -- not so here. But one Huntington Beach City

Council candidate, whom I’ll admit I know little else about yet, came

up with an interesting alternative. Norm Westwell began posting his

campaign messages next to his opponent’s in chalk. His messages are

not as glaring and wash off. Sounds like a good plan and probably

environmentally conscious, although my investigative

environmentalists Vic Leipzig and Lou Murray may know better the

effects of chalk on the environment.

Unfortunately, his messages have also been disappearing at the

hands of city workers, who have been told by superiors that

Westwell’s signs are graffiti and need to go.

Westwell says his chalk signs save money and send a message to

voters that there are money saving ways to do things -- something he

thinks our City Council should look for in many situations around

town.

While Westwell has tried to broach this subject with the City

Attorney’s Office, it seems to be mum on the subject.

Now, I would in no way condone graffiti. But we do not consider

children’s use of sidewalk chalk graffiti and city codes clearly

exempt political signs from zoning codes that would otherwise be

prohibited.

I think Westwell’s signs are inventive and clever and the city

staff is interfering in an election -- and that’s somewhere I bet

they really don’t want to go.