Go-to Gal: Election signs on government vehicles a no-no

Q. Can city- or county-owned vehicles display election campaign signs?

A. Ah, there’s nothing like election season to bring out peace and goodwill among men.

David Yoder, Harvey County attorney, said, “No, a government-owned vehicle cannot be used to privately campaign for any individual.”

Yoder said such an offense, however, would not be criminal in nature, so it would not be handled by the attorney’s office but rather through city or county commissioners (depending which entity owns the vehicle in question).

Yoder said it would be up to that group to take some kind of appropriate action because it is an internal governmental issue.

Bob Myers, Newton city attorney, also said city-owned vehicles should not have any campaign stickers or slogans on them. He did note some city employees use their own vehicles, in which case the city has no such restrictions because “that’s their own business.”

If you see such an infraction on a city vehicle, Myers suggested reporting it to the city manager, Randall Riggs.

Q. If someone falls in Sand Creek, with the new straight wall banks, how are they going to get out?

A. I’m a wee bit of a klutz myself, so it’s always good to know the contingency plan when faced with the possibility of falling into something — anything.

Suzanne Loomis, Newton’s director of public works, said for starters, a preventative concrete railing will be installed along the back side of any wall that has a 30-foot drop or greater.

Second, not all the the banks will be lined with retaining wall; much of it will have “riprap of quarry run stone that will be placed as armoring material along the bank to cease the erosion,” Loomis said. (I had to look up “riprap,” which Webster says is “a foundation or sustaining wall of stones or chunks of concrete thrown together without order; a layer of this or similar material on an embankment slope to prevent erosion.” I’m going to have to remember that for my next Boggle game.)

Anyway, where there will be a retaining wall, the normal water level will fall about 1.5 to 2.5 feet belong the top of the wall. About 2 feet below the water elevation will be the stone riprap, which runs parallel to the creek bank, and the top portion will be about 6 feet wide. Translation: an underwater ledge that could be walked along to get to an area where there is no wall. Handy.

Q. I heard the Recreation Commission staff wants to close the pool at Athletic Park. Say it ain’t so, g-t-g.

A. It ain’t so. Brian Bascue, the Newton Recreation Commission superintendent, said, and I quote, “There is no intention of closing the Municipal Pool in Athletic Park that the Newton Recreation Commission is aware of.” (Which is great, because I have yet to go down the slide out there, and it looks like an awesome good time. I’ll wear an itsy-bitsy, teenie-weenie, yellow, polka dot ... OK, maybe not.)

Also, I received a call this week from a lady in response to last week’s Go-To Gal on the Main Street flowers.

She said she believes south of the railroad tracks, the flowers are planted and tended by someone named Terry (or Terri, or Tary, or ...), but she didn’t know a last name. So if you’re out there, Terry, give me a holler.

Stay cool everybody.