EDITORIAL

For years, no one cared about the sign. The picture of a big, red

coffee cup attracted little notice, even though the sign, technically,

violated Newport Beach city codes.

That, of course, was a problem for the owners of Cafe Galeos, which is

tucked away in a Mariner’s Mile strip mall. So when Gordana Samardzic and

Andrei Leontieff decided to add homemade salad dressings to their menu,

they figured it was time to spice up that simple cup.

That saucier sign, which is attached to a flag pole, features former

model Samardzic with a bottle of the dressing in a back pocket of her

jeans. And it certainly attracted more attention, not entirely from

customers, however.

It also attracted the attention of City Hall, which last summer looked

into the issue and found that the sign, and its tamer predecessor were

illegal. Out went a warning. Then, out went the fines, which now total

$1,200.

Leontieff is convinced that the city’s sudden interest in his sign was

because someone found it “obscene.”

City officials deny that charge, although they admit that the picture

of Samardzic did catch their attention. What matters, they say, is that

it is illegal, regardless of how the sign came to their attention.

That argument rings a bit hollow. For three years, the coffee cup sign

went unnoticed, presumably because there was nothing near scandalous

about it. There’s still nothing scandalous about the new sign, though it

certainly is more eye-catching. And the city’s sudden interest clamps

down on Cafe Galeos’ ability to advertise. In the current climate in

Newport Beach -- right or wrong, businesses are finding the city less

friendly given the passage of the slow-growth measure Greenlight -- it

would seem in the city’s best interest not to add to that perception,

especially over such a relatively minor infraction.

This incident, in fact, may provide a prime opportunity: instead of

taking a hard look at this sign and others, city leaders should take a

hard look at Newport Beach’s sign ordinances.