Working under a bad sign

Deepa Bharath

Bob Kost has a big problem with signs.

The 77-year-old volunteer for the Newport Beach Police Department does

not agree with all those people who use city property as their personal

notice boards.

“These signs are ugly,” Kost raves about his pet peeve. “We have a

beautiful city here. And I, like many of our citizens, would like to keep

it that way.”

Kost moved to the city eight years ago, after he wound up his public

relations business in St. Paul, Minn.

“The first month of retirement was nice,” he said. “But then I got

antsier and antsier.”

So, he got a part-time marketing job at the Grand Deck Golf Academy in

the Pelican Hill Golf Club. Two years ago, he took part in the police

Citizens Academy and became a volunteer.

The first thing that caught his eye as he patrolled the city? Ugly

signs, he says.

“Oh, I don’t mind the ones with the missing puppies and kittens,” he

said. “Those people probably don’t know it’s illegal to put up the signs.

What really bug me are the huge commercial signs that say ‘Earn $5,000

sitting at home’ or ‘Lose 40 pounds in two days.”’

So every Monday from 7:30 in the morning to 4 in the afternoon, he

rips off signs from lampposts, walls and anywhere else people might put

them.

And they keep him pretty busy.

On Monday morning alone, Kost took down 25 signs in less than two

hours.

“Last Monday was quite the record,” he added. “I pulled out 139

signs.”

He said he does not know if there is a particular time when the

numbers go up.

“Usually it’s higher during the beginning and end of the month,” Kost

said.

And you sure can tell what part of the city you’re in by the number of

signs you see around you, he says.

“Corona del Mar has the biggest concentration,” he said. “That’s where

I usually start. Then I go over to Balboa Island, the peninsula and then

The Wedge.”

In addition to removing signs, Kost patrols those areas and reports

suspicious circumstances back to his supervisor.

“He’s been doing such a terrific job,” Sgt. Steve Shulman said. “He is

really committed, and it’s amazing the number of signs he has pulled off

public property.”

Most cities pass ordinances against posting signs on public property,

but most residents are not aware of the laws, he added.

Kost said he would continue to do his job for as long as his health

permits.

“Nobody gave me this job, but I’m happy doing it,” he said. “If we

don’t keep up our beautiful city, these signs could turn it into East Los

Angeles.”

* Deepa Bharath covers public safety and courts. She may be reached at

(949) 574-4226 or by e-mail at o7 deepa.bharath@latimes.comf7 .