Mary McCaslin's Roundup

June 5, 2005

POSTERS, POSTERS EVERYWHERE

A couple of months ago I played a club in Nevada City. This beautiful town is on Highway 49 up in the Gold Country. The closest neighboring town is Grass Valley, which is more spread out,

but whose downtown is equally charming and historic.

Whenever I travel I can't help comparing whatever town or city I'm visiting with Santa Cruz. One of the first things I noticed about Nevada City is how many bulletin boards are provided throughout the town for public use. Posters for plays, concerts, health fairs, poetry readings and many other events are displayed for passersby to read. I also noticed that more local businesses provide window space for fliers.

When I moved to Santa Cruz in 1990 there were at least three or four public bulletin boards in the

downtown area and more in the outlying areas. Over the years they've all but disappeared. There are also fewer businesses that allow fliers or posters to be displayed in their windows than when I first moved here.

There's an etiquette to postering. Some businesses have indoor bulletin boards and clearly ask

that only tacks or tape, not staples, be used. Some businesses that provide outdoor bulletin boards

also request that no staples be used. I have done my share of postering for my local performances

and for other local shows. When in doubt, I've always asked whether I should use tacks or staples. One thing anyone putting up posters or fliers should keep in mind is that bulletin boards and window space are provided as a courtesy, and space is usually limited. It is not mandatory that a business owner provide a free source of publicity for upcoming events. Politeness and gratitude go a long way, not only for the person with posters in hand, but for the event they are attempting to publicize. All it would take for a business owner to decide to eliminate space for fliers is one person with a rude and demanding attitude.

The local Rotary Club is waging a campaign against posters and fliers that decorate many power poles around town. There is no argument that the majority of these are indeed unsightly. Often they end up hanging by one staple or tack, blowing in the breeze, only to fall from the pole and litter the street.

It seems that the Rotary members are specifically targeting fliers and posters advertising for local

music clubs and related commercial events. Equally unsightly are the large hand lettered pieces of cardboard affixed to power poles throughout every neighborhood with dates and addresses of yard sales. These are usually much larger than the club or band posters. They are also left to languish on the poles for days or even weeks after the event has taken place.

Attempting to have club owners and bookers fined or arrested for involuntarily contributing to this urban blight is not the answer. Perhaps the Rotary and the city could work together to provide and maintain some bulletin boards for placement around town. A couple of these placed downtown, with a few in other surrounding areas would go a long way in helping to get the word out about upcoming performances and other events.

Maintenance would be in the form of removing outdated posters and tidying up on a weekly or bi-weekly basis. A list of clearly written rules could be posted in one corner or off to the side: reasonable size limitations, whether or not staples are allowed and length of display time. Two weeks prior to the date of the event is adequate. Also, any poster covering another current poster would be removed. All of these rules are fair and the great majority of the people who use posters as a means of publicity would abide by them.

Yes, this would be largely a volunteer effort on the part of the Rotarians. But my understanding is that these types of organizations seek to serve and improve their local communities. Santa Cruz is struggling to support the arts, including the performing arts. How nice it would be to receive a helping hand.

Mary McCaslin will be performing at Monterey Live in Monterey on Sun., June 26 and at Don Quixote's in Felton on Wed., July 6.

Email her at roundup@marymccaslin.com