Gun-shy Yakima decides not to sell infamous banners

YAKIMA -- Bad news for anybody who wanted to buy one of Yakima's infamous gun banners for their kitschy value.

City officials said they decided against reselling the banners -- which were taken down in March -- because they might wind up in the wrong hands and be used to make fun of Yakima. For now, they remain in storage, gathering dust.

"We really didn't want to risk having them used in an unsatisfactory way for bad publicity," explained City Councilwoman Kathy Coffey. "There was some publicity that wasn't very complimentary toward the city about (the banners), and we just don't need any more of that."

The banners went up in December and were meant to beautify downtown Yakima with abstract depictions of rays of sunshine or rivers. They were supposed to inspire pride in the city's natural wonders and fuel tourism and economic development.

But almost immediately, people saw it differently. In a city that has had more than its fair share of violent crime, some interpreted the rays -- or rivers -- as glorified depictions of rifles or outstretched arms taking aim with a handgun.

The headline-grabbing controversy convinced the City Council to take the banners down. Afterwards, some residents expressed interest in purchasing the banners as collector's items or souvenirs, and the council initially said it would look into a potential resale as an alternative to chucking the pricey banners, which cost the city $4,000.

"If they were available on eBay or something, I would bid," said Councilman Bill Lover, referring to the online auction site.

All 46 banners remain locked in a storage room at the Department of Public Works, where they're going to collect dust for the next couple of years.

Officials said further deliberation led them to regard the possibility of resale with skepticism.

"There's no need to have someone use (the banners) for mockery or poking fun at the city," said Sean Hawkins, deputy executive director of the Committee for Downtown Yakima.

The city has put up new banners highlighting the area's prominence as a winemaking region -- with grapes and wine glasses -- thanks to two grants from Washington Wine Country.

City Public Works Director Chris Waarvick said the vinyl designs on the old banners are removable. He hopes to reuse the background portion of the banners when an opportunity presents itself, perhaps in a couple of years.

"We can save a modest amount of dollars by rehabilitating these current ones when the need arises," he said.

Lover said he envisions dividing the collection into sets, recycling the base fabric of the banners for different events such as a Fourth of July celebration and the Sunfair Parade.

Janet Leduc, the founding director of Washington Wine Country, said the banners embellishing a city are an important factor in the city's reputation and economic success.

Statistics show that visitors tend to return to a place whose banners serve as a reminder of the region's significance, she said.

But if visitors feel they're being greeted with images of firearms rather than rays of sunshine, the city's good intentions might be misread.

Annabel Kirschner, a rural sociologist at Washington State University, wasn't surprised when told of Yakima's decision to remove the banners after receiving complaints about the design.

City leaders strive to project a positive image because they know it's good business, Kirschner said. A city with a welcoming character will more likely attract people of diverse backgrounds and lifestyles from surrounding areas, thereby boosting business.

"If someone interpreted these (banner designs) as looking like rifles, that could be very threatening for a lot of different reasons," she said.

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