I read Elizabeth Shepherd’s commentary about the invasion of sandwich boards with great interest (“The abundance of sandwich boards is hardly a feast for sore eyes,” Sept. 8). I too have an opinion about the use of sandwich boards and the issue of visual pollution on the Island. I, however, look at signboards as a welcome boost to our local economy. You know the story: ingenious Islanders advertise local goods and services, with hopes that off-Island adventurers will purchase locally and then go home. I believe that is a business model that has even been endorsed by The Beachcomber.

As far as visual pollution is concerned, I look at The Beachcomber as a greater offender than members of the sandwich board cult. My copy of your weekly newspaper averages 60 percent by weight of useless pulp in the form of advertising inserts. They are a gaudy and wasteful example of visual pollution that the local economy doesn’t need.

These junk-mail exhortations to shop at off-Island-corporate-mega-stores are a waste of resources and an insult to local business owners and unemployed Islanders. To add insult to injury, your customers labor to rid the Island of what you pay to import; of the tons of colored inserts that you lob at us annually, a great deal are subsequently recycled and hauled of the Island. 

I have a sterling idea on how to reduce sandwich board clutter on our local highways and byways. How about The Beachcomber eliminates those pesky, off-Island ad inserts and institutes a new advertising ethic instead? Starting tomorrow, give every one of those horrible sandwich board people a free weekly ad in The Beachcomber! Elizabeth will be remembered as the Lady Bird Johnson of back road beautification, and The Beachcomber slashes our collective carbon footprint. It is a win-win for everyone.

Just so it doesn’t upset anyone’s preferred aesthetic, you can even print the ads in black and white, with a slightly weathered look to them. What do you think: Is that thought worth a sandwich? 

— Joe Downs