Sometimes it isn't easy being green

As Kermit the Frog sings: Sometimes it’s hard to be green.

Under the “what in the heck are they thinking?” department, downtown Sandpoint this week has taken going green to the ugliest, circus tent common denominator.

The downtown area was abuzz with rumors the past two days as people made walking and driving pilgrimages to the old Pastime building. Some speculated they hoped the paint job was really primer.

An odd shade of green has also popped up on the exterior of the Sand Creek Grill.

I don’t pretend to have taste or any expertise in color combinations, but what Oishii sushi has done to one of Sandpoint’s historic buildings should be considered a crime against color.

Some locals are affectionately calling the colors:

• Snot green.

• Kermit-in-a-blender green.

• Last stages of a cold in a Kleenex green. See above.

• One heck of a paint sale green.

Justin Dempsey, who has been painting the First Avenue building, has heard most of the comments.

“It’s interesting,” is how he responded when I asked about the color Thursday morning. “It wouldn’t be my first choice,” he answered diplomatically.

My guess is owner Junior Solis painted the old Pastime Restaurant building God Awful Green to attract his 15 minutes of fame (mission accomplished) and to blow a little fresh, green air into downtown.

Current Oishii partner and restauanteur Mel Dick is not affiliated at all with the new Oishii restaurant. Solis is the owner of the restaurant and is proud to have his fingerprint on the paint scheme and the interior.

“The outside is crazy but the inside is over the top,” Solis said. “Downtown Sandpoint is pretty drab. We wanted to create a little shock and awe when we open and it looks like that has already started.”

Oishii will open in its new, green location on May 5. It will grow from its current 15 seats to 100 and will feature a full martini bar, full sushi bar, noodle dishes and something for everyone in the family.

In case you are wondering, the light green color is wasabi green and the darker green is edamame, which is a Japanese soybean.

You may ask Sherwin-Williams all you want, but you can’t buy these greens over the counter. They were color matched.

The colors and attitude are inspired from Sandpoint circa 1920, he said.

The Hotel Cleveland was very colorful in its day in downtown Sandpoint and many businesses sported unique color combinations.

Solis has received a lot of interest concerning his exterior design.

“A lot of comments are positive and come from younger people while the negative comments come from the older crowd,” he said.

One younger reporter said to me: “It’s a blight on the city but that doesn’t mean the food won’t be good.”

Sandpoint’s mayor asked not to be quoted for this column saying she has seen her name in the paper associated with enough controversies for awhile.

Downtown Sandpoint Business Association chief Kathleen Hyde commented: “Sandpoint is a green community. Who’s fault is it if nobody explains what that means?”

This member of the older crowd would like to see historic downtown Sandpoint avoid wasabi green…at least on the sides of buildings.

What do you think? Attach a comment at the bottom of this column online or drop me a note or email me at dkeyes@bonnercountydailybee.com.

I’m glad Oishii isn’t considering a drive through, then the city leaders would really jump in.

Could you help give the Daily Bee’s mascot a name?

The Daily Bee adopted a mascot in 1998 when the Bee needed a design for the “Bee Babes” bowling team.

The mascot was designed by graphic artist Julie Hale. The design didn’t help the athleticism of the bowling team, however, but the team Sheri Jones, Julie, Colleen Ankersmit and a rotating forth bowler “had fun and didn’t finish last,” Jones recalled.

The Bee was spruced up in 2001 as the logo for our online news and advertising venture.

Originally the plan for the Bee logo was to just be linked with online, but the Bee has appeared with golf clubs, tennis racquets and baseball bats in his hands.

So, what should we name him?

Bee creative, please.

Drop me a line at dkeyes@bonnercountydailybee.com or call 263-9534 by Monday at 5 p.m.

• David Keyes is publisher of the Daily Bee.