While the thought of spending $14,000 on an otherwise-unused toad tunnel has often come up in local political debates among critics, a great consequence was the wave of attention focused on Davis by the national media as a result of this tunnel.
In The News Again
Davis is by no means a stranger to the national media. In the 1970's, Davis previously made headlines for its many "cutting-edge" projects and amenities. The solar-powered Village Homes project in West Davis was visited by foreign diplomats. The City's miles and miles of bikeways and its innovative recycling program were all features to be cherished. "Impressed particularly by its energy conservation success, such diverse publications as Mother Jones and the Los Angeles Times labeled Davis the City of the Future over the years." (Growing Pains, Ch. 10).
During the last decade, however, while Davis has been in the national news, it has been all for the wrong reasons, according to some Davis residents. "Some residents could chuckle over the latest jokes over the city's peculiar ways. Others were aghast, complaining that Davis was becoming a national laughing stock. They were quick to point fingers at Partansky for the toad tunnel and pothole brouhahas, assailing her for adding to the list of Davis-is-weird stories that the outside world finds so amusing." (Growing Pains, Ch. 10). During the last decade, in addition to Julie Partansky's "save the historic potholes campaign", Davis's smoking and noise ordinances also came under the scrutiny of the national media. The smoking ordinance, then the toughest in the nation, effectively banned smoking from all public places. The noise ordinance, in a 1994 case where a female resident was cited for snoring, resulted in another onslaught of national news coverage. Pittsburgh Post-Gazette columnist Tom Hritz, in 1995, questioned whether Davis someday will be named "The Weirdness Center of the World." (Growing Pains, Ch. 10).
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The Media Spotlight From potholes to snoring, it wasn't long before the national media picked up on Davis's new fascination with protecting toads. Among the most humorous stories on the Davis Toad Tunnel was one filmed by a news crew from The Daily Show, a news comedy produced by Comedy Central.
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Despite all the national lampooning of the $14,000 toad tunnel, there were some unexpected side benefits as well.
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| The Grand Opening | The Lessons |
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