cannabisnews.com: 420 12th NW Pizza Shop Signs Off on ‘420 Special’ 420 12th NW Pizza Shop Signs Off on ‘420 Special’ Posted by CN Staff on November 17, 2002 at 10:28:09 PT By Lori Monsewicz, Repository Staff Writer Source: Canton Repository Canton — The sign at 420 12th St. NW has changed. Your Pizza Shop owner Pat Koury removed the letters and numbers advertising his shop’s “420 fried special” at the request of the company president and a Drug Abuse Resistance Education officer.He left the sign at the corner of 12th Street and Cleveland Avenue NW blank. Rachel Travers couldn’t be happier.She said if the specials also aren’t dropped, “I can take this to a whole new level.” The specials are advertised as Munchie Monday, Toasted Tuesday and Green Leaf Wednesday.The young woman who moved into the neighborhood two weeks ago vehemently opposed the sign, noting that 420 is a popular subcultural reference to smoking marijuana.She demanded the managers remove it. The managers, who said the advertising campaign had been a beneficial source of entertainment for nearly six months, refused.Even Police Department vice officers initially were not aware that “420” was a reference to smoking marijuana. The term is popular with marijuana smokers, having evolved from a group of California students who were fans of the Grateful Dead. The students apparently coined the term after meeting daily after school at 4:20 p.m. to smoke pot. The term also may have developed from police radio codes or a rock band’s lyrics.When Dave Newstetter, president of the Massillon-based Your Pizza Shop Corp., learned of the sign, he insisted Koury remove it.Koury said a Canton police officer with the city’s inactive DARE program also asked him to remove the sign.Koury complied.Climbed the ladder.Removed the letters. Minutes before he and manager Jeff Amsden removed the sign, passing motorists honked their horns and gave them the thumbs-up sign.But Koury still felt he had to remove the letters.“What happened to the First Amendment?” he asked reporters who watched him. A television reporter had called City Councilwoman Kathleen Altieri Bucher, D-2, who also watched. “(Travers) has made this a one-woman war on us for her interpretation of what the sign says; 420 also happens to be our address,” Koury said. “Does she want us to change our address?” The pizza shop is at 420 12th St. NW.Altieri Bucher said she hadn’t even noticed the sign.“I don’t care about the specials,” she said. “I don’t have time to look at the signs. When I’m at this intersection, I’m too afraid of getting hit to look at the sign. I’ve patronized this restaurant for many years.”She called Koury a “good businessman” who has been in the neighborhood for a long time. She commended his concern for community sentiment on the sign about which only one person has complained.Koury said the specials would remain in place, however.But Newstetter has other plans.“I don’t want anything that has any connotations that are improper — sexual, alcohol or drugs,” Newstetter said. He said the shop is a local franchise and the company “in no way authorized” the advertising.But, Newstetter admitted, “Even if I would have driven by, I wouldn’t have even known what (420) meant.”Newshawk: CorvallisEric Source: Repository, TheAuthor: Lori Monsewicz, Repository Writer Published: Saturday, November 16, 2002Copyright: 2002 The RepositoryContact: letters cantonrep.comWebsite: http://www.cantonrep.com/Related Article:Canton Woman Angry About Pizza Parlor Signhttp://mapinc.org/drugnews/v02/n2105/a10.html Home Comment Email Register Recent Comments Help Comment #12 posted by FoM on November 18, 2002 at 13:07:59 PT Just a Comment When we need to go to Canton again we will stop and buy a big pizza and tell them what a fine job they were doing and thank them. [ Post Comment ] Comment #11 posted by krutch on November 18, 2002 at 12:57:37 PT: We should remove 4:20 from the clock. It is a blatant drug reference. Time will now go from 4:19 to 4:21, skipping the offensive time completely.I work in the computer industry. I once had a CIO at Fortune 500 company insist that we could not use the word "user" in our literature because of the drug connotations.This is Americia. If people don't like the names of the dishes at a pizza place the can eat somewhere else. [ Post Comment ] Comment #10 posted by freedom fighter on November 17, 2002 at 22:07:23 PT Strange thoughts suddenly appeared...!!My Child showed up at 4:21PM, something must be up!If a smart manager would just somehow decide to show a sign that stated 4:21 Special!, would'nt Rachel SHUT UP?ff [ Post Comment ] Comment #9 posted by john wayne on November 17, 2002 at 20:48:36 PT Rachel Travers wow, I'll bet you're popular in the neighborhood now! [ Post Comment ] Comment #8 posted by JR Bob Dobbs on November 17, 2002 at 19:08:46 PT Speakin' of 4:20 signs I've always wanted someone to deface those ONDCP billboards which read "My child will be home at [blank] today" by filling in the blank with a big 4:20... [ Post Comment ] Comment #7 posted by CongressmanSuet on November 17, 2002 at 17:18:17 PT Rachael Travers.... I remember reading in Abbie Hoffman's true classic book "Steal This Book", in the section on "Monkey Warfare" that if a person were to glue a postcard on a brick with no postage stamp on it and write in an address on the upper left hand corner, it would get sent back to said address COD. Wonder if Rachal could use some VERY expensive patio bricks.... DISCLAIMER: These are the ramblings of a madman and should no way be taken seriously. [ Post Comment ] Comment #6 posted by Sam Adams on November 17, 2002 at 15:51:53 PT the web page http://www.chebahut.com/ [ Post Comment ] Comment #5 posted by DdC on November 17, 2002 at 13:48:48 PT Rachel Travers of Free Speech Sucks Inc. Fascist D.E.A.th Cowards Can't Exist Without Censorship...What's in a Name? (U.S. Geography) HEMPstead, Long Island; HEMPstead County, Arkansas; HEMPstead, Texas; HEMPhill, North Carolina; HEMPfield, Pennsylvania, among others, were named after cannabis growing regions, or after family names derived from hemp growing. American Historical Notes http://www.jackherer.com/book/ch01.html [ Post Comment ] Comment #4 posted by freedom fighter on November 17, 2002 at 13:47:35 PT Sam Just curious to know if Cheeba Deli sandwich delicious? I dreamt of establishing largest chain of Mary Jane Pizzas. Would'nt it be neat to require that every outfit has an address with 420? ff [ Post Comment ] Comment #3 posted by overtoke on November 17, 2002 at 11:27:56 PT: DARE Doesn't this shop owner know that DARE sort of people are actually extremely stupid?I have a few suggestions for his specials so DARE officials will feel more at home:Sadist Monday Totally Stupid Tuesday Anti-Constitution Wednesday [ Post Comment ] Comment #2 posted by goneposthole on November 17, 2002 at 11:08:30 PT free speech Free speech applies only if it coincides with Rachael Travers opinionated, narrow-minded point of view.Another day of drugwar madness.This reefer madness is driving people to drink. [ Post Comment ] Comment #1 posted by Sam Adams on November 17, 2002 at 10:32:35 PT What about "Cheeba Hut"? There's a whole chain of delis in Arizona called "Cheeba Hut" and everything on the menu is named after something to do with cannabis.I guess AZ is more tolerant than OH. [ Post Comment ] Post Comment