By KEN BLACK, TIMES-REPUBLICAN POSTED: April 22, 2009
The following sequence of photographs shows the message recently portrayed on the marquee sign at Godfrey Motors on South Center Street in Marshalltown. The sign created quite a stir from those passing by, much of it positive, according to the business.
When a local businessman heard Monday was an unofficial national holiday to celebrate marijuana smoking, he thought he would have a little fun with it.
"Apparently, there is some significance to 4/20," said Toby Godfrey, owner of Godfrey Motors. "I had never heard of it before."
A couple of customers walked in and told him about the day. It was the beginning of the week, and it was cold, which meant business was also slow. So Godfrey decided to liven things up a little bit.
"It's just a joke," he said. "I made the sign and then went to Des Moines during the afternoon."
In the meantime, he said he missed out on all the fun.
The sign, showed a succession of messages that start out by noting the date, go on to say "Light Up" and "Nature's Cure" with a picture of a marijuana plant alongside it. Finally, it ends with the scrolling marquee message, "It makes you read this 3 times slower."
Godfrey said he was not trying to make a political point about legalizing marijuana.
"It was one of those things, 'I wonder what would happen if,'" Godfrey said.
While down in Des Moines, he received a call from his son at the dealership who said the sign had definitely attracted attention. They had received many calls and even had a few people stop in. Some even asked if they could take pictures.
"Most if it was positive," Godfrey added.
The Times-Republican did log one negative call about it from an individual who was concerned about the message it would send to her children.
If there is one thing the incident taught him, Godfrey said it was that he is not using the sign to its true effective capability.
"I'm amazed. I'm absolutely amazed at the response," he said. "I need to rethink the way I use the sign."
In the meantime, Godfrey still contends it was all still a joke.
When asked if this made him a crusader for free speech, he simply responded, "I'm far from anything like that."
He's just a salesman.
