It won’t stain
County Executive Jim Smith is all about making public statements of support for various causes that involve a dash of color.
Today, Smith announced he was ordering that the Old Courthouse in Towson be bathed in purple lights in a show of support for the Baltimore Ravens making the playoffs this weekend.
A few years ago another show of support didn’t quite go as planned.
It was then that Smith proclaimed his support for Breast Cancer Awareness month and ordered that the water in the fountain that sits between the Old Courthouse and the Circuit Court Building be colored pink.
The dye was too dark and instead of looking like the color of the ribbon associated with the cause the water looked like one of the 10 plagues of Egypt made famous by Moses.
The reddish water sprayed forth from jets in the fountain. Soon, a wind caught the mist and spread a layer of color over the courtyard near the fountain. County crews had to remove the water from the fountain and clean the stains from the surroudning area.
County officials at the time privately acknowledged that the idea was a good one — in theory.
At least the purple won’t stain.