The River Reporter, February 29, 1996

Signs of the times

MONTICELLO -- With the village election campaign heating up so, it seems, are the dirty tricks. Incumbent mayor Robert Friedland filed a criminal complaint with village police on Febrary 25 over a sign which he alleged had been stolen.

The errant sign was located in the parking lot of the Bean Bag diner, on Jefferson St., he said. Friedland described it as a two-sided billboard, both sides securely stapled to a 32" x 48" piece of plywood. The two signs were valued at $40.00, he claimed.

Village police officer Mark Johnstone confirmed that he took Friedland's complaint. Asked whether any of the five other mayoral or trustee candidates have reported stolen or vandalized campaign signs, Johnstone replied, "No, only Friedland."

No suspects have been identified, Johnstone said.

Friedland said he became convinced the signs were stolen after a thorough search of nearby woods and the surrounding area. "It was definitely stolen. It could not be found. It was not ripped off by the wind. There's no way that the wind blew down both sides of a sign," he said.

"I think whoever's doing it is very immature," Friedland added.



Above text is copyright by the author.
Duplication without permission is prohibited.