Friday, October 16, 2009
LAST UPDATED: FRIDAY OCTOBER 16, 2009, 8:27 PM
BY BARBARA WILLIAMS
THE RECORD
Staff Writer
RINGWOOD — Three Democratic challengers for Borough Council seats on Nov. 3 are primarily running their campaign from their web site now that 100 of their candidate signs were stolen this week off local roads.
Michael Keen, who is running with Grace Hazeldine and Thomas MacAllen, reported the thefts to local police, but Sgt. Paul Rothlauf said on Friday “this happens every year in every town” and that at this point, investigators have no suspects.
“We don’t know if it was the opposing party, kids, or maybe people from a sign company that might have taken them for the frames so they can use them for different signs,” Routhlauf said. “When conducting an investigation, you have to look at everything.”
Signs were taken from Skyline Drive, Cupsaw Plaza, Route 511, Sloatsburg Road, Skyline Lakes Drive, and Carltondale Road, Routhlauf said.
Keen said the signs were taken between 10:30 p.m. Tuesday night and 5:30 a.m. Wednesday morning. He accused Republicans, who govern the community and control all seven council seats, including the mayoralty.
“I know this is an old-fashioned campaign tactic, but the sheer volume was astonishing,” Keen said. “It’s distressing and upsetting and seems like a desperate measure by our opponents.”
But Republican candidate Donna Anderson, the current deputy mayor, who is running with incumbents William Marsala and Linda Schaefer for the four-year terms, said the theft “is a shame and shouldn’t happen.”
“This happens every year, and if I knew a Republican was doing this, I wouldn’t stand for it,” Anderson said. “When I ran four years ago, every sign for both sides was taken and put on the hill by the carwash. I certainly don’t want to win because all the signs were taken from the other candidates.”
Rothlauf said stealing campaign signs is a disorderly persons offense and anyone found guilty of the crime would face unspecified fines, determined by the value and number of signs taken.
Information on the Democratic candidates can be found at OpenRingwoodGovernment.com. The GOP information is at ringwood1st.com.
E-mail: williamsb@northjersey.com