The case of the missing campaign signs

When I agreed to put a campaign sign on my lawn to support Catherine Johnson in her successful run for the Planning and Zoning Commission in Middletown, I did it with some trepidation. Yes, I've voted for Republicans before, but I've rarely bragged about it in public. In fact, I vote enthusiastically for Mayor candidate Seb Giuliano in his initial run.

But shortly after I put the sign in my yard, supporting Catherine, and "The entire Giuliano team," I attended a Planning and Zoning Commission meeting where Giuliano angered me when he rose and, in short, petulantly chastised anyone who would criticize a drive-in window for the new Rite-Aid on Main Street. Then he "advised" the Commission that they would be unwise to vote for the exception because they would probably face a lawsuit, and would likely not prevail.

I decided there and then that he was not getting my vote in an uncontested election.

And when I saw that two of my neighbors had the clever idea of obliterating the "Giuliano team" line on their signs with masking tape, I pulled out my own duct tape and altered my sign.

After a pre-election weekend visit to Louisiana, I found my sign was missing, and the next day, replaced by an election sign with the offending line completely sliced off.

I was mildly puzzled, but dismissed it as a mystery of the universe not worth solving, until I heard a story that provided some answers.

It seems that at a post-election party, a relative of the mayor was giving someone an earful about people who had defaced signs that didn't even belong to them. She was angry, and even was heard to cast aspersions about Johnson for encouraging the defaced signs. Of course, Catherine Johnson had nothing to do with it. But someone from the town's Republican party likely did.

Needless to say, it's a lesson learned. No more Republican signs on my narrow strip of front lawn.