UPDATE: Expletive-laden political sign angers neighbors
Feb. 26—ROCKPORT — An explicit political sign on Curtis Street has neighbors complaining to town officials and police, but they say there's not much to be done.
At the intersection of Curtis Street and Castle Lane, just off Route 127, four Trump-related signs are hanging from two buildings. One of them, which was reportedly recently put up, reads, "F*** Biden." The expletive is spelled out on the sign.
"We are aware of the sign," said Selectmen Chairwoman Ruth George early Thursday night. "We had numerous calls."
The sign in question hangs off the deck of a home under construction on a Curtis Street plot. The other home with the signs, next door at 2 Castle Lane, is owned by Craig Hillier, according to property records. Neighbors say Hillier is constructing the new Curtis Street home.
A Times reporter briefly spoke with Hillier on Thursday afternoon outside the Curtis Street construction site. He declined to comment on this story. Shortly after the conversation ended, a driver pulled over to tell Hillier that he "liked the sign."
Two of Hillier's neighbor are less enthused.
"I hate it," said Sue Small, who lives across the street from Hillier. "My husband and I feel it's very insulting. It's not welcoming to the neighborhood. And Hillier is a really nice guy, too. He's done a lot of great stuff up there (at the Curtis Street construction site)."
According to Small, some of her neighbors planned to contact the police about the sign.
"The Police Department has received three calls today regarding the sign," police Chief John Horvath confirmed Thursday in an email. "The sign is on private property and is protected under the First Amendment. The situation is not a criminal matter and therefore, the Police Department will continue to field calls and inform the caller accordingly."
George echoed Horvath, saying, "Police have been over a couple times to ask him to take that sign down, but we can't make him because it's protected under free political speech."
Although Small said she didn't plan on contacting the police, her husband, Joseph Stigliano, said he was going to drop off a letter to Hillier regarding his dislike of the sign.
"We saw two young teens the other day pedaling up the hill" right near the sign, he said. "We said, 'Oh boy, that can't be good.'"
Small and Stigliano have a political sign — "Black Lives Matter" —on their front lawn, as well a LGBTQ Pride flag with "Peace" printed on it. Their next-door neighbor, Cady Whitley, said she recently put up her own sign in response to Hillier. A handwritten message pasted on her car's rear windshield reads, "Kids Live Here."
"He put up Trump signs a couple months ago," Whitley said. "I have absolutely no problem with that — it's his right. But when you put up a giant expletive, one that I can see from my bedroom and from my kitchen, it's extremely disrespectful to the neighbors. There's also a school bus that drives up this street everyday. I just find it completely unnecessary."
Whitley said she recently reached out the Board of Selectmen about the issue.
"(Town Administrator Mitch Vieira) has reached out to about 10 of the 12 people that called," George said. "I had one call and I just reached out to her. "
"We're looking at what other avenues we can proceed with, but there's nothing right now that we can do," she continued. "I'm very sorry this is happening for the neighbors and everyone in town. That's a terrible sign to have up, for the people who have to look at it and for the children who see it."
Selectmen Paul Murphy and Don Campbell could not be reached to comment on this story.
Michael Cronin may be contacted at 978-675-2708, or mcronin@gloucestertimes.com.
