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South Shore hamlet might have to buy a bigger spotlight

By adamg on Sat, 10/12/2024 - 7:32pm

On Friday, some guy began using a spotlight to show the Trump logo on the town water tower. The town responds it's not putting up with nonsense like that so now town DPW workers have wheeled in a bright white spotlight of their own to try to blank out the Trump message - and the town attorney is getting ready to dun the guy $100 a day until he quits.

Town Administrator Lisa Green says the town is looking at buying a more powerful spotlight:

This individual’s actions have the potential to cost a significant amount of taxpayer dollars, including attorney fees, overtime to pay Highway Department workers to turn the spotlight on and off each day, and the potential for having to rent or purchase stronger lighting equipment. The $100 per day fine will likely not cover these expenses.

The Town of Hanson respects the free speech rights of all residents, and the right of all residents to express their political views, but not on Town property or in a manner that makes it appear that the Town of Hanson is endorsing any political candidate.

Neighborhoods: 
South Shore
Topics: 
Politics
Free tagging: 
2024 elections
Hanson


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Comments

By cybah on Sat, 10/12/2024 - 8:19pm.

MAGA really is a disease... going thru so much trouble to shine a "TRUMP 2024" sign on a water tower, THEN having the town tell you to knock it off, and then you continue to do so.

All for a guy who can't make coherent sentences and really should be in a convalescent home.

You really can't fix stupid. These magats are just plain old broken.

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By John Costello on Sun, 10/13/2024 - 12:33pm.

This guy is about to have about 6 months of free drinks at Damien's and get a Chamber of Commerce award.

Driving through here, Halifax, West Bridgewater, East Bridgewater and you would think that you are in Seabrook NH.

Stupid ass rednecks who think they are in Hazard County. If someone who fails the paper bag test drives through town, the local Facebook page screams they are turning into Brockton.

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By Anon on Sun, 10/13/2024 - 1:40pm.

Aren’t you the person who was railing against people making a generalization about rockland inhabitants recently?

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By John Costello on Sun, 10/13/2024 - 4:56pm.

Some of us actually spend time outside of the Four Mile Radius from Hyde Square and know things about the rest of the state besides the fantasy life of the Camberville/Jamaicadale world.

Rockland is great. It's filled with hard working people both native and immigrants.

Hanson is full of Trumpy rednecks.

By Kinopio on Sun, 10/13/2024 - 7:55pm.

Camberville/Jamaicadale isn’t full of hardworking natives and immigrants? JP alone is very diverse economically, racially, sexual orientation, etc

By John Costello on Sun, 10/13/2024 - 9:23pm.

Owing that little rich boys like you moved in and forced out working class people to car dependent burbs.

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By cybah on Sun, 10/13/2024 - 2:23pm.

My comment still applies.

But yeah any "town" facebook page is pretty much a breeding ground for racism, xenophobia, and misogyny.

But as far as Hanson... to paraphrase an episode of the Goldens Girls ("Mothers Day", Season 3, Episode 25.)

Rose is waiting in a bus station to go home to St Olaf for Mothers Day. She meets an elderly lady on the run from the police trying to get to Northern Falls. The buses are delayed so they sit and chat for a while...

Woman: Excuse me. Are you waiting for the bus to Northern Falls?
Rose: No, St Olaf
Woman: I've visited there... Lovely little town.
Rose: Yes, yes it is!
Woman: Rolling hills... charming homes
Rose: Yes (says delightfully)
Woman: ... full of idiots.

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By SwirlyGrrl on Sun, 10/13/2024 - 8:49pm.

Both biking backroads and driving main roads.

Was there just last night.

Yes, there are both low-key Trump signs and Big Trump Displays (the dilapidated boat in the chronic high tide flood zone is a favorite) ... but there are also solid clusters of proliferating Harris Walz signs all over the place, usually the ones with "Obviously" at the bottom. Lots of cat banner ones, too.

By Daan on Sat, 10/12/2024 - 8:22pm.

There are words that seem to fit Trump supporters. Loud, hubris and theatrical. It's as though, among the evils he authorizes, that is gives permission to his supporters to fly into the mental space of America with titanic noisy belligerence. And that inspires theatrical boisterous chest thumping mental thuggery.

Trump is a one man show of Shakespearean and Biblical farcical and tragic dimensions. He is a blackly lighted beacon of madness, a voluble, writhing, steaming, erupting, expelling, spewing and discharging moon size hot air balloon ready to burst - which apparently for a lot of people is the best entertainment of their lives.

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By Sator on Sun, 10/13/2024 - 5:54am.

Carnival Barkers

By Camberville on Sun, 10/13/2024 - 12:04am.

Why don't they just... paint over it? Is a political ad like this allowed to be painted on municipal infrastructure? Who painted it in the first place? The fact that it's being litigated with spotlights just seems silly.

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By SwirlyGrrl on Sun, 10/13/2024 - 12:14am.

This isn't painted.

Some putz is using a spotlight to project the mark of the beast on the tower. He won't stop so the town is blasting it out with a spotlight.

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By Camberville on Sun, 10/13/2024 - 2:00am.

I guess that makes more sense. I guess I was confused because I think of that as projection (ha, how fitting) rather than a spotlight. The article made it sound like an existing logo was being illuminated.

The wool finally having been pulled from my eyes, I am now curious how this works legally. IS there any case law that deals with projection of light like this? Is the projection coming from private property? Does that matter?

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By berkleealum on Sun, 10/13/2024 - 7:25am.

but i think choosing to shine an even brighter light onto the tower rather than say, confiscating the Trump guy’s light would absolve the town from any legal issue

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By SwirlyGrrl on Sun, 10/13/2024 - 9:19am.

Political advertising on public property? Looks like they are exploring their options.

The town could designate it a polling place ...

I know I've pulled signs out of public property because political advertising on public property is technically illegal (and, yes, I'm very nonpartisan about this - 2/3 are for people I support).

I do find this amusing, because the biggest exploiters of this practice have been people projecting all sorts of fun things on Trump Towers and oil-related buildings and facilities throughout the world. So I guess turn about is fair play.

I'm guessing that the person doing this is making few friends he doesn't already have.

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By Sator on Sun, 10/13/2024 - 9:25am.

is private property, unlike this water tank.

By Anon on Sun, 10/13/2024 - 11:12am.

Difference is this is public property and Trump Tower is private. So different rules about political ads as you say and it’s the governments job to prevent ads on their property and it’s private landowners job to deal with it on theirs (at the very least file complaint with the government).

By SwirlyGrrl on Sun, 10/13/2024 - 8:52pm.

I was mostly pointing out that was probably where this cultist got their inspiration.

That said, I would be tempted to have a neighbor project "I'm With Stupid" under the former guy's brand. I wonder how long it would go on?

By scollaysq on Sun, 10/13/2024 - 6:31pm.

Swirly made me actually lol.

By Tim Mc. on Sun, 10/13/2024 - 3:35pm.

I think you're misunderstanding -- the guy is using a light to project an image onto a blank surface. Like a projector, or a novelty keychain laser pointer.

By anon on Sun, 10/13/2024 - 12:51am.

Right, because if they don't blot out this sign, people will see it and decide to vote for Trump.

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By Kinopio on Sun, 10/13/2024 - 8:05pm.

Give these criminals an inch and they’ll take a mile. The town can’t let this loser get away with this temper tantrum on public property.

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By dmj on Sun, 10/13/2024 - 9:19am.

As I've been in the industry of "Projection Mapping" for years, this article is of particular interest. In the past, this ability has been confined to those with "deep pockets" as the technology (not film or gobo type tech which as been around longer) was and is (to be done expertly) very involved and never done without all parties in agreement (projection origination and projected destination). (With halloween approaching, I'm sure we have all seen the various light projecting devices that have evolved quite cheaply and with improved quality). Although I found few court cases regarding the rights of property owners (in this case the town) agains such projections, it appears the law is still pretty murky if the light is not keeping someone awake. I did get a chuckle as how the usage of this technology for political purposes has been widely promoted as public art when it served certain political groups. This is a good case to follow and thanks for posting.

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By Alan on Sun, 10/13/2024 - 9:58am.

But this actually seems to me like kind of a 1st Amendment thing, like carrying a political sign in a public park.

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By SamWack on Sun, 10/13/2024 - 10:14am.

They should not shine their own spotlight onto the tower. They should shine it into his living room.

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By Daan on Sun, 10/13/2024 - 7:50pm.

Between the noxiousness of the fumes that emanate from His Trumpness and what Donald and his Evangelical bumlickers hope for (nuclear destruction that is part of The Rapture) a mushroom cloud is a perfect symbol for Donald Trump.