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Is the Trump projection still on the water tower in Hanson?

Monicel
Is the Trump projection still on the water tower in Hanson?

HANSON — Spotlights will remain on the High Street water tower from dusk to dawn as the city continues its ongoing effort to prevent a property owner from projecting a “Trump 2024” sign onto the tower.

At least one threat has also been made to a city official, according to a release this week from the select board and city manager.

The issue began on Friday, October 11, when the village discovered that a High Street landlord who lived opposite the tower was projecting the political image. The city said political messages are not allowed on city property, making the owners’ actions a violation of the city’s signage bylaws.

“This leads the public to believe that this activity is sanctioned or approved by the City Council,” City Manager Lisa Green said in a statement last week about the screening. “The City of Hanson does not endorse any political candidate, party or platform in any election.”

Hanson’s owner warned of fines

On Saturday, October 12, a cease and desist order was issued to the owner of the home. The city also said it would fine the owner $100 for each day the projector remained on. The city then took the further step of introducing large reflectors generated to obscure the view of any projection on the tower.

A statement from the select board and Town Manager Lisa Green issued Tuesday, Oct. 22, said the owner has not operated the projector since receiving the letter.

Despite that, the lights continue to shine nightly on the tower, which Green said the city will continue to do unless the owner assures him that he won’t turn the projector back on once the city shuts down the lights.

“This has locked the town into an unfortunate stalemate, and to avoid a back-and-forth cycle, the Select Board has decided to put measures in place to mitigate the projection until further notice,” the Oct. 22 statement said.

A threat and “inappropriate and vulgar” calls and emails.

The decision has angered people beyond Hanson’s borders. The phone threat mentioned to the city official was not believed to have been made locally, the city’s Oct. 22 statement said, but described it as troubling.

The statement also describes “inappropriate and vulgar phone calls and e-mail messages to city employees who are just doing their jobs.”

“The city has notified and is cooperating with the appropriate law enforcement authorities in this matter,” the Oct. 22 statement said.

Green said in previous statements that she and other city officials respect people’s First Amendment right to free speech and expression, but that a violation of the statute is a violation of the statute and, therefore, it is subject to citations and fines.

“City government officials are in the often unenviable position of objectively and dispassionately enforcing bylaws established by their citizens,” the Oct. 22 statement said. “This is a deeply unfortunate and unnecessary situation that the City of Hanson and its residents and government officials did not ask to be placed in.”

Hanson votes for Trump in the last election

A majority of the city’s registered voters voted for Trump in 2016 and 2020, according to election results on the city’s website.

A high-profile rally organized by the group Massachusetts For Trump was held over the weekend near Shaw’s in Hanson. The group has held and continues to hold such events across the state and chose Hanson because of the attention the city was receiving in response to the former president’s homeowner support, an organizer said.

The city has met twice in executive sessions — once during a regularly scheduled meeting on Oct. 15 and a second on Oct. 22 that had not been on the agenda for the previous two weeks — to discuss what steps must be taken next, which includes the possibility of further legal action against the owners to recover the cost of overtime and other expenses associated with the operation of the lamp.

GoFundMe set up for Hanson homeowner

Whatever that total is, the homeowner will have a little easier time paying the bill after two online fundraisers brought in nearly $7,000 in donations to help him do so. One of the fundraisers more than doubled their $2,500 goal with about $5,907 raised.

Hanson officials reiterated that ultimately the direction the situation would take was up to the owner.

“The Hanson Board of Selectmen strongly desires that this individual resident agree to end this matter without delay.”

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