Avon Democrats, Republicans Report Stolen Political Signs

Before Avon Democrat Linda Merlin went to bed, her Democratic campaign signs supporting David Peña, Barack Obama, Chris Murphy and Elizabeth Esty were on her lawn.

But in the morning, her Obama-Biden sign was missing.

Avon Democratic Town Committee Chairman Daryl Worobow, Merlin's across-the-street neighbor, said that all of his Democratic signs were stolen overnight.

"My comment about signs being taken, whether it be at polling locations or homes, it's very juvenile and we need to eliminate that from possibly happening by all of the party members of the town talking to their children, teenagers and whomever else is responsible," Worobow said. "It just doesn't make sense. It's a wasted effort and we could do without it."

But the sign disappearances were not limited to one party.

Both Worobow and Stephen Hunt, vice chairman of the Republican Town Committee, said that signs from their parties were stolen from Old Wheeler Lane where Roaring Brook School, Avon's third voting district polling place, is located.

"I don't know who took them, but I don't think it was any organized effort, I don't think, on either party's side," Hunt said. "My guess would be kids just being hoodlums, but it was kind of a bipartisan thing....There's really no reason for it. We all should try to be civil."

Separately, the Avon Democrats had signs for their party's candidates lining the road across the street from the Company 1 fire station, the second voting district polling place, but were asked to take them down because they were on private property. Owner Mark Greenberg, a former Fifth Congressional District candidate running against Andrew Roraback, gave the Republican Town Committee permission to put signs for their candidates there, however. The Capitol Region Education Council is currently renting a building on the 20 Security Dr. property to temporarily house Reggio Magnet School of the Arts there.

The Registrar of Voters Office asked that political signs be removed from Avon High School and Roaring Brook School by Tuesday evening.