Breaking News: Campaign signs stolen in Lawrence school race

Private school candidates Blisko-Marcus-Sussman seek  security video of thefts

By Mayer Fertig

EXCLUSIVE - Special to thejewishstar.com

May 9, 2010

Four days before the Lawrence school board election, dozens of signs belonging to the incumbent Blisko-Marcus-Sussman slate were stolen off the lawns of private homes in Lawrence and Cedarhurst.

The campaign is asking residents with video surveillance cameras to check if they captured any images of the sign thieves.

"We'd like to take those to the police," said Dr. Asher Mansdorf, a member of the board who said he was on his way to shul on Shabbos morning when he noticed that the signs were gone.

"Last week a significant number of signs disappeared in Lawrence," Mansdorf said, but the campaign decided to wait until this past Thursday to replace.  The next night an estimated 70 signs were taken, he said.

"It's just childish," said Nahum Marcus, an incumbent school board

members who is up for re-election. "It's unfortunate that it comes to this: that you can't just run a simple campaign with differences of opinion, and whoever wins, wins. It's a democracy."

Challenger Jay Silverstein called the thefts "intolerable."

"I have heard stories about signs on both sides missing. I have nothing to do with it and I denounce anybody of any affiliation who's taking any signs or doing anything with signs. There's no place for it," Silverstein said. "It's intolerable and it's not to be condoned. It should be denounced by all the candidates."

"It's something that has been bothering me all day, every time I walk outside," said Benjamin Weinstock, deputy mayor of Cedarhurst. "It tells me how uncivilized the behavior has become in relation to a public election. It's not a gang war - it's an election. I go past the corner and I see my sign is missing and it just aggravates me that someone would do that. I drive down Peninsula and every sign is missing. It's the height of chutzpah."