The dewey-humboldt.com website has seen significant success in a short period of time. Residents are not only visiting the site to learn the facts, but community members like Sue have also helped spread awareness about the website. While Sue does not own the site or directly post information, her support — including the placement of election signs — has helped increase visibility and make the website what it is today. She is certainly not the only supporter, but in my opinion, she has been one of the more outspoken advocates. In my emails with her, I have found her to hold a level of integrity and resolve not always seen.
A political sign may seem like a simple advertisement for a candidate, but for Sue and dewey-humboldt.com it represents something much larger: the right to participate, to speak openly, and to support the people and ideas we believe in.
Sue purchased several signs and placed them around town to encourage residents to “Know Your Candidate.” Many people have complained in past elections that they did not know enough about the candidates, and she believes these signs help address that problem.
By definition, this is a political sign.
Recently, one of Sue’s signs was stolen, and she was able to track down what happened to it. The issue at hand is that the sign was reportedly removed by ADOT along Highway 69, where numerous other political signs remain in place. This raises important questions: Should enforcement be all or nothing? Why was only her sign removed? Was a favor called in to target this specific sign?
The story is still developing. Check back for updates. Below is the timeline of events.
Timeline from Sue’s account:
On Saturday, May 16, sometime around noon, we put up our political banner along Highway 69 to get the word out about the candidates on dewey-humboldt.com. It was brand new, cost about $100, and we were proud to display it.
A few days later, on Tuesday, May 19, My husband was driving south on Highway 69 at approximately 1:30 p.m. when he noticed the sign was gone. He immediately called me.
At first, I assumed there had to be a reasonable explanation. Maybe it had been damaged or removed by mistake. But as the afternoon unfolded, it became clear that no one seemed to know what had happened.
At 1:40 p.m., I called ADOT and left a message. A few minutes later, at 1:47 p.m., Rob from ADOT called me back and told me they had not removed the sign. He transferred me to Mr. Keating, and I left him a message asking for a return call.
Still trying to track it down, I called my friend Brian at 2:08 p.m. who is a former ADOT employee, and he said he would ask a contact at ADOT to keep an eye out in “the pit”, the area where removed signs and materials are sometimes stored.
The next morning, Wednesday, May 20, the search continued.
At 8:53 a.m., Rob from ADOT called again and told me the sign still was not there. He tried to be helpful and suggested I continue trying to contact Mr. Keating.
At 8:59 a.m., I called again, but I still could not reach Mr. Keating.
Since nobody at ADOT seemed to have answers, I started calling everywhere else I could think of. At 9:19 a.m., I contacted the Town of Prescott Valley, and they told me they had not taken the sign. At 9:40 a.m., I got a text that the sign was not in the pit. At 9:44 a.m., I called the Sheriff’s Office, and they said they were not involved. At 12:14 p.m., I contacted Yavapai County and received the same response.
By then, we were frustrated and confused. A political sign does not simply disappear without someone making a decision to remove it, stakes included.
Later that day, while out running errands, we decided on a whim to stop and ask nearby business owners whether their security cameras might have captured anything. That unexpected stop became the turning point.
We got lucky.
Reviewing the video footage from a close business, we watched someone arrive around 1:00 p.m., take down the political banner along with its posts, load everything into the back of a truck, and drive away. No notice. No explanation. Just gone. My contact information was printed on the sign with my phone number.
The next morning, Thursday, May 21, I still was not ready to let it go.
At 9:14 a.m., I reluctantly called the Town of Dewey-Humboldt. Sue answered the phone and said Patty would check with Public Works and get back to me.
Then, at 10:32 a.m., I finally got the answer.
Mr. Keating called and admitted that he was the person who removed the sign. He explained that a “citizen” had contacted him and asked that the sign be taken down. According to him, because the sign was not considered “political,” he removed it based on that request. Who’s request?
No phone call to us.
No warning.
No request for us to move it ourselves.
Someone simply decided our sign should come down, and it was removed without our knowledge.
Keep in mind – the sign said,” know your candidates! Go to dewey-humboldt.com” a political sign.
At 1:10 p.m., Patty from the Town of Dewey-Humboldt called back and said Public Works had nothing to do with it. By then, however, we already knew what had happened. It is also strange that ADOT called after placing a call to the Town.
What began as a missing banner turned into something much more concerning: the realization that a political sign supporting community involvement and free expression had been removed quietly, without communication, and only explained after we spent days tracking down the truth ourselves.
I appreciate Sue’s drive to resolve the missing sign. These signs are not cheap. I would like to see ADOT issue Sue an apology and disclose where the “compliant” came from. It would also be appropriate for them to put the sign back!
Stay Tune as the story continues to develop!
Supervisors are being contacted and hopefully some accountability!
email us at info@dewey-humboldt.com