By Dawn De Busk

Staff Writer

NAPLES — Mailers have started to play a role in elections in Naples over the past few years.

Whether or not the political-campaign mailers are changing votes is debatable.

The fact is: These flyers are showing up in residents’ mailboxes.

Most recently, two seated selectmen, Jim Grattelo and Jim Turpin, used a mailer sent to every Naples resident to endorse candidate Caleb Humphrey, who was one of three people vying for a vacant seat.

Typically, the Naples selectmen are elected in May. Because former selectman Rich Cebra resigned this year, one selectman’s seat was on the ballot during the November election.

On Nov. 5, Humphrey did receive the most votes.

On Nov. 18, he sat on the other side of the table at the Naples Board of Selectmen meeting.

That same evening, one of the candidates, Patti Raitto, questioned the legality of the mailer. She said that there should have been a statement, a claim that candidate Humphrey approved of the endorsement.

She made her comments during public participation. Both before and after making her comments, she congratulated Humphrey.

“I really truly wish Caleb well,” she said.

“According to rules, it should say that it is authorized by the candidate,” Raitto said, adding that information should be in a box somewhere on the flyer.

Also, she questioned the truth of the content.

“My problem is that the business people of Naples were compromised by what was said here. This is not a legal mailing. I am concerned about the people of Naples getting lied to,” Raitto said.

She asked Board Chairman Jim Grattelo how he was going to “make it right?”

Grattelo did not answer directly.

Selectman Turpin said it was not an appropriate topic for the selectmen’s meeting.

On Nov. 18, Grattelo turned over his gavel to vice-chairman Bob Caron II and read a prepared statement. He linked a good voter turnout to an interest in Naples issues and an interest in the future of Naples. Also, he said it was important to put aside misunderstandings and negative rhetoric of the past and move forward with running Naples.

“Turnout is the key to the validation of this informal poll. A low turnout suggests that no one is interested in the issues at hand, while a high turnout indicates that voters are engaged. [Three weeks ago,] we saw a record turnout for a local election in Naples. Voters showed themselves to be engaged and quite interested in the direction our town will be taking going forward,” Grattelo said. “The voters also overwhelmingly dismissed the six months of rhetoric, misinformation and smear campaign, which called for lawsuits, resignation and petitions. I see a clear pattern here with these election results. The voters of Naples have spoken. It is now our job to carry out the wishes of the overwhelming majority.”

“Tonight, I pledge to do what I can to bring divided factions together. I am reaching out to all parties that have concerns. I am more than willing to meet with anyone at any time and at any place. Let’s share viewpoints, find common ground and move forward,” Gratello said in his prepared statement.

A week later, during a phone interview on Nov. 25, Grattelo explained why he turned over the gavel and spoke as a citizen.

“According to Robert’s Rules of Order, when the chair is going to make comments, some of them personal in nature, not completely having to do with the town, the right thing to do is to pass the gavel,” he said during the interview. “So that way, the vice chair is chairing.”

It is more appropriate for a neutral person to be governing the meeting if someone speaks in opposition of what the chairman is saying, Grattelo said.

“I am not running the meeting and speaking at the same time,” he said. 

Additionally, Grattelo provided some background for the decision to back Humphrey, as well as talking about the usage of mailers in campaigns.

“Jim [Turpin] and I got together and decided that Caleb was the right candidate to continue to move Naples forward and accomplish the things that we have been working on,” Grattelo said. “People endorse candidates all the time.”

He said that at least five mailers have been used in the past two years.

He said that two years ago, when he and Turpin ran for seats for the first time, both candidates sent out mailers to the postal patrons of Naples. When John Nostin ran against Bob Caron II, Nostin sent out campaign mailers, Grattelo said. When Janice Barter ran against Cebra (for the state legislature), she sent out five different mailers, he said.

It has been a common way for politicians to campaign; and it has become more commonplace in Naples in recent years, he added.

The content of the flyer supporting Caleb Humphrey was mostly positive, Grattelo said.

“That mailer was not even close to being a negative. I’ve been involved in elections in the past in Biddeford and I’ve seen what negative mailers look like,” he said. “The election is over. It’s time to move forward. Get rid of negative energy. That was the purpose of the speech.”