Mayor says Obama effigy doesn't belong in central Utah town

Orangeville Mayor Patrick Jones is concerned about who put a display of Mitt Romney hanging President Barack Obama in someone else's yard.

The mayor of the small Emery County town first heard of the display Friday night, when a concerned resident called him. It includes a dummy of Romney, sitting in a chair by a tree, holding on to a red rope that goes over a tree branch and forms a noose around the neck of a dummy Obama.

"This is not something that we [should] have here," Jones said.

The man who lives at the house near 150 S. 200 East, has disabilities and could not have put up the display, Jones said. His parents, who live with him but are out of town for the weekend, are "good citizens" who Jones could not imagine creating the effigies either.

"They're really good people... not that type," he said.

Jones was trying to contact the man and his parents Saturday morning. He wants to take the display down himself, but feels he should leave that to the parents when they get back into town.

Jones said he wants to deal with the matter with the family first before considering calling law enforcement.

A Tribune reader who alerted the newspaper to the display said it is getting attention in the small town, with people even stopping to take photographs. The reader asked not to be identified because he has relatives in the neighborhood whom he fears could face retaliation.

Todd Hinkins, owner of the Industrial Electric business a few blocks from the home, hadn't seen the display but disliked the sound of it.

"We all hope Obama's gone, but that's unnecessary," he said.

mmcfall@sltrib.com