After someone removed the recall signs posted on a fence next to the post office in downtown Gearhart, they were reposted, this time with a camera and motion sensor to monitor them. Recall leader Harold Gable has since removed the signs and monitoring devices. The signs were posted elsewhere in town.

In his impassioned speech at a recent Gearhart City Council meeting, Councilor Dan Jesse got it right: The city of Gearhart is being torn apart by the acrimony between Mayor Dianne Widdop and those who are seeking her recall.

For months now, or even years, depending on the issue before the council, the accusations, suspicions and shouting matches have made the monthly meetings nearly unbearable.

If the City Council hopes to encourage community involvement, this is, I guess, one way to do that. The small council chambers always overflows to standing room only. In order to comply with fire marshal regulations, the doors to the exit have to be unlocked, if not open, in case the crowd needs to leave in a hurry.

Some might say those doors would also make for a quick get-away for anyone wishing to escape the tension contained in the room.

There are few “neutral” parties: People are either applauding those who read lists of accusations about the mayor’s lack of respect for the constitutional right of free speech, her disdain for councilors and residents who don’t agree with her and her intention to follow her own agenda without consulting anyone.

Then there are the mayor’s supporters who defend Widdop’s right to offer personal opinions, who remember what they call her “courage” on past issues and who congratulate her on her “forthrightness.” However, the supporters often find themselves being personally grilled by sharp-tongued opponents.

In a quiet town where “livability” and residential character are emphasized, the turbulent City Council meetings have been the community’s dirty little secret.

Only, with recall signs posted on fences and a camera and motion sensor trained on the signs to discourage anyone from removing them, that turbulence has literally spilled over into the streets.

Add to that recall petitions mailed to Gearhart’s registered voters and a website that lists all of the mayor’s public discretions, and it is apparent that this quiet little town has a dark side.

Widdop, too, has fueled the flames of discontent. Her complaint to the Secretary of State’s office that the recall petition contained “inaccurate, misleading and untruthful statements” has done nothing to change attitudes.

Widdop said this week that she has been told by state officials that her complaint cannot be validated. An official report from the Secretary of State’s Office will be released in a few days.

But the acrimony isn’t contained to just the pro- and anti-Widdop camps. It has leached out to other city issues and touched other residents. Whether the issue is about fences or RVs or short-term rentals, there’s a fair amount of anger.

One resident, who owns an RV and is concerned about a proposed zoning ordinance that spells out how long he can park an RV at his residence, told Widdop at a City Council meeting that he was glad she was the target of a recall effort.

“I hope it’s successful,” he said.

Another resident, who recently expressed a worry that his short-term rental will be affected by a possible ordinance regulating rentals, brought a Christmas card he received to the last council meeting.

On the front of the card was a peaceful photo of the beach. Inside the card was a harsh, anonymous “greeting” that criticized him for his “incessant bleating ramblings.” It was apparent that the man and his wife felt like they had been stalked.

The spark of annoyance that started so long ago has erupted into a fire of animosity that is spreading to all parts of the community.

Dan Jesse said that Gearhart has become a “laughingstock” of Clatsop County, but has it grown into more than that?

Just who’s laughing anyway?

Nancy McCarthy covers South County for The Daily Astorian and is the editor of the Seaside Signal and the Cannon Beach Gazette. Her column appears every two weeks.