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James F. Bickford, left, in March 2012 photo, and Holyoke Councilor at Large Jennifer E. Chateauneuf.

(FILE PHOTOS)

HOLYOKE -- City Councilor Jennifer E. Chateauneuf wants Mayor Alex B. Morse to remove from city boards a resident she said has made "sexually deviant and malicious" postings on the Facebook page of Nick's Nest, the iconic local restaurant she owns with her husband.

Chateauneuf has scheduled a press conference for 11 a.m. Tuesday at Nick's Nest, 1597 Northampton St. She will demand Morse boot James F. Bickford from the Holyoke Local Cultural Council, the Cable Advisory Committee and the Holyoke Creative Arts Center, said lawyer Stephen J. Buoniconti, representing Chateauneuf.

Bickford lawyer Peter Vickery said that Bickford acknowledges making the Facebook postings and that however "crude and juvenile" they might be, they are expressions of free speech permitted under the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.

Holyoke police officers visited Bickford's home here at Chateauneuf's request on Sept. 29. Also, police at Chateauneuf's request sought a criminal complaint against Bickford, which was rejected on Jan. 14 by an assistant clerk magistrate in Holyoke District Court. That's according to Buoniconti and Vickery.

A Holyoke District Court judge granted Chateauneuf a temporary harassment prevention order against Bickford on Dec. 22, but after a hearing, Judge Maureen E. Walsh on Jan. 5 denied a request to extend that order, Buoniconti said.

Morse said that as of Monday night, he had yet to receive a letter directly from Chateauneuf, though he did get an email about the issue, including photos of Bickford's Facebook postings, forwarded by The Republican and MassLive.com.

"I'm reviewing the concerns raised by the councilor and will be responding to her directly in the coming days," Morse said.

Chateauneuf "was appalled and frightened at the posts that portray hot dogs in a sexually aggressive manner. 'I became so concerned that I got a license to carry pepper (spray) for my safety,'" she said in a press release issued by Buoniconti (see below).

The posts were made on the Facebook page of Nick's Nest, a family restaurant famous for its hot dogs, the press release said.

"Mr. Bickford purposely posted sexually disgusting pictures on our business website that caused us personal and professional suffering. A person who commits such abhorrent acts should not be appointed by the mayor to any city board," the press release said.

Buoniconti said in a phone interview that the press release was issued Monday and the press conference would be held Tuesday now that court proceedings have taken place.

"She was very concerned about her safety with this guy," Buoniconti said.

In Chateauneuf's letter to Morse, she said, "As an elected city councilor, citizens have a right to disagree with my positions and I welcome open dialogue and different viewpoints. Free speech is one thing. These posts however cross the line again and again by their malicious nature with no political content. I was so disturbed and worried about my personal safety that I acquired pepper spray." (see letter below)

Bickford said his history of lampooning politicians and others to expose misdeeds is not harassment, but "is as American as apple pie, racism and police brutality." (see statement below).

Bickford said he targeted Chateauneuf because she was an example of "unqualified political hacks" who get elected on name recognition only and because of what he said was her support of a proposed anti-panhandling ordinance.

As for Chateauneuf's demand that Morse remove him from city boards, Bickford said his term on the Holyoke Local Cultural Council already ended, the Cable Advisory Board "technically dissolved" after the city negotiated a new contract over two years ago and the mayor doesn't make appointments to the Holyoke Creative Arts Center board.

"This is all ridiculous, but I do want to thank Councilor Chateauneuf for creating such spectacularly absurd political theater here. Very well done; and I do hope that it may it come back to bite you next election cycle," Bickford said.

Vickery said that online postings that some might find sexually inappropriate hardly qualify as reasons to remove Bickford from city boards, let alone send the police to his door, which is what happened Sept. 29.

"There's no dispute that he exercised his First Amendment rights to criticize her via Facebook," Vickery said.

Such postings might be "crude and juvenile," Vickery said, "But they are certainly protected by the First Amendment."

The police incident report about the Sept. 29 visit officers made to Bickford's home notes that police had spoken with Chateauneuf about Facebook postings she felt were derogatory and harassing. One posting was a caption that stated, "Owner is a classist (profanity) that wants to criminalize free speech and shame the poor. It is a sad state of affairs when dealing processed meat tubes qualifies one for political office."

The "shame the poor" phrase apparently was a reference to a September news story in The Republican and MassLive.com that initially misquoted Chateauneuf's remarks about panhandlers. The City Council Ordinance Committee, of which Chateauneuf is a member, on Sept. 21 discussed whether the city should adopt a regulation against panhandling.

Councilors during the Sept. 21 meeting discussed the possibility of requiring that panhandlers register with the city in order to occupy space at an intersection. Chateauneuf told of having recently seen a man and woman driving in a white SUV on Hampden Street. The SUV parked, the man kissed the woman and then he got out and began holding a cardboard sign, she said, during the meeting.

"And I'm at the light and I looked at him I go, 'Seriously? Serious. You have got to be kidding me.' He's just like ...," said Chateauneuf, making a shrugging of the shoulders gesture. "So, maybe it'll shame some of these people, they actually have to go to the Police Station and register and they won't be scamming people. That's what I would like to see."

Regarding panhandlers, Chateauneuf also said during the meeting, "Some, that is their only form of income. They are homeless. Those signs are telling the truth."

In the Sept. 29 police incident report, Bickford is quoted as saying he admitted to posting the comments and photos on the Nick's Nest Facebook page. He posted under the screen name "Pronoblem Francis Baalberith."

"Yes. I posted on there. I gave them a one-star rating. I'm allowed to do that. It's my First Amendment right. I hate their food," Bickford said, according to the police report.

Bickford then asked how it came to be that police were at his home, according to the police report.

"I guess Chateauneuf is using her political power again to get the police here. You guys would have never come if it was someone else," Bickford said, according to the police report.

An officer identified in the report only as "Detective K. Willliams" assured Bickford police would investigate a similar complaint in a similar fashion.

On Nov. 16, according to a police incident report, Chateauneuf and her husband went to the Police Station at 138 Appleton St. to report that "Mr. Bickford's harassing behaviors were continuing and that a criminal complaint should be filed now in the District Court."

A hearing in Holyoke District Court on Chateauneuf's request for a criminal complaint against Bickford on Dec. 1 had to be continued after Chateauneuf was present in the courthouse but did not hear the case called. The case initially was dismissed but rescheduled after confusion was cleared up. That led to the assistant clerk magistrate rejecting the criminal complaint request Jan. 14, Buoniconti said.

The only item still pending in court is a Jan. 1 LinkedIn request that Bickford sent to Chateauneuf, Buoniconti said. LinkedIn is a business-oriented online networking site. The temporary harassment prevention order was still in effect at that point, Buoniconti said.

Vickery said parts of the court proceedings occurred while he was overseas. In any event, he said, the temporary harassment prevention order was declared legally void.