Newport's topless lawn mower attracts national attention

By Brenda Seekins, Of the NEWS Staff -- NEWPORT - This is the third year one of Shirley Davis' four daughters has mowed the lawn at her mother's home on Martin Stream Road in Newport. She just prefers to do it topless. Davis wants to know, ''What took them [neighbors] so long to complain?'' Last weekend, one of Davis' neighbors called Newport police to report ''public indecency'' when Davis' daughter came to mow the lawn. The neighbor expressed concern that a topless woman might distract motorists and cause traffic accidents. Police soon learned that no laws had been broken. Neither the town nor the state has a law specifically prohibiting anyone from baring breasts on private property.

''She likes to sunbathe and she doesn't like tan lines,'' Davis said of her daughter whom she declined to identify. The sunbather is ''in her 30s,'' according to the proud mom. ''If I had her body, I'd mow the lawn topless, too,'' she added.

Newport selectmen took up the issue of public indecency at their regular meeting Wednesday night. No laws were broken and no new laws were needed, they decided unanimously.

Davis' daughter and her preference for topless lawn mowing then became the topic of discussion in Newport, and made the news on several local television and radio stations Thursday. Late in the day, the titillating news had crossed the Kittery bridge, finding its way to such places as the well-known Cable News Network in Georgia, and radio stations from Tampa to San Francisco. Out-of-state relatives of several Newport residents called to get the lowdown on the now national story.

On Friday, Newport Town Manager Kenneth Knight was fielding calls and participating in on-air interviews with disc jockeys across the country. Even ''The Maury Povich Show'' was looking for the topless lawn mower, Knight said.

Most people in Newport agree with the selectmen's liberal, rather casual and humorous stand on the issue, according to Knight.

''As it should be,'' he said.

''It's not what I would have chosen the town be known for, but I'd rather have it something quirky like this, than something negative,'' Knight said. ''I expect to hear it on Leno or Letterman next.''

''It's hilarious,'' Davis said, saying her daughter agrees, but prefers to remain anonymous.

Davis said she believes the complaint filed with police was ''a way to get back at me.''

For several years, Davis has lobbied the town office, complaining about unregistered, junk cars littering the yard of one of her neighbors. She also complained about unregistered dogs running loose on the road. And she claims some of the homes on the road have failing septic systems.

''Who's to say that's not getting into my well?'' she asked Friday. ''It's a health hazard.''

Davis attended the selectmen's meeting the night the topless lawn mowing was discussed by the board.

She had come to voice her complaints about problems in the neighborhood.

But she left before the topic of her daughter came up.

''If I'd known it was going to come up, I would have stayed,'' she said, laughing heartily.

Her persistence in getting the town to enforce state and local laws pertaining to old cars and dogs made her a target, she said. Her daughter got caught in the middle.

Davis questions how that could be.

''I planted hedges, because I didn't want to see my neighbors,'' she said. ''How is it they can see in to complain?''

Neighbors would have to peek through, under or over the dense hedge to know how the lawn was being mowed, and by whom, she said.

The original complainant was concerned about the traffic hazard the topless lawn mowing could cause, Knight explained, not the nudity itself.

No one could say Friday whether traffic volume had increased on the dead-end road. ''It would make you rather conspicuous, if you have to turn around,'' said Knight.