Our ‘who does that?’ file at the Citizen grew by one this week.
Still disturbed by the senseless vandalism of Pioneer Cemetery in Maple Bay, it was terrible to see another case of destruction targeting a public place make the front page on Wednesday.
Someone, or a group of someones, took it upon themselves to burn a significant portion of the children’s playground on Sherman Road in Duncan.
Targeting children like that is every bit as despicable as targeting the dead.
It’s not like somebody just accidentally dropped a match. These structures are not easy to burn. It would have taken time and dedication for the brainless twits responsible to get the thick wood to burn and the plastic portions to melt.
It’s disheartening that so stupid an act will affect so many people in the community. And the fix won’t come cheap either.
We — as in the community — are looking at possibly $25,000 to $30,000 to restore this place to its previous condition.
For someone to come along and leave ashes where children previously laughed and played, makes one wonder what payoff someone could get out of it. It couldn’t possibly equal the hurt they’ve caused.
We hope they are ashamed of themselves.
Especially when they consider the message a poster left on our Citizen Facebook page talking about how her child has mobility challenges and the Sherman playground was one of the only places he could go to play, as it was designed to be accessible.
Does it get any lower than taking that away from a child?
We wish people would think before they act, and demonstrate some empathy.
On a lighter note that lifted out spirits, the Crofton firefighters are getting a lot of attention for their weekend rescue of a deer that got stuck in a trench between some rocks and a fence.
But that’s not the only example of their exemplary service observed of late.
On Wednesday night, a member of the Citizen news team happened to be near the Crofton firehall when the siren went off, signifying a call for service.
The first firefighter pulled up in his vehicle a mere 30 seconds after the siren sounded. By the three minute mark eight cars crowded the lot, and by the five minute mark that number was up to 10 and the first firetruck pulled out of the hall.
If that’s not a reason for all of us to feel a little bit safer, we don’t know what is.
And last weekend the annual softball tournament, dance and auction at Mesachie Lake, which gathers a roster of fire departments in a fun contest, raised more than $30,000 for muscular dystrophy.
Two more example of how the Cowichan Valley’s volunteer firefighters are second-to-none.