By Staff
BURLINGTON, ON January 16, 2012 There is a group of people, less than twenty, who gather in a city workshop and plan for the lighted display that appears every year during the holidays in Spencer Smith Park. They give of their time and pick up a significant part of the costs to build and later maintain the lighted displays that are a delight for the rest of us to enjoy each year.
Somewhere in the city there are a couple of punks who thought it was a huge lark to slip into the park at night and dismantle the display of a small herd of deer.
The replacement value for the six foot, steel framed, lighted display, hand made by the Festival of Lights Committee that have been doing this for more than 15 years, is approximately $2,500.
In a basement or perhaps a garage somewhere – the punks that stole the display are chuckling away. They are not likely to grow into the kind of young men that grow up to volunteer in their community.
Lynne Snider is one of some 20 volunteers who create, build and then install the displays that dot Spender Smith Park during the annual Festival of Lights.
They might want to think about helping put up the 12,000 feet of tube lighting that is used for the Festival that lasts 40 days and pulls an average of 600 people into Spencer Smith Park during the event.
The official opening of the Festival of Lights features a march in by the Burlington Teen Tour Band who, would you believe this, devour more than 960 pieces of pizza during the chow down they get after the opening.
The loss of this particular display is disheartening and disappointing for the Festival Committee who in 2012 face some significant financial hurdles. The Burlington Downtown Business Association has decided they are not able to continue funding the Festival with their $5000. Contribution. The BDBA found that the traffic to Spencer Smith Park just didn’t work its way up Brant Street.
Oddly enough, the city isn’t involved in this significant event. It doesn’t have a staff member on the Festival Committee. Michele Allan, chair of the Festival Committee is confident that a new source of funding will come through for them. If you’ve any funding ideas – pop a note along to her at: burlingtonfol@yahoo.ca
Anyone with information on this or any other crime is asked to call Crime Stoppers at 1 800 222-8477 (TIPS) or through the web at www.haltoncrimestoppers.com or by texting “Tip201” with your message to 274637 (crimes).
