Saturday, December 15, 2007

The Grinch didn't get to steal Christmas


"Then he slid down the chimney. A rather tight pinch.

But, if Santa could it, so could the Grinch."


Why am I not surprised? The Canyon Lake area is unfortunately rife with young adult and teen burglars. just the sort to try a stunt like this.


Their motivation? Methamphetamine most likely.


The true Christmas spirit fortunately showed up and saved the day. I hope we find who did this as it will make my day.


North Pole Village given donations after theft

Deborah Knapp KENS 5 Eyewitness News

Thieves tried to steal Christmas at Canyon Lake, but the community didn’t let them take their holiday fun.

It was almost lights out for the annual Christmas festival. Thieves stole lights, extension cords and damaged the electrical box.

“I just sat down and cried,” said Kristi Fletcher, recreation center program director.
But then word spread throughout the close knit community.

“We started getting calls from everybody, bringing us extension cords, asking us what they could do to help,” Fletcher said.

“Everybody came together, helped out to make it work,” Steve Bell said.
Local electrician Bell provided the labor, and Pedernales Electric Cooperative provided the material.

“He needed some wire and some plugs, so I rounded it up and gave it to him,” said Skip Engelke, with Pedernales Electric Cooperative.

Neighbors donated cords and lights. Six hours later, they were glittering all over North Pole Village, ready for the hundreds of children and adults who showed up.

Thieves not only nearly ruined North Pole Village, if the lights hadn’t come back on, they would have stolen much more from the community.

North Pole village is a major fundraiser for the Community Resource and Recreation Center of Canyon Lake.

The thieves struck Thursday, just before the lighting of the Big Hope of Hospice Tree of Lights. They even tried to steal the tree.

“They didn’t get my tree, and they didn’t stop Christmas,” Fletcher said.

North Pole Village runs for the next two nights at the recreation center on Mabel Jones Drive, just below the dam.