Editor, The Record:
Two years ago I wrote a letter to this paper describing brainless vandalism on the grounds of Heritage Park Senior Secondary. At that time, a number of trees had been cut down one night and thrown into the wildlife pond just east of the school. Well, guess what? More brainless vandalism.
Three weekends ago, trees around that pond, and the pond itself, were "decorated" with toilet paper, underwear, condoms, bright neon air mattresses and liquor bottles. Two weekends ago, all the fencing on one side of the bridge just south of the pond was broken and thrown into the water. This past weekend, two trees on the school grounds were cut down and a third had its lower branches snapped off. Half of the posts and railing surrounding the deck overlooking the pond were also cut off. All of the debris, along with a beer carton, was thrown into the nesting area of the ducks and geese.
About five years ago, two large trees in HPSS' parking lot were cut down and a couple of years before that a row of trees beside the school, along Stave Lake Road, was levelled. All of these acts occurred in the spring, close to grad.
I'm assuming the culprits are young men. What is wrong with them? To the boys themselves, don't you realize your damage brings a cost to an already overburdened school district and to an already fragile environment? To the parents and to the friends of these boys, keep an eye on these guys. What does it say about these kids' maturity (and masculinity) if their idea of an evening of fun is to go out with a chainsaw, drink, and cut down and dismember erect things?
Barry Hammond
Mission