To the editor;
A couple of weeks ago the Star/Journal published a letter to the editor from Guy and Doris Choquette, newcomers to Barriere, re lights they had put out only to get them vandalized.
I would like to say the following in response.:
I came here in year 2000 and up until about three years ago I never had any problems. Then my car was vandalized - the windshield was smashed and the driver’s door window also smashed in. That cost me $800 to have the damaged fixed and ICBC eventually sent me $180 to cover that $800. But that was not the end of it - I was advised to start keeping the car in my attached garage. The heavy overhead door was too much for me to handle on a steady basis, so it cost me over $200 to get an automatic door opener. That is a lot of money to a senior on limited fixed income.
That unfortunately is not the end of this. I have always loved Christmas light displays on houses - some cities like Victoria and Prince George have whole streets where every house is lit up to the hilt. Those streets are so lit up with lights it is like daylight and beautiful to see.
Christmas is for families and my family is scattered so all Christmas has been for me since coming to Barriere is my enjoyment of the light display I put on my home and trees. I would like to add more.
However, two winters ago a tree I had lit up near my north driveway had two strings of lights pulled right off - one was taken and the other thrown over my back fence into the snow. A third string was pulled halfway off and left dangling. I have not replaced those lights - what is the point? And besides, I can’t afford the cost of the lights, let alone the cost of paying somebody to put the lights onto the trees.
Last winter somebody cut the wires off the lights on another tree.
As a result of the foregoing, I am totally disgusted with the parents of the kids who vandalize to destroy someone’s pleasure, cost people money they don’t have, smash windows of schools, etc. The parents of these kids should be charged in a court of law for not caring enough about their kids to teach them some decent morals and to behave themselves.
My Christmas such as it was is now destroyed - I will not turn my lights on again - there is no point.
B. Smith
Barriere