City officials and police are still in a quandary as to who stole the Christmas lights from the trees on Main Street. The vandalism forced the city to turn off all the lights just five days before Christmas.
"Nobody knows who did it," a police dispatcher said. Nor is investigation continuing.Budget and Finance Director K.A. Driggs would like to know who vandalized the lights. The cost to replace the bulbs will be more than $1,000.
"Right now we don't have the funds to replace them," Driggs said. The city already stretched the budget once this year to buy an extra $1,000 in lights for those same trees.
Driggs said the trees along Main Street are extensively decorated each year with lights, and this holiday season additional lights were needed due to the growth of the trees over the past year.
More than 40 strands of lights were stolen and numerous light bulbs were broken over several days, according to Driggs. The biggest damage came over the weekend of Dec. 18-19.
Parks Superintendent Deon Giles approached Driggs and Public Works Director Frank Mills about the problem.
"We felt like it was a losing battle," Driggs said. After discussing it, they decided to turn off all the lights.
"We were as proud as punch of the lights," Driggs said. "I tried to bring everybody I know to see the lights along Main Street."
Driggs said there was very little evidence to go on.As for the possibility of a light display along Main Street next year, Driggs said they would have to weigh that decision more carefully because of the problems this year.