We used to have “Mischief Night” when I lived in Acton–the older kids would run around in packs with toilet paper and shaving cream. But aside from t-p’ing the trees and phone wires, they mostly chased each other around. Egregious vandalism with spray paint and slashed tires wasn’t a factor. The mid-Massachusetts mill town Athol had some real problems this year.
Vandals rampage through Athol
Police: At least 30 residents victims of wanton destruction
By George Barnes TELEGRAM & GAZETTE STAFF
gbarnes@telegram.com
ATHOL— Roberta L. “Bobbi” Bruso said she understands Halloween pranks, but the destruction caused in her neighborhood this weekend was way out of line.
Things got ugly in the Upper Common area late Saturday night and early Sunday morning when at least two people went house to house, damaging cars, smashing pumpkins and generally doing any damage they could think of to property in the area.
“It’s so senseless,” she said as she pointed to damage to a car owned by her boyfriend, Timothy P. Bachelder.
Ms. Bruso said Mr. Bachelder’s car was tagged with white spray paint, one tire was flattened, and the radio antenna was snapped off. The vandals also splashed syrup on the windshield and passenger side window. Her car’s rear window was smashed.
“Nobody heard anything because of the weather,” she said. The howling wind apparently masked the noise of the vandals.
Most of the homes on Chestnut and Common streets near where Ms. Bruso and Mr. Bachelder live were hit.
“They just went from house to house,” she said.
Ms. Bruso said expletives were painted on the car of an 81-year-old woman who lives across the street from her. An expletive also was written on the car of a neighbor of the woman who shares a driveway with her. Tires were flattened on another vehicle of his.
Police were kept busy throughout the day Sunday logging calls from people reporting damage.
Chief Timothy C. Anderson said there were at least 30 victims of the vandalism. Some of the victims owned more than one vehicle that was damaged. On some cars as many as three tires were slashed.
Mr. Bachelder’s tire was punctured in four places, leading Ms. Bruso to conclude that, with the length of time it must have taken to do the damage at her home, more than one person was involved.
Police are continuing to investigate.
My dad told me that in his town, Winchendon, there was a flier campaign urging people not to let their kids go trick-or-treating–but not for the reasons I’ve heard before, that it’s a Satanic holiday or the kids might get tainted treats. This time, the argument was that kids might be victimized by all the Level 3 sex offenders that we are now all so much more aware of thanks to the sex offender registry laws. I probably haven’t been paying attention, but this is the first year I recall seeing that used to discourage Halloween fun. I spotted a news article saying that in at least one city, police were going around making sure that all the registered sex offenders took down their Halloween decorations and turned off their lights, so there was no chance they’d be attracting kids to their homes. I don’t know…that seems like a bit much. We’re telling people they can’t even put up decorations now? Isn’t it the job of PARENTS to keep track of where their kids are, and let them know why they shouldn’t go near certain houses? I remember that being true when -I- was a kid–way before any sex offender registries!
*sigh*