Damn this gets me mad. These A-ho's should be convicted to major time. We have to stop treating vandalism like trick or treat.

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Friday, November 16, 2001

Little railroad faces holiday uphill climb

By DAVID HENCH, Portland Press Herald Writer

Copyright 2001 Blethen Maine Newspapers Inc.

Efforts to prepare the Maine Narrow Gauge Railroad for its annual Christmas season extravaganza were dealt a blow by vandals who smashed scores of rail car windows.

The railroad, a piece of Maine's heritage and a monument to its volunteer spirit, was targeted over the Veterans Day weekend, as were nearby buildings and cars.

Jack Milton Dick Norton inspects a broken window Thursday on a Maine Narrow Gauge Railroad car. As many as 47 windows in the rail cars of the Portland tourist attraction were smashed Sunday night or early Monday morning.

The volunteers who operate the refurbished, century-old railroad estimate that as many 47 rail car windows were broken.

"I'm not sure why someone would do that. It's not like the railroad would hurt them. Usually it's all about young kids and Christmastime and a wonderful experience," said Phineas Sprague Jr., founder of the railroad. He also owns the Portland Company Complex that houses the railroad, Portland Yacht Services and other businesses.

"Really," he said, "the railroad is our connection to the way things were in the history of the state."

Maine was the only state to have a common carrier railroad that used the 2-foot gauge rails. A group of history buffs and railroad enthusiasts led an effort in 1992 to buy the cars and track from the Edaville Railroad in southeastern Massachusetts, which was shutting down.

Sprague said this past weekend's incident is the first case of extensive vandalism on the property since he started business there in the 1970s.

The railroad makes short scenic runs along Portland Harbor around the East End. One of its main attractions is the Christmas season tours that run after dark through extensive displays of holiday lights.

The tours start a week from today.

"It's not a good time because we're all trying to get ready for this Santa Fest," said railroad volunteer Pete Eastman. "It's just something else that's got to be overcome."

One volunteer who works to maintain the cars, as well as serving as conductor and flagman, will have to remove each broken window and install a fresh pane of glass, Eastman said.

"Some of the rocks went in one side and out the other," he said.

Eastman said the trains were running until 4 p.m. Sunday and the damage was discovered Monday morning, indicating the damage was done Sunday night or early Monday.

The tracks run along the East End Trail that follows the peninsula, and the trail, while lit, does attract some people bent on mischief.

"We frequently get one or two windows broken," said Eastman. "We provide wonderful targets - all those windows - and we provide the rocks - the ballast for the track."

Eastman said the damage has been disheartening, but it has also led to poignant gestures of support.

The mother and daughter who discovered the magnitude of the damage Monday morning wanted to help with repairs, so they emptied their pockets, donating $2 and change.

Staff Writer David Hench can be contacted at 791-6327 or at:

dhench@pressherald.com


Inlinebob@aol.com

Vandalism is preventable, but it will take the whole community to help out. During the night when miscreants damage equipment and buildings, they make enough noise to wake the whole town. My experience with vandals has been either everyone knew about what was happening and didn't bother to call the cops, or someone did call the cops, but they didn't arrive on the scene,for whatever reason,untill it was far too late.
The only thing you can do is to inform the local residents AND the police of the problem.Cops aren't mindreaders, but with some forehand information and some pressure from in-person meetings,they will be more knowledgeable of a possible problem.Ranting and raving in the local media will get their attention too, but this will not help to educate the police of what is valued by an organization. Tell the cops what to look out for before there is vandalism.Make sure your property is on their beat.
The locals who live nearby can help also. Send each and every one of them a letter, or go door to door and talk with them.Tell them to CALL THE COPS even if it doesn't look like anything is being vandalized.A few minutes of your time may help to curtail thousands of dollars in damage to railroad property.
Truthfully,in the end, this still may not prevent some jerk from throwing a lump of coal through a window, but at least you will know that you did all you could to prevent it from happening when you were not around.

Brian



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bhebert@rypn.org