Vandals damage library garden
By Bonnie Edwards
Published in News on June 29, 2007 1:45 PM
Wayne County Library officials discovered Thursday morning that the community garden created to foster understanding and unity had been vandalized.
Stately sunflowers lay flat on the ground, and borders neatly created to contain the raised beds had been scattered. The summer gardening project was to begin later in the afternoon.
Forty children showed up for the orientation in the auditorium at the main branch on Ash Street. After initial activities and instructions for a scavenger hunt in the garden, the library officials told them what happened the previous night.
"I told them somebody came in the night before and tore up some of the garden," said Donna Phillips, assistant library director. "I said we all felt sad and a little angry, but we didn't want to stay angry. We asked the kids what we should do."
The children had a plan.
"They said, 'It's OK. We'll plant more seeds and make it a happy place again,'" Mrs. Phillips said.
So the scavenger hunt continued in the garden, with tastes of the dill and some pickles. The volunteers also picked some okra. Other vegetables had already been harvested like squash, cucumbers and tomatoes.
The vandalism is just something that happened, Mrs. Phillips said.
Someone who lives in the neighborhood told Mrs. Phillips vandals had been hitting throughout the area.
"We don't think anybody singled out the garden," she said.
Library officials said the garden project will continue. Every Thursday morning until Aug. 16 from 9:30 to 10:30, the children will gather in the auditorium before doing garden work at 11 a.m.