There are so many positive events, activities and endeavours in our fine community. We write stories and take photos at many of these events and we are more than happy to share good news about community members every week. But there are also times when we have bad news stories to tell, and this week, unfortunately, is one of those occasions.
For a community that prides itself on helping others and doing good deeds, there are people in this community who don’t give a damn about anyone else or the effects their actions have on others.
Last Saturday night some heartless individuals decided that it would be “cool” to jump in a pickup truck and tear up the field behind Halfmoon Bay Elementary School. Several witnessed this mindless act and tried to intervene, no doubt putting their own safety at risk, but the cowards fled the area, leaving the destruction in their wake.
The quick-thinking Good Samaritans did manage to jot down the truck’s licence plate, description and the address that it belonged to. They passed that information over to Sunshine Coast RCMP who paid a visit to the registered owner. But according to RCMP, the registered owner refused to identify the person driving the vehicle at the time of the incident. The owner was issued some violation tickets, but as of yet, no further charges have been laid. Will more charges follow? We certainly hope so, because someone has to be held responsible for the damage that has been caused.
School officials confirmed this week that it is still not known what the final dollar figure will be, but the irrigation system is possibly damaged, and if it is, then that final dollar figure will be significant.
Within the last few years, this field was dug up and new sand and sod were put in. It was for all intents and purposes a brand new field that volunteers spent countless hours — and dollars — donating their time and labour to build and refurbish. The students, school and Halfmoon Bay community took pride in this field. Then in one stupid act of vandalism, all that hard work was laid to waste.
If those responsible wanted to go off-roading, then why not head into the backcountry to have their fun? Instead, they chose to go and rip up a school field. And to then refuse to cooperate fully with the RCMP and own up to the damage is as despicable as the act itself.
