Defacing The Lady

To the Editor:

If anyone saw last week’s Bee (October 28), they would have had the pleasure of seeing a picture of a very creative piece of art done by five eighth grade students for the annual scarecrow contest at our middle school. Someone obviously thought it was so creative they had to vandalize the statue and remove its head.

“Raggasus,” as the boys named it, had no monetary value because it was built entirely out of pieces of wood and metal either donated (the wings by The Bee) or found at the dump. Emotionally however, it was priceless. These boys worked during the week and weekends for over five weeks and were very proud of what their scarecrow was turning into. Their only mistake seems to be making it unique enough to get some publicity and/or having a flashing light in its head, attracting someone who might think it was worth stealing.

To Mat, Edmund, Adam, Dan and Tyler, your family and friends are very proud of what you accomplished. To the individuals who chose to vandalize it, you defaced something worthless yet priceless and dampened one of Newtown’s traditions. A tradition that gives our eighth graders a chance to abstractly express themselves for the whole community to see. I’m hoping the blinking light is not so bright for you.

Leslie Konneker

5 Pond Brook Road, Newtown                          November 1, 1999