ARCHBOLD WEATHER

Festival Of Lights Tampered With




Jennifer Kidder, director of Archbold Parks & Recreation, said light displays in the Festival of Lights in Ruihley Park have been tampered with.

“Somebody, or some group of somebodies, has been going into the park and unplugging the displays,” she said.

The tampering started after the lights were first turned on Friday, Nov. 24.

One night, she said, threequarters of the displays were unplugged.

On Saturday night, Dec. 16, about half the park was out.

People come from far and wide to the see the lights and are disappointed when many of the displays are off.

“One family drove an hour and 40 minutes to see the displays, and much of the park was down,” Kidder said.

Unplugging the lights creates problems for those tending the displays.

Some displays incorporate timers; if the display is unplugged, the timer stops running and must be reset.

Some displays rely on heat from being constantly on to keep moisture out of the wiring. If the displays are unplugged, that source of heat is lost.

Kidder said parks & recreation officials have discussed the problem with the police.

She also wrote about the issue on Facebook, asking those with information on who might be tampering with the displays to contact either Archbold police or Parks & Recreation.

Kidder said since she posted her comments to Facebook, it has been viewed about 18,000 times.

The post, she said, will make people more aware if they see something going on in the park.

In her post, Kidder wrote, “Our sincerest apologies to those that visit the park this weekend (Dec. 16-17) and don’t get to witness all displays, as two are now in need or repair.”

“I hope we’re done with it for this year,” she said.



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