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Dave Jones and Larry Mabley look over a statue which was damaged beyond repair when vandals went on a rampage at Pine Grove Cemetery during the night of June 27th. 36 FOCUS - AUGUST 2008 AUGUST.FOCUS.40 Pgsindd 36 It’s been a month since vandals slipped into Pine Grove Cemetery in Prince Albert, under the cover of darkness, to desecrate the sacred ground. In the wake of their brief visit, the cul- prits left 79 memorial headstones, some dating back to the 1870s, overturned and damaged. But that month hasn’t diminished the anger and frustration of Larry Mabley and Dave Jones. Nor does the fact that similar inci- dents have taken place in Scugog’s largest cemetery in the past. Pine Grove Cemetery has been vandalized on numerous occa- sions over the years, but before this latest incident, the most sig- nificant damage occurred in June 1992 when 30 gravestones were vandalized. Further attacks occurred in July 1994 and twice during the summer of 1997. The latest incident of vandalism took place during the dark hours of Saturday, June 27, and was first noticed in the early morn- ing. The timing of this latest spree of vandalism couldn't have come ata worse time - one day before the annual Pine Grove Decoration Day Servis Family ‘and friends arriving at the cemetery Sunday morning to decorate their loved ones resting place were shocked and in disbe- lief with the carnage that greeted their eyes. More than one person expressed the act was the “lowest of the low,” and found it difficult to un- derstand how anyone could de- stroy the sanctity of this sacred resting place. Donna and Glenn Van Camp ‘were among the dozens of peo- ple in disbelief Sunday morning as they arrived to care for their family plots. “It just makes me so sad,” a said as she looked around at the stones laying in pieces on the lush green grass. Fortunately, of the close to focus@observerpub.ca ® ren09 2698 0 |