Baby Jesus stolen from Nativity scene
Published 9:10am Tuesday, December 20, 2011
COAL GROVE — Coal Grove Mayor Larry McDaniel and his wife, Vickie, had just finished checking the lights for the elaborate Christmas display at Paul Porter Park Saturday evening, when they got a phone call, they didn’t want to hear.
“We hadn’t been home a half-hour and some people had been in the park and told us Baby Jesus wasn’t there,” Vickie McDaniel said.
The couple got back in their car and headed for the park.
“To look up there and see Baby Jesus gone, it broke my heart,” she said. “People don’t know the work that goes into that.”
For five weeks volunteers put together the annual display of lights that draws hundreds each night.
“When cars go through there, it is bumper to bumper,” McDaniel said.
The Nativity scene is an expensive vintage display that the village has used for 12 years. About 10 years ago the infant was taken and replacing the statue cost $349.
The mayor had been at the park on Thursday to work on the breaker box and the statue was there.
“It was stolen Friday evening,” she said. “I’d just hate to be in that person’s shoes on Judgment Day. Everybody has called to say that my favorite is the Nativity scene at the stage. I don’t know how many phone calls Larry has gotten. The stage is breath-taking.”
When the couple discovered the theft, they walked around the area to see if the statue had been tossed into the weeds.
“It wasn’t there,” she said.
Now she is hoping that someone with information on where the statue is will contact the village hall.
“If there is any clue,” she said. “I hate to judge anybody.”
Stupid people ruin it for us normals .
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The Coal Grove police department needs to spend more time patrolling the village and keeping the residents safe instead of all the time they spend on route 52 and elsewhere. On a side note I find this to be yet another example of financial mismanagement as from the article “About 10 years ago the infant was taken and replacing the statue cost $349.” Baby Jesus aside I find the amount paid very unreasonable for one piece to a nativity scene.
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This is a message to the thief. The only one that matters saw what you did. Say hello to Lucifer when you get there, sweet dreams.
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How sick do you have to be to steal a baby Jesus from a nativity scene? This entire area has degraded into addicts and theifs it seems. It is also possible that this is the result of some juvenile delinquent who thinks it was funny, at any rate I hope they catch those involved.
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I just want to say I can’t believe how many thieves we have in our area, its sad to think that but it is all true. The “Citizens of Coal Grove” should be very proud of the park, I have been there 10 times so far with my grandaughter and she absolutely loves it. I hope you find who stole Baby Jesus but sad to say you probably never will, I am hoping someone out of the goodness of their heart will come forward and just leave it back where it was and that way nothing would be said. I believe Paul Porter Park is much more enjoyable than driving to Ashland and especially when my 3 yr old grandaughter says lets not go to Ashland, lets go to Paul Porter Park, having a hard time getting that out, haha! Hats off to whoever was involved in the decorating, I already know Vickie and Larry and I know they were involved, you all have a wonderful Mayor and his wife is great. Paul Porter Park is awesome!!!
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