One container knocked over, others emptied

 

The cool Monday morning seemed like a perfect time for Ironton In Bloom president Carol Allen to get some flowers into her own garden.

However, Sunday night vandals detoured her from that mission as she took an impromptu tour of the destruction done to some of the beautification work of the civic volunteer group this season.

There were six containers throughout downtown that had flowers ripped out including the box in front of Rite Aid drugstore at Eighth Street and Park Avenue.

“The container was knocked over and everything was taken,” Allen said. “My feeling is there was more than one person involved in that particular event.”

Also hit were four containers at the fountain at Center Street and a container in front of Glitters at Park Avenue and Third Street.

“I saw dirt around Fountain Square,” Allen said. “They had cut all of the canna lilies and pulled flowers from each of them. In front of Glitters, they pulled some flowers, and cut the canna lilies.”

Allen made a tour of the rest of the containers in the area and couldn’t find any more vandalism.

“At this point, I only know of six,” she said.

To replace and refill the containers, Allen estimates the cost at $200.

This was the fifth year for Ironton in Bloom to put out flowers in ground level containers and hanging baskets along the streets of downtown.

“I am a little discouraged and saddened,” she said. “I am basically really proud of Ironton. This is the first damage we have had and we are starting our fifth year. We don’t want it to happen and I want to encourage Ironton citizens to be on the lookout.”

Allen asks if anyone sees vandals strike the flower boxes or baskets, to contact the Lawrence County Sheriff’s Office.

“We would love to catch them and have them work to do community service with Ironton in Bloom cleaning up the streets as well as restitution,” she said. “We are going to replace the plants as soon as possible.”