Farm mascots stolen once again

Technorati Tags: Funny, Maine, Weird

By DAVID LEAMING
Staff Writer

UNITY -- A family known for giving has for the second time become a victim of someone with a habit of taking.

Styrofoam figurines Jolly Green Giant and sidekick Sprout apparently were taken by thieves from a wooden tower above the Mesarics' family vegetable garden on the Thorndike Road, according to Mark Mesaric.

Mesaric said his family has been upset since his wife, Patsy, discovered the mascots missing on Saturday. It was the second time thieves have ripped off the mascots. The family put them up for the enjoyment of passersby.

The large garden supports the family and extra food is donated to food pantries, according to Mesaric.

The Styrofoam figurines stood on a tower erected by Mesaric to discourage thieves after the first Jolly Green Giant mascot was taken in 2005. That time, the mutilated mascot was found in a trash bin behind a church in the nearby town of Knox.

Mesaric said he is angry and amazed at the determination and boldness of the thieves who likely stole the figures in daylight.

"There had to be more than one person, maybe two, to lift someone off the ground 10 feet and cut the strings," Mesaric said.

He said Maine State Police have been notified about the theft.

"We have put $500 into the figures and tower," Mesaric said. He now doubts that the family will continue the gesture that people enjoyed at the sight of the smiling figures.

"It's getting too expensive," he said. "I could have taken that $500 and given it right to a food pantry."

Mesaric said he believes the thieves must be young people with too much time on their hands. "Both thefts occurred around graduation time and it may be related to students. It is too bad that kids are blamed for these things but it looks that way," he said.

"It's disappointing that we can't put up something positive without it getting stolen," he said. "You can't make money from them. They (figures) are probably in somebody's bedroom. I hope the parents (of the thieves) get involved."

"People already miss them," Mesaric added. "Kids loved seeing them."

This was found at MaineToday.com