Veterans Park theft remains unsolved

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The fountain in Veterans Park remains without its ornamental pineapple topper as the month of February arrives.

“There are no new leads at this point,” Granville Police Chief Ernie Bassett Jr. said Friday, Jan. 28.

A village worker noticed the pineapple missing on the morning of Jan. 15 and reported the theft to police.

Although a set of tracks that appeared to be from a single person could be seen approaching and leaving the area of the fountain, the tracks were not clear enough to glean any information from, Bassett said.

Police will continue to look into the matter, he said.

“No one has come forward with any information yet,” Mayor Jay Niles said. When asked if the village board intends to offer a reward for information, Niles said he did not know at this time.

The theft is planned as part of the agenda at the Feb. 7 village board meeting, Niles said.

“We’ll talk about it at the next meeting; right now I have no sense of what the board wants to do,” Niles said. 

The mayor said he wanted to wait to have the discussion in public to let village residents know the board is concerned about the vandalism and theft and still seeking the individual responsible. And possibly by that time some information could come to light leading to an arrest. Niles said the village plans to prosecute the culprit when he or she is identified. 

The mayor said he was not frustrated by the lack of leads in the case because he was confident something will break loose on the case in the future. “I’ve learned to be patient,” he said.

The football-sized pineapple is meant to symbolize welcoming and is made of lead with copper leaves at its top. Officials said the piece is valued at about $500.

Anyone with information regarding the damage to the fountain in Veterans Park is asked to call Granville police at 642-1414.