Is nothing sacred anymore?.

Saturday, December 18, 1999

Is nothing sacred anymore?

Christmas lawn ornaments are being stolen.

Snoopy, Winnie the Pooh, Mickey and Minnie Mouse to name only a few of those abducted. Others have been assaulted.

A citizen called local police to report seeing individuals remove certain Christmas characters from their display positions and then place them in compromising positions and take pictures of the results before running away into the night.

The "City of Lights" has a dark side.

"We have had a few of these reports this year," said Austin Police Chief Paul M. Philipp. "I don’t think it is any more than any other year, but we have had them."

Don’t think for a moment that the police chief is insensitive to the crime. The Philipp family has themselves been the victim of outdoor decorative lights.

While some may snicker and say it is a price to pay for decorating the front lawn, porch steps and entire house in some cases, others say it is a price they should not have to pay. They say they do it for their own enjoyment and for the enjoyment of others. After all, Austin is the "City of Lights," according to the Austin Area Chamber of Commerce’s annual Christmas In The City promotion.

Also, the last two winters have been mild allowing people to decorate outside on an even grander scale than ever before. Drive through any neighborhood and there are bright lights flashing throughout the evening.

The popularity of the new "icicle lights" has seen hundreds of thousands of lights strung around windows, rooftops and garages as well as houses.

But Dennis C. and Paulette F. LeBarron, 600 12th Ave. NW, have lost their patience and understanding after twice being victimized.

"The first theft occurred on Dec. 5 - on my birthday," Paulette said. "I like to invite my friends from work over."

Mrs. LeBarron is first manager at the McDonalds restaurant in Austin and has worked for the owners for 15 years.

On the night in question, LeBarron’s friends left her home at 5:45 p.m. "I checked outside and everything was fine," she said of the Christmas decorations.

When her husband, Dennis, business agent for Local 9 at the Quality Pork Processors Inc. plant in Austin, returned from a Sunday hunting trip at 6:45 p.m., he came into the house and asked his wife, "Do you know Snoopy is gone?"

After verifying the theft, Paulette stewed overnight and reported the theft to Austin police the following morning.

Then, the LeBarrons were victimized a second time Dec. 10, while away shooting pool at Blooming Prairie in a couples league.

"We returned home at 10 p.m. that night and everything was fine. We turned off the lights and went to bed," she said.

The following morning, she left the house for work and discovered three lawn characters, Winnie the Pooh, Mickey and Minnie Mouse missing.

"They had been fastened together and staked in the ground, but they ripped them loose and unplugged them and took them," she said.

Police were again notified.

LeBarron places a value of $50 on each of the lawn ornaments. They were purchased this holiday season.

Not only is the LeBarrons’ house a popular destination for families driving the city to see the Christmas lights, but also where their five children and eight grandchildren come to celebrate the Yuletide holiday.

"The first time this happened and Snoopy was stolen, I couldn’t believe it," she said. "When the last three were stolen, I was heartbroken."

The LeBarrons have decorated the outside of their home for Christmas for the last five years. Each year, they have added to it, making the display a "must see" destination at Christmastime.

They have to borrow a truck that has a "cherry picker" to reach the top of a 40-foot tall evergreen that is also decorated, including a large star at the top.

Their children and grandchildren all help decorate the couple’s front lawn, so Mrs. LeBarron has taken the thefts as an affront, not only to her, but to her family.

The police chief understands how frustrating it is.

"It has to be frustrating and just plain irritating for citizens to have this happen at Christmastime," Phillip said.

Scoff, if your will, but o one should under-estimate the seriousness of this matter in the LeBarron household.

"We just don’t know if we will do it again. It takes a lot of work to do all this," she said, pointing at a nativity scene and other lawn decorations on their corner lot. "We don’t know if it is worth doing this again next year.

"We don’t only do it for our children and grandchildren, but we do it for everybody who enjoys Christmas. There are so many people who drive by and stop to look at the decorations and lights at this time of the year."

"We want them returned and there will be no questions asked if they will only do that," she said.

Like so many others, Dennis and Paulette enjoy driving around the city looking at the other Christmas lights and, rest assured, looking for Snoopy, Winnie, Mickey and Minnie, who are still missing as Christmas approaches.