Vandals nearly steal Christmas spirit

Vandals almost took the holiday spirit from Chocolate Chisel owners John Reichert and Elizabeth MacCrimmon, but the community wouldn’t let that happen.

Twice in recent weeks vandals attacked the Christmas trees, each lighted with more than 1,000 LED lights, the couple placed outside their store on Grand Avenue in Port Washington.

“I have never been so discouraged and dejected,” the couple wrote in a Facebook post after the vandalism. “Having our beautiful Christmas trees vandalized outside our store has saddened me and taken the wind out of my sails.”

“The cost of the trees, lights and our time gone because the three guys who did it thought it was funny.”

But area residents rallied around the couple with messages of hope and holiday joy. Those messages, MacCrimmon said, “brought the Christmas spirit and true joy back to my heart.”

To celebrate, the couple will host a re-decorating party from 3 to 6 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 21. Those attending are invited to bring an ornament to hang on two driftwood trees Reichert is creating with wood he found along the Port lakefront.

Hot chocolate will be served.

“We’ve tried to turn the vandalism into something positive,” Reichert said. “It’s really heartwarming and nice to know that people care.”

That seems to have been accomplished.

“I love the turn this story has taken,” one woman posted, while another said, “So glad that a few scrooges could not ruin Christmas.”

“Good people outnumber the grinches of the world,” another post stated.

Reichert said he and MacCrimmon were disheartened by the repeated vandalism of the trees.

The first time, Reichert said, vandals bent a large artificial Christmas tree outside the shop to the ground, using so much force that the metal pole supporting it was bent.

About a week later, at about 10:15 p.m. Friday, Dec. 13, three vandals pulled the lights off the other tree, breaking the light cord, he said. They were recorded on an interior surveillance camera.

“I’m going to have to put a camera up front,” Reichert said. “I prefer not to have to do that.”

When they discovered the vandalism the next morning, he said, they were frustrated and angry as well as disheartened.  

“It’s really sad,” Reichert said. “We worked really hard to decorate for the holidays. We like to spruce up Grand Avenue as much as we can.”

It was especially disheartening, he said, because they’ve experienced numerous acts of vandalism, including damage to one of their cow benches this summer.

“We’re tired of it,” he said. “My first thought with this was I’m going to take everything down. But then I thought, ‘I don’t really want to do that.’

“We’re going to hang in there and keep decorating.”

But after the couple posted on Facebook about the damage, the response quickly changed their mood, Reichert said.

“So sorry this happened to you! I can’t wrap my head around why people enjoy destroying something beautiful. Try not to let it ruin your holiday,” one person posted.

“Know that your efforts have brought great joy to our household,” wrote another.

“I thought Port was safe from this kind of stupid behavior. I have been proud of the fact that store owners and residents could leave things on sidewalks and yards without chaining them down,” one person wrote. “Such a sad turn of events here in this lovely, friendly community.”

The impact, Reichert said, “was huge.”

“Last night, I was in tears of sadness,” the couple said in a post. “This morning I woke up and saw that my post had reached thousands with dozens of offers to help us redecorate. With tears of joy, I realized that our community was rallying to support us.

“We love this community.”