Grandpa Gang reports theft of '5,000 feet of wire' from trailer at Rock Spring Park

December 30, 2016 3:38 PM December 31, 2016 12:54 PM

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ALTON - The Grandpa Gang members report a burglary of wire in a trailer in Rock Spring Park at 2116 College Ave. in Alton sometime after 1 p.m. on Thursday.

The Grandpas worked Thursday taking down wire and placed it in the trailer on Thursday. The wire was used this past year for the Christmas Wonderland displays.

“I think there could be 5,000 feet of wire,” head Grandpa Al Cowgill said. “When we opened the trailer up this morning we noticed someone had broken into it and taken all the wire we put in yesterday. It is like stealing 500 man hours from us. It takes a lot of time to repair the wire we put in and it has to be in an outlet for it. That takes time to do that.”

Cowgill said he wishes whoever took the wire would simply bring it back to the park, recognizing the time it takes to replace it.

“It is frustrating, we try to get volunteer workers to work and this kind of thing happens,” Cowgill said. “We were very successful at getting volunteer groups and Grandpas to work this year. To see all this work go in one day is pretty discouraging. The Grandpas worked again today but were despondent.”

The head Grandpa said he believes someone saw the volunteers driving by College Avenue or saw the gang working, rolling wire and the word got out to potential hoodlums.

“We believe it may be more than one person like a gang of people doing this,” Cowgill said. “I doubt if they were even from Alton, it is more probable it was someone from across the river.”

Cowgill added that probably close to 200 extension cords were stolen, all needed for the Grandpas to properly wire the annual Christmas Wonderland displays.

“We will take the rest down and put it up again next year,” Cowgill said. “We sure wish someone would return the wire in or if someone knows anything he or she would contact Alton Police.”