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Officials Are Investigating
POSTED: 5:09 p.m. EST February 21, 2002
PARKMAN, Ohio -- A group of maple-syrup producers discovered a hole in their operation in the Geauga County community of Parkman.
NewsChannel5's Leon Bibb reported that according to officials, gun-wielding trespassers sneaked into the forest of maple trees and blasted away.
Someone shattered the serene peace in Parkman by shooting 47 sap-collecting buckets belonging to Pennview Farms. The number of containers shot is only a drop in the bucket, since the farm has 2,500 of them.
"But to have so many shot through is really a shock," said Agnes Smith of Pennview Farms.
"It was costly and time-consuming and made you aggravated," said Darl Smith of Pennview Farms.
What American Indians called "sinzkibukwud" -- tapping maple trees for sap -- they taught the colonial settlers. Making syrup is hard work; 40 gallons of sap boil down to 1 gallon of syrup. When the vandals shot the buckets, they also picked the pockets of the Smith family.
"The worst part of it is, it's characteristic of our society these days, I feel," Agnes Smith said.
The Geauga County Sheriff's Department said that the shooting spree was the worst case of vandalism to hit the syrup operation in that county in many years.
Officials are still investigating.
NewsChannel5's Leon Bibb reported that according to officials, gun-wielding trespassers sneaked into the forest of maple trees and blasted away.
Someone shattered the serene peace in Parkman by shooting 47 sap-collecting buckets belonging to Pennview Farms. The number of containers shot is only a drop in the bucket, since the farm has 2,500 of them.
"But to have so many shot through is really a shock," said Agnes Smith of Pennview Farms.
"It was costly and time-consuming and made you aggravated," said Darl Smith of Pennview Farms.
What American Indians called "sinzkibukwud" -- tapping maple trees for sap -- they taught the colonial settlers. Making syrup is hard work; 40 gallons of sap boil down to 1 gallon of syrup. When the vandals shot the buckets, they also picked the pockets of the Smith family.
"The worst part of it is, it's characteristic of our society these days, I feel," Agnes Smith said.
The Geauga County Sheriff's Department said that the shooting spree was the worst case of vandalism to hit the syrup operation in that county in many years.
Officials are still investigating.
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