Someone living in or visiting New Hampshire's been dubbed "The Grinch That Stole Christmas"--trees. To make matters worse, a thief or thieves are accused of having no thanks at all--one to two people stealing at least 20 of the holiday trees on Thanksgiving Day.
Within just a two-hour span over the Thanksgiving holiday, David Gouette at Maggie D's Garden Center in New Hampshire says the largest and most prime trees including Balsam and Frazier Firs were ripped off from the store. And the thefts wouldn't have been an easy task. The garden center's Gouette says the stolen goods would've required a full-sized or even one-ton pickup truck for transport from the scene.
A local cop says it's the first time in his memory that someone has stolen a Christmas tree -- though, without age, it's a bit hard to tell how far back that memory goes. But the stolen stuff meant to be adorned with ornaments ranged between six to eight feet tall and were premium. How can anyone know those trees were premium, and not just good? Because they held tags, literally reading "Premium". The designation certainly made it easier for the thief.
The officer also referenced the question She's been dubbed "The Grinch That Stole Christmas"--trees. To make matters worse, the woman's pretty much accused of having no thanks at all--cops saying she stole 20 of the holiday trees on Thanksgiving Day.
Within just a two-hour span over the Thanksgiving holiday, David Gouette at Maggie D's Garden Center in New Hampshire says the largest and most prime trees including Balsam and Frazier Firs were ripped off from the store. And the thefts wouldn't have been an easy task. The garden center's Gouette says the stolen goods would've required a full-sized or even one-ton pickup truck for transport from the scene.
A local cop says it's the first time in his memory that someone has stolen a Christmas tree -- though, without age, it's a bit hard to tell how far back that memory goes. But the stolen stuff meant to be adorned with ornaments ranged between six to eight feet tall and were premium. How can anyone know they were premium and not just good? Because they held tags, literally reading "Premium". The designation certainly made it easier for the thief or thieves.
The officer also referenced the question of what one (aka, a thief) would do with Christmas trees "other than to sell them" -- since only a few weeks exist before their uselessness. The answer would probably be to sell them -- perhaps depending on the idea that local law enforcement may not be providing serious roadblocks with investigative techniques.
It may or may not be coincidental that police cite what seems to be evidence regarding a chain link fence at the garden center's property -- conveniently located next to Bob’s Lock and Key. No word on whether Bob's may sell things like bolt cutters. But the fence was cut. In half. And there was two sets of footprints -- which seems to indicate thieves weren't moving all that fast. It also seems to indicate security wasn't all that high at Maggie D's -- or the shop supposedly dedicated to security.
As to what the garden center lost, it believes the theft cost about a grand -- Gouette estimating those trees at a worth about $50 bucks apiece. At fifty bucks, Maggie D's Garden Center obviously doesn't supply New York residents. But the retailer may have lost more than it realizes: $50.15 per tree may be more accurate. It seems to have forgotten to factor in the new tax or fee being charged to retailers in the 2011 formation of the government's crucial Christmas Tree Promotion Board.