EDITORIAL

It’s a shame these things happen.

Earlier this month, in the middle of the night, some person (or

persons) set the Circle View Elementary School playground on fire. A part

of the playground was destroyed, and all that is left is one slide, a

swing and a set of monkey bars.

This, of course, devastated the Huntington Beach school’s students and

staff members, especially since the playground was barely a year old.

For three years prior, the school’s Parent-Teacher Organization held

numerous fund-raisers -- gift wrap, cookie dough and magazine sales --

generating about $45,000 for the new playground. The school also sold

colorful tiles that now adorn the outside wall of Circle View’s

multipurpose room to help raise the funds.

But now, most of what is left of that hard work is ashes. Damage has

been estimated between $15,000 and $20,000, and luckily the district’s

insurance will cover all but the $1,000 deductible, which will be covered

by district funds.

However, no one has been caught or has stepped forward in admitting to

setting the fire.

The We Tip program that the district participates in is even offering

a $2,000 reward for any information leading to the arrest and conviction

of the person(s) responsible for the fire.

And because of this senseless act of vandalism -- more than 700 Circle

View students don’t have anywhere to play before or after school, or even

at recess.

To say that this is a shame is clearly an understatement. And the most

despicable part of this act is that it hurt children the most. Because of

that, we wish authorities godspeed in catching the culprit.