Grand Theft Roof

Now that Harold and I have returned home to our modest little house in Lambertville and our two dogs, Psycho and Killer, I feel able to freely share with you the fact that we spent last week on vacation in Savannah.

It was glorious there, hot and sunny. We walked all over the tourist district, sat in the shady squares, ate in the coolest restaurants. I would have sent pictures to Facebook if I hadn't heard about a local burglar who checks Facebook to see who isn't home and then backs up a truck. He may be out of jail by now. I did want to show you my favorite thing in Savannah, though, and that's a public fountain designed for kids to run around in when the weather is hot.

I could watch them all day, and listen to their screams of delight. Happy kids are so much fun. We should have a fountain like this in Lambertville.

Nobody bothered the house while we were gone, I'm delighted to report, due partly to the constant surveillance of my son, Charles. And the dogs, of course. They're pretty mean. Fortunately our modest little house does not have copper downspouts. Over the past few months people have been creeping around town stealing the copper downspouts from various churches and nice buildings. And not just here. It's happening all over.

There's an abandoned bank building in Trenton—How abandoned is it? Let's just say it's empty and unguarded—whose roof is being stolen piece by piece because it's copper. Here are some pictures, taken by Mark Dunlap of the Motor Vehicle Commission, whose office window looks down on the roof.  The story was written up in the Times of Trenton by Nicole Mulvaney.

They say the inside of the building has been similarly gutted. Trenton police have more urgent business to attend to, and the Governor won't sign any laws requiring scrap metal dealers to report what they buy—manhole covers, you know, street signs, brass plaques honoring veterans, people's downspouts and roofs, useless stuff like that—or record the license numbers of those who bring them things. Too much paperwork for them, he says. It stifles business.

© 2014 Kate Gallison