Beaver Island Michigan

Recently, I left a flattened racing-bike wheel near the BICS side of the Library for an hour. With my hands full already, I left to buy a repair kit for it. Unfortunately for me, by the time I returned some sticky-fingered soul decided it should be theirs.

I guess that's my fault for leaving a valuable item unattended outdoors near the school zone, for all of an hour--even though I had carefully tucked the wheel rim away behind a bush, hoping to hide it from the eyes of certain bored, perhaps professionally delinquent youth in the area. Maybe I should have buried it, or tied it thirty feet up in a pine tree instead.

Lesson learned? Don't leave so much as a newspaper within a mile of a heavily trafficked pathway for local students. This is the second time I know of where someone's reported a stolen item near the Library this month.

It used to be you didn't have to nail everything down in a small town if you wanted to keep it. Things have changed. Must Library users padlock their bikes to the rack, now that school is in session? Is nothing safe?

Looks like some youths have far too much time on their hands, and not enough monitoring. And that doesn't do the community or it's visitors any good, I can assure you.

Sorry to hear about your stolen property, but why are you so sure that it was a student?

Rather bigoted comment. The island school wasn't even in session until today. What proof do you offer that a "local" kid took your property? with comments like yours it's no wonder that some of the island residents aren't all that crazy about some of the summer visitors. Most are very nice but a few are narrow minded and are quick to think that the islanders are ignorant, thiefs, etc.

Why do I think a student stole the bike wheel? Because school was in session when the incident happened--today--because there were students outside at the time, and because students regularly walk the path near the Library, as they were doing today. Also, the earlier incident involving a theft near the Library was traced to a local student, before school began session.

Beyond that, I find it highly unlikely that any of the regular adult Library patrons, including the many who ride their fully-wheeled bikes there, would spend their time ferreting through bushes to steal a bike wheel. In all probability, the wheel was taken by someone who frequently traffics the area and who would be more likely to notice something even a little out of the ordinary on their jaunt through the path. Add to that the fact that petty theft is more common among an age group where teens are "acting out", bored, undisciplined, or simply in need of an item that they might not be able to afford at that moment.

A little deductive reasoning can go a long way in narrowing down the range of possible suspects.

And before you run on accusing me of bigotry, Ms. Schwartz, you might recognize that I wasn't slamming the entirety of Beaver Islanders, but the few bad eggs who make things worse for everyone. I've been visiting here for a long time, and have seen plenty to be proud of, or else I wouldn't return for years on end--would I?

Ignoring incidents like this doesn't make them go away, and objecting to them doesn't make me a bigot. There has been a rash of youth-related crimes around here in the past few years, which is hardly a community secret. But apparently some people find that so embarassing they have to kill the messenger instead of addressing the problem: and there is a problem. Denial of negligent parenting and a culture that increasingly turns a blind eye to these behaviors aren't going to solve the problem--they're part of it.

Enough said.

Assumptions are first step to a major foul-up.

I have learned it is best to live by this saying.

As the mother of Krystle Timsak, who is a student at Beaver Island Community School, I think that Mr Kern should go to Jim Campbell and let him know about the missing tire and let him do the detective work before accusing any of our students. Any students that would have been at the Library today would have been there with a teacher or aide of some sort. So please don't put the blame on any one group until you have some facts.
Thank you.
Sheri Timsak

I just wanted to say that i agree with the Timsak family...I can understand your annoyance with the whole issue of petty theft but to make assumptions like this can lead to nothing and solve nothing. The sheriff should be made aware of the issue but making blind accusations is not fair. I have been a visitor and a resident on the island for more than 4 decades. I have always found the islanders to be much more willing to give you the shirt off their backs than steal it from you. I am just saying to take a deep breath and take things one step at a time. The island is still a safe place to be and a paradise quite unlike no other. Bernie Miller

the next boat leaves at 8:30 am if you can't make that I'm sure Island airways can help you Mike Green

Mr. Kern,

I was the librarian at the Beaver Island District Library on duty today. I was there from 10:30 a.m. until 5:15 p.m. Since your post was made somewhat after one o'clock I can tell you that the only students that were in the back of the building were the first through fourth graders and their teacher at noon. They walked over from the school in single file, sat on the benches while she told them the library rules and then they came in. Not one of them, nor the teacher mentioned anything about finding a bicycle wheel. They left the way the came in.

You certainly did not report anything to me nor did you ask to use the library telephone to call Deputy Campbell or to call the school and ask if a student had found a bike wheel.

As the mother of a student at the Beaver Island Community School I have to say I resent my daughter being painted by the brush that makes them thieves. I think you owe the students an apology.

Why would you leave your bike tire in a heavy crime area its your own fault.

Where did you leave the rest of your bike?

he must have been carrying it, he said he had his hands full!!

Another thought on the missing tire. Maybe some civic minded person picked up the flattened tire/rim. They assumed it was litter left by "someone" and deposited it in a dumpster where trash belongs. Perhaps now they are embarassed by the uproar. Please don't jump to conclusions, it wasn't me, I swear I was working in Charlevoix that day!

We note that the crime rate on Beaver Island is much higher in July and Aug. Perhaps young summer visitors?

Mr. Kern,
I know and understand how you feel about having something of yours stolen. Unfortunately the world isn't the peachy little place we'd all like and yes we do have to lock,tie and hang things up from pinetrees to keep them safe and out of sticky fingers.

The day I was volunteering at my son's school I had my purse stolen out of a desk in one of the empty classrooms(mind you this was the first time I'd ever brought my purse to school ) . First I contacted the school principal who had all the students lockers searched and then he searched the restrooms in the school and found it laying empty under some wet paper towels in the boys rest room. Since students weren't allowed out of their classrooms without an adult with them at all times I figured that it almost had to be an adult who either did alot of snooping in the room or else saw where I had put my purse. Later that day I recieved a phone call from a Mejiers store and was told that someone had purchased something from the bakery with a check. Lucky for me I'd put a stop on the book of checks I had in my purse that morning.

Mr. Kern that taught me a BIG, BIG lesson. I could've blamed the whole student body just because I was in a school but I didn't.


Anna