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LOGAN -- Vandals have taken several items from a Logan cemetery, including two pine trees cut down and hauled away -- maybe for use as Christmas trees.
The two trees disappeared last week, along with two directory books normally left at the cemetery entrance to help visitors find grave sites.
The various trees in Logan cemetery -- which is surrounded by Utah State University -- are plentiful, providing comfort, serenity and a sense of being away from it all.
"As you look over the cemetery, you don't realize but we have probably 850 trees," Logan Cemetery Sexton Seth Sparks said. "That's what makes a cemetery."
Sparks has been at the cemetery for long enough to see lots of things, but will never understand why someone cut down two cemetery trees.
"I'm not disappointed, I'm mad," Sparks said. "We don't like this to happen."
His only guess is that because the trees were too small for firewood, someone wanted them for Christmas trees.
The information on the cemetery directories has been backed up, and the trees will be replaced. Still, Sparks says that doesn't matter because whoever did this obviously didn't have respect for the cemetery.
"It is for people who have reverence, but if you're stealing Christmas trees, you don't care about that type of thing," he said.
Now, the police department is involved. Police are increasing patrols nearby, but authorities aren't planning to lock cemetery gates to prevent students from walking between campus buildings and dorms.
Logan Police Chief Gary Jensen says the crime is only a misdemeanor, but still, it's wrong -- especially in a cemetery.
"You would consider that to be heartless and without feeling, and quite honestly, I can't imagine looking at the Christmas tree in the corner of my room and thinking this is a good thing," Jensen said.
Sparks just thinks whoever did it may have done so for Christmas, but they certainly didn't have the Christmas spirit.
"Whoever did it, we're not very happy with them either," he said.
E-mail: acabrero@ksl.com
