More than a bicycle was stolen in theft

Many Sandpointians are kind and charitable people; however, this community has its fair share of people without empathy or understanding, such as the person who stole my bicycle (and everything on it) early Saturday morning from the corner of First and Church.

To the thief: the bicycle and what came with it may just be things to you. Things to be sold, used, abused, or pawned. Let me tell you now, you did not steal things. You stole much more.

That bicycle was my only means of transportation. I do not own a car, motorcycle, or anything else that could take me to work every day and get my groceries back from the store.

That bike was full of memories as well. Each sticker on the bike has a story behind it; for example, the "make love not war" sticker came from a peace march held in downtown Sandpoint and the "989" sticker came from a fundraiser for Sandpoint's Concrete Lake skatepark.

Transportation and memories weren't the only things you stole. My grandfather's Honner B-flat harmonica, the only connection I had to him, was in the bike bag. He died this past Easter. I couldn't afford to go to the funeral, and the harmonica was my only inheritance.

To put it simply, what you did is not cool. I encourage you to return my bike and the things on it. Just leave it in a park somewhere and give the police an anonymous tip. If you're a friend of the person who stole my bike or know what happened to it, make sure it is returned. You wouldn't want something like that to happen to you, would you?

GARY HASSLER

Sandpoint