Reward grows for memorial's vandals

BONNERS FERRY - A Boundary County commissioner and two businessmen have sweetened the pot in hopes of catching the vandal who spray painted the veterans memorial in Bonners Ferry.

In addition, Purple Frog Tattoo owner Christian McCarthy in Bonners Ferry has offered a $100 tattoo, $50 piercing and $25 in body jewelry to the person who provides information that leads to an arrest.

As of Tuesday, Bonners Ferry police had no suspects for the August desecration of the stone monument in Veterans' Memorial Park outside the Boundary County Library. The city continues to collect reward money.

"The city of Bonners Ferry has agreed to set up a fund to maintain the donations for the reward," said veteran Mike Ashby. "They will administer the fund and will make the payment out, if and when they are apprehended. The city is willing to hold this fund and return money to donors if the individuals are not apprehended."

County Commissioner and Korean War veteran Walt Kirby donated $400 to the reward Monday.

"It will keep an interest in finding the hoodlums that did this," Kirby said. "This desecration has got to stop. We just can't have it."

John Cummings, owner of On Site Equipment Repair in Bonners Ferry, matched the three local veterans groups' total contribution of $600 with a separate $600.

"The men and women have given their lives for freedom and you have people that do this," said Cummings, who has several family members who served in the military. "Freedom's not free."

Dean Haagenson, owner of Contractors Northwest in Coeur d'Alene, donated $400 toward the reward.

"There are hundreds of thousands who have died to make it possible for people to freely express themselves," said Bonners Ferry Korean War veteran Elden Koon. "That doesn't mean the freedom to desecrate stuff. I think eventually some kid will rat on them for that much money. If, and hopefully when, they catch the individual, they will get more than a slap on the hand."

"It is a huge deal," Ashby said. "It is a desecration against the community. It's not just vandalism."