Vandals strike Holiday Village display

Vandals spray-painted several displays at the Christmas Holiday Village in Marantette Park last week, ruining several of the hand-painted displays. The vandalism likely occurred sometime Monday evening, Dec. 12.

A group of volunteers from the Columbia Falls Chamber of Commerce, which owns the display, get together each year to put up the hand-painted display in December. The painted placards feature winter and Christmas scenes as well as scenes from various Disney films.

This is the first time anyone has vandalized the display. The Chamber first set up the village for Christmas in 2000 after purchasing it from Lou Bain, of Kalispell, Chamber executive director Carol Pike said.

Over the years, the village has been repainted. Much of the painting was done by Joanne Breezee, whom Pike said cried when she saw what had happened.

Breeze and her husband, Len, worked together with Chamber volunteers for years putting up the structures and lights.

Wanton vandalism has sprouted up more in Columbia Falls over the past year. Earlier vandals have spray-painted the historic Red Bridge and signs for the River's Edge Trail. This summer, someone spray-painted the city pool and the side of the pool building.

Lorin Lowry, the city public works director, was able to remove some of the offending paint at the Holiday Village, but the solvent he used also removed underlying paint.

The damaged displays will have to be repainted, but Joanne Breezee is in poor health and can no longer paint, Pike noted.

"Maybe we can get the high school art department to help us," Pike said.