Family wants boy's stolen fair project returned / LJWorld.com

Archive for Monday, August 6, 2012

Family wants boy’s stolen fair project returned

August 6, 2012

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Adam Leonard, 11, had his quilting project for the Douglas County Fair, a Christmas wall hanging, stolen along with a few other projects last weekend. His family is asking the person to return it anonymously so he can enter it in the Kansas State Fair in September.

Adam Leonard spent a couple of months working on his Christmas wall hanging.

The 11-year-old boy learned his skills from his grandmother, Cathy Miles, and through the Maple Leaf Quilters Guild.

He was able to earn a reserved grand champion ribbon for his project at last week’s Douglas County Fair, but when a family friend went to pick up the wall hanging last weekend, it was missing at the fairgrounds.

“It did qualify him for a State Fair entry,” his mother, Joyce Miles, said, “so he won’t be able to do that. We are asking that it be returned anonymously.”

Adam’s project wasn’t the only one missing or apparently stolen from the displays in Buildings 1 and 2 at the fairgrounds, said Margaret Kalb, executive secretary of the Douglas County Fair Board.

She said fair officials did notify the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office after they noticed a few projects by 4-H members and others apparently were taken. The fair book has a liability section that states exhibitors enter and display items at their own risk, but Kalb said the apparent thefts were still disappointing.

“We hope that somebody would be honest enough that they would consider returning the items,” she said. “The fair board is very concerned. We do our best to find volunteers to watch those buildings. I’m sure sometimes you can’t see everything in any type of business. I’m so sorry for the loss of those types of items, and so is the whole fair board.”

Joyce Miles said her son, who will attend South Middle School this year, had planned to give the project as a gift to his father, Mark Leonard. The family is asking anyone who has the wall hanging to return it anonymously to his mother’s employer, Housekeeping Unlimited, 1611 St. Andrew’s Drive, which is west of Bob Billings Parkway and Kasold Drive.

“I think he’s just more shocked than anything that it was taken,” she said. “And if they really liked it that much, he probably would have made them one.”

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consumer1 1 year, 8 months ago

Remember the person that stole the disabled person's wheel chair last summer? he/she has struck again.

MarcoPogo 1 year, 8 months ago

Hmmm, using the normal LJW board logic, I think we can safely say that Douglas County Fair exhibit thefts have greatly increased while "you-know-who" is in office. Can't argue with the facts.

Clara Westphal 1 year, 8 months ago

Maybe this is the same person who stole the little boy's lawn mower last Sping.

StirrrThePot 1 year, 8 months ago

People suck.

consumer1 1 year, 8 months ago

This is the FIRST time ever I have seen all the poster's agree!! WOW!! My faith in humanity has been restored. We all agree the person who stole this kids art is a jerk x 5.

Tomato 1 year, 8 months ago

Wow. What kind of person steals from the county fair? And a Christmas wall hanging of Santa, no less? What are they going to do, hang it on their wall and admire their Christmas spirit come December? "I sure do like my Santa wall hanging, I'm glad I stole it from that little boy at the Fair. Merry Christmas."

Maybe give it as a gift to someone and hope not to hear "Hey, this looks familiar. Didn't I see it in the paper?"

Lawrence Morgan 1 year, 8 months ago

Do you have pictures of this wall hanging, in addition to the one that is shown? It's small and doesn't have much detail.

The Journal World should put them with this story!

chootspa 1 year, 8 months ago

Wow. Were the items taken all prize winners, or were they just the easiest things to steal? Why would anyone do that? It's really not like you can pass it off as your own. They're unique items. I hope everyone gets their things back.

patkindle 1 year, 8 months ago

just a poor doper trying to scrape together enough money for his next trip dont be so harsh, drugs are good welcome to lawrence the same nice guy that sells you pot sells crack to your kids

galfromku 1 year, 8 months ago

I had family members steal hand embroidered table cloths from my wedding!! People that steal are lower than skum!!! Hope you get them back, Big guy!!!

richh 1 year, 8 months ago

Oh boy, if this item is not your, then please return back to the boy, who worked hard on his project and won the champion ribbon!

I recommend that 4H add a long glass door with shelves and lock up. I heard that several cities were same things, somebody steal any item and never return back to the owner since.

When I was young kid and I looked at my bugs box, I didn't win, and I was upset little. My mom talked with her friend, 4H leader and she said that I won blue ribbon. She looked at the notebook and there is my name with blue ribbon award. Someone steal my blue ribbon and put on other item or replace with red or white ribbon. That leader found that someone put my blue ribbon on other person's item and bring it back to me.

FalseHopeNoChange 1 year, 8 months ago

Who could 'possibly' be 'hateful' enough to do this to a Christian child at a government sanctioned Fair in Larryville?

It's unimaginable.

kernal 1 year, 8 months ago

Another possibility is the persons who took these items are going to try and pass them off as their own at another fair, especially if prizes include money.

If there are any pictures, maybe copies could be emailed to LE in areas with upcoming fairs?

purplesage 1 year, 8 months ago

What a low life. Think about hanging a quilt / hanging for Christimas. Someone come in and comments on how nice it is, who made it, where'd you get it. The bum can proudly reply, "I stole it from a kid at the county fair."

It is great that Adam has the memories of working on this with his grandma. Too bad it will be tarnished by this kind of thoughtless theft.

tomatogrower 1 year, 8 months ago

Somebody is a jerk. The Journal World should try and get pictures of everything that was stolen. Surely someone with some morales will notice that the thief has these items, and call the police.

verity 1 year, 8 months ago

Shakes head in dismay and disgust!

Can't get much lower than stealing a kid's 4H project.

DerbyGirl81 1 year, 8 months ago

The buildings are watched by volunteers and locked at night. These volunteers, often alumni as well, love this program and take time out of their schedule to give back, the idea of a volunteer stealing a youth's project is RIDICULOUS!

I have been a 4H fair volunteer for 10 years now, and was a 4H member before that. I don't ever recall projects being stolen when I was a 4H'er, but the fact that someone would steal a child's hard work and pride and joy, disgusts me! Please whomever took these items, PLEASE RETURN THEM!!

blue73harley 1 year, 8 months ago

Even Topeka thugs have more class than this. Must have been someone from Missouri.

shleppy 1 year, 8 months ago

i have a picture of this thief in my head and its comically disgusting. county fair christmas quilt klepto. its too bad this isnt a joke.

ballmom 1 year, 8 months ago

Very sad that someone did this. Went in today to get our kids projects only to learn that they were stolen too. Please return them to the extension office, outside even. Our KIDS work very hard on these projects and are devastated !

Leslie Swearingen 1 year, 8 months ago

Whoever took this has deprived him of the chance to exhibit the hanging at the State Fair and win a prize at the state level. That is something he would always remember, as would his family. Kalb said that several items went missing. Is it possible that one of the volunteers took these things? Perhaps to sell online? Next year they really need to come up with a better method of guarding the exhibits.