ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1995, Roanoke Times
DATE: Friday, December 8, 1995 TAG: 9512080047
SECTION: CURRENT PAGE: NRV-2 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
DATELINE: BLACKSBURG
SOURCE: OLIVIA SHORTER SPECIAL TO THE ROANOKE TIMES
Where holiday decorations are usually on display in Shirley Moede's front yard, there now sits a sign printed on large posterboard: "It's the season to give, not to take. Please return the four pieces taken from our manger scene."
"We were kind of hoping that maybe it would make people realize the spirit of the season" and give back the shepherd, two sheep and wise man, said Moede, who takes the time to decorate for every holiday.
Moede said the two-foot tall statues were taken from her Draper Road property sometime last week. She and her family discovered the figures were missing Saturday morning.
"It was my mother's favorite decoration and it has a lot of sentimental value to us because my mother passed away last February," Moede said. "If they would just lay them out by the side of the road where we could see them, no questions would be asked. We'd just like to have them back."
Mary Ann Johnson, a regular passerby of the decorated house, said she noticed the sign immediately.
"It's a shame because I've driven past her house after work for many years and the decorations have always been a bright spot at the end of the day," Johnson said.
Moede said she is rather discouraged about future decorating. She still has a few yard ornaments up close to the blue, two-story house - a snow bear near the back door and replicas of Mary, Joseph and the baby Jesus attached to her porch banister.
But the rest of the manger scene will remain inside unless the stolen pieces find their way home.
"Next year I'm considering putting up a chain-link fence so they won't be so accessible and then I'll try to replace what we had, but I'm not putting them back up this year unless they get returned," Moede said.
LENGTH: Short : 42 linesby CNB