Meg Kluge and Ned Pokras

Theft of memorial bench robs community

Last September, we, along with Ned's brothers and sisters-in-law, had a custom-made bench installed on our land at the corner of Bonnyvale and Miller roads in West Brattleboro.

The bench was meant as a memorial to our late mother, who took great delight in the view from that spot in her failing years. It was also intended to give pleasure to the numerous people, many of whom we've never met, who admire that same view while walking, biking, painting, photographing, or just stopping by.

Over the past six months, we've been pleased to see a variety of people use the bench, some repeatedly. Mom would have loved to know this.

When family and friends dedicated it in September, we surrounded it with daffodil bulbs, knowing that everyone would take great joy as they sat on the bench surrounded by spring flowers.

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