Sometime between Tuesday afternoon, July 20 and Wednesday morning, July 21 three plantings from Hicksville Kennedy Memorial Park were stolen. Recently landscaped in order to rekindle a community flame, this incident has resulted in great disappointment for community leaders and residents.

In the past, the area of the park surrounding Memorial fountain was quite ordinary. This year, however, donations of labor and materials from local businesses changed the park's image. Improvements included a paved walkway circling the fountain, an arbor, and the relandscaping of the entire south end of the park. The total estimated cost of these repairs totals $100,000. The relandscaping of the park is thought to be a great beginning for future alterations within the community. Other projects have included the repaving of sidewalks on Marie Street and alterations to the Hicksville Long Island Rail Road Station.

According to Patricia M. Conway, president, Hicksville Chamber of Commerce, "There are probably hundreds and hundreds of plantings in that garden and it seems silly to make a big deal over three plants, except that someone went to a lot of trouble to design that property, to plant it properly and someone went through a lot of expense to buy the plants. It just seems like an insult that someone would take them."

There may be speculation as to whether or not this incident may evoke skepticism in regard to further improvements. However, according to Conway, "This does not take away from that at all. Now that people have this they do not want it to go back to the way it was.

She continued, "This is unfair to everyone that one or two people are taking away something from the entire community."

Although a few plants may not diminish the overall landscape of the park, the idea that someone could be inconsiderate enough to commit such a crime is discouraging.