John Brown student garden vandalized

RATHDRUM — It wasn't the type of garden work Fonda Stewart had in mind when she went to the Cougar Patch school garden at John Brown Elementary on Saturday.

Vandals had torn out the entire irrigation line and several plants and flowers early Saturday morning. Toilet paper was also thrown throughout the playground and the garbage cans were dumped over.

"My husband and I planned on working in the school garden that day and was called by two teachers while we were on our way that the front gardens had been vandalized," said Stewart, a teacher at the school. "My heart sank as we pulled into the parking lot."

Rathdrum Police Chief Kevin Fuhr said on Monday afternoon that two female juveniles will be questioned.

Video surveillance was obtained from the school that shows two suspects walking in front of the school at 12:17 a.m. It then shows one of the suspects at 12:53 a.m. carrying a roll of toilet paper.

The video shows one of the suspects wearing white pants and a dark-colored hooded sweatshirt. The second suspect is wearing dark clothing and tan sandals.

Fuhr said it is difficult to tell the height of the suspects due to the way the camera was positioned.

"The camera was above them," he said.

Damage to the garden was estimated at $750.

Students last fall planted about 400 native plants of 31 different varieties, Stewart said. The fourth-graders were taught by Bob and Jill Wilson of Cedar Perennials in Athol how to plant and arrange the garden.

"The fourth-graders have taken care of the front garden, bird feeders and the learning gardens across the street all year," Stewart said. "They are very proud of their gardens."

Stewart said many of the plants pulled out of the boxes can't be replanted.

"We put as much back as we could," she said. "Many plants had to be thrown away."

Stewart said when she reported the damage on social media, she heard an outcry from the community.

"That was the most that I cried," she said. "Everyone was upset that someone had ruined something that was so wonderful. Our students had worked so hard to make our school gardens and to have some thoughtless act ruin all of that was very hard for me."

A police officer was patrolling the area of the school at 15574 N. Washington St. at 1:20 a.m. on Saturday when he spotted the vandalized garden.

Stewart said when she went to school on Monday she knew she would have to let students know that everything is OK.

"Yes, this bad thing happened, but we can fix it," she said. "We will not give up and not let it ruin our school. We are Cougars, after all. All they wanted to know was, 'Do we still get to work in the garden?'"

Anyone with information about the two suspects is asked to contact Rathdrum Police at 687-0711.