My neighbors only complained about the antenna

I guess I’m lucky….  One complaint and a bit of discussion and all is good in the neighborhood again….

Some people have it harder and take it much harder….

Here is a story from the Kitchener-Waterloo Record which describes  what happens when some idiot does not like the 120 footer that was being used by a local internet provider…

The link to the actual story is here…

And the story is here (as well)…

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Police search for person who cut down communication tower, knocking out internet service in southwestern Ontario

Submitted photo

The sabotage of a tower cut internet service to much of southwestern Ontario.

Submitted photoThe sabotage of a tower cut internet service to much of southwestern Ontario.

Submitted photoThe sabotage of a tower cut internet service to much of southwestern Ontario.

Submitted photoThe sabotage of a tower cut internet service to much of southwestern Ontario.

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September 16, 2009

By Cherri Greeno, Record staff

MAPLETON TOWNSHIP — More than 7,000 people throughout southwestern Ontario had their Internet connection abruptly shut off this weekend after someone cut down a steel communications tower in Wellington County.

“To think somebody would actually do something like this – you just shake your head,” said Richard Cantin, president of Everus Communications, the Waterloo- Holstein based company that owns the tower.

“I doubt it was a very mature person,” Cantin said. “A mature person would think twice about doing this.”

Internet service to homes in Waterloo and to Grey, Wellington, Dufferin, Perth and Bruce counties were cut off around 2 a.m. Saturday after someone cut the base of a 120-foot tower, which was located in a field off Wellington Road 7 near Road 12.

Everus network servers and other gear that was located at an equipment shelter attached to the tower were also destroyed as the tower collapsed.

“It took planning, it was deliberate,” Cantin said. “This isn’t a normal event.”

Cantin doubts the vandalism was a prank.

“There’s a lot of things it could be,” he said. “We’re just trying to narrow that down to try and figure out who did it.”

Wellington OPP Const. Mark Cloes said it’s clear the vandalism was a “deliberate act.

“It could be a competitor or someone who had a grudge or someone who doesn’t like towers,” Cloes said. “You just never know.”

Damage to the tower is estimated at $100,000.

Cloes called it a “very rare incident” and said whoever is responsible is lucky they didn’t get injured.

“It’s extremely dangerous,” he said. “You need trained people to fell a tree properly. It would be the exact same with the tower. It could have seriously injured or killed someone.”

He said officers are working very hard to find whoever is responsible.

Cantin said most of his customers have had their service rerouted through other towers and links but that service is slow due to high traffic. He plans to have the tower back up and running within two weeks.

He said the customers are being very supportive and want to help catch whoever is responsible.

Anyone with information can e-mail Cantin at rcantin@everusinc.com or contact police at 519-323-3130 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS.

cgreeno@therecord.com

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My thanks go out to “therecord.com” for providing the story….

73bob

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Tags: amateur radio, amateur radio antenna, therecord.com, Tower Installation, Vandalism