"Thieves steal pumpkins grown by N.M. preschoolers" Associated Press September 12, 2014
PORTALES, N.M. — Thieves have picked clean a pumpkin patch that had been cultivated by New Mexico preschoolers.
Eastern New Mexico University’s Child Development Center said the Portales school’s pumpkin patch was raided sometime over the weekend after students had worked for months growing the pumpkins.
School officials found the pumpkins missing and vines destroyed Monday morning.
Lara Vaughan, the school’s master teacher, said the four full pumpkins were just about to turn orange. She said the 26 students had studied them, weeded the area, and watered them since they were sprouts.
But center director Elaine Gard said despite the heist the children aren’t mad at the thieves. ‘‘They are more indignant in asking, ‘Why didn’t they just ask permission? We would have given them the pumpkins,’ ’’ Gard said.
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