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68 °F Forecast | Road Cams Tuesday, May 24, 2005 Today's News | Shop Our Valley | Tempo | Health | Community | Home Delivery | Contact Us SECTIONS Home Page Local News Sports Business Obituaries Life Opinion Tempo AP News Weather Classified Archives Site Map SPECIAL SECTIONS Since We Asked Outdoor Journal Menu Guide How To Guide Health Biz Connection Readers' Choice Real Estate Showcase Real Estate Guide Joy Magazine Homelife Magazine Wedding Guide Passport to the Rogue Valley SHOP OUR VALLEY AutoFinder HomeFinder JobFinder Classified Place an ad TOP JOBS EXTRA Ashland News NIE Personals Movie Times TV Times E The People Volunteer Moving here? eSouthernOregon CUSTOMER SERVICE FAQ's Advertise with us Home Delivery Employment Contact Us Media Kit Oregon Road Conditions & Cams Email Story to a Friend May 17, 2005 Like many local parents and organizers, Jim Douglas, president of the Gold Valley Little League in Gold Hill, can�t understand why anyone would steal candy and cash from the ball field�s concession stand. Mail Tribune / Bob Pennell Gold Hill Little Leaguers lose to thieves By JONEL ALECCIA Mail Tribune GOLD HILL — It’s going to take a lot of car washes to make up for the dirty deeds of thieves who broke into the Gold Valley Little League concession stand. Organizers of the tiny league scrubbed 60 cars during a Sunday fund-raiser and they expect to wash even more, but the $700 they’ll make is only a fraction of some $1,500 in cash and supplies lost in a burglary last week. "This was just a huge hit for us," said Ginette Keith, 36, vice president of the 220-player program. Police said thieves pried apart a steel gate, cut a lock and kicked in a heavy door at the concession stand on the baseball fields at 14475 Highway 234. The crime apparently occurred late Thursday or early Friday, when burglars broke in and made off with about $60 from the cash register — and most of the snacks in the stand. Advertisement "They wiped us out of candy," said Jim Douglas, president of the local League. Indeed, the thieves focused their efforts on sweets, soda and beef jerky. Missing were 15 to 18 cases of soda, several cases of Gatorade, several cases of water, boxes of candy and packs of jerky. The burglars passed up more valuable items, including a newly donated gas grill, said Gold Hill Police Chief Dean Muchow. "Instead, they took what immediately satisfied their cravings," he said. Those cravings could cost them dearly. Muchow said he’s pursuing solid leads and expects to catch the culprits, who could face felony charges of burglary and theft. Meanwhile, parents who support the league can barely contain their dismay. "It’s very discouraging," said Douglas, whose two teenagers play in the league. "They didn’t steal from our board, they stole from the kids who play on these fields." The nonprofit league has been built with volunteer effort and contributions in this town of about 1,200 residents 15 miles north of Medford. Organizers provide scholarships to keep costs low in this working-class town, where a kid can still play for only $55 a season. The candy bars and sodas sold at the concession stand are a primary source of funding. On a good night, the stand might bring in $200, Douglas said. The burglary will make it tougher for organizers to put the community on the map, Douglas said. For the first time in 30 years, Gold Hill will be the site of a state championship game. The baseball finals for 11-year-olds are scheduled to be held at Gilbert A. Mack Memorial Field in July. "It’s something everyone here takes pride in," he added. Keith, a veteran fund-raiser, says she’ll just work harder to overcome the loss. But she admits it’s been hard to explain the theft to her own three players, ages 15, 12 and 9. "They were very disappointed," Keith said. "Here you go and do all these things for the kids and its kind of heartbreaking when someone ruins it." Anyone with information about the crime can call Muchow at 855-1484. Reach reporter JoNel Aleccia at 776-4465, or e-mail [email protected] Mail Tribune Home | Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life | Opinion AP News | Archives | Site Map | Community | Classified Copyright © 1997-2005 Mail Tribune, Inc. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions | Website Feedback Free Music Downloads Conference Calls - $50/Month Home Security Systems Trunks, Footlocker, Trunk, Footlockers home equity loans helzberg diamonds Distance Education Diamonds Online Poker Auto Insurance Mesothelioma Slippers Student Loans tcg student loan consolidation teleconferencing Website Design & Marketing Memory Foam Mattress w2 forms Mortgage Calculator Free Home-Loan Referrals Payday Loans Advertisement s