Dear Editor,

Last night I awoke to the sound of crashing. Looking out my bedroom window, I saw four boys (who looked between 13 and 15 years old) struggling to kick down the fence of my 74-yearold widowed neighbour.

Surveying the damage in the morning, it was clear that, having kicked in my fence for the fifth time in two years, they had set out for the greater challenge of destroying my neighbour's fence.

My neighbour only just installed that fence last year, and she made sure it was of sturdy construction. It took a lot of effort for the four boys to knock out the full panel.

So I ask my fellow Walnut Grove parents: what are four 13-to 15-year-olds doing wandering the streets unsupervised at 1: 30 a.m. on a Saturday morning, and more importantly, what sort of example have you set when your children think it is okay to destroy a 74-year-old woman's property?

As for my kids, they watched me spend my Saturday morning fixing our fence, and then repairing my neighbour's fence, since it was well beyond her abilities.

My children asked me what kind of kids would do such a thing to such a nice woman, and frankly I was at a loss for an answer except to assure my daughter that they would certainly be on Santa's naughty list next year.

Blair King, Langley