Work plan may teach a lesson

Every time we pass by the Little Red Caboose in downtown Vandalia, we're reminded of the senseless act of vandalism that has marred that aging landmark.
Several months ago, two juveniles broke into the caboose and did their best to destroy it. In the process, they broke out nearly all the windows – which makes it an eyesore to the public and exposes the interior to the elements.
After months of sitting there in that condition, it appears that the parents of one of the youths has come up with a unique – and potentially effective – way to make things right.
The juvenile's father has offered to make repairs to the caboose, and he proposed to the Vandalia City Council a plan under which his son would perform community service work to make amends for his destructive spree.
The council and Mayor Rick Gottman agreed to the terms, with Gottman reasoning that any fine assessed would probably just be paid by the parents anyway.
This way, however, the youth will learn first-hand that there are consequences to such anti-social behavior. And he'll have a little time – while he's pulling weeds, picking up trash and doing other manual work for the city – to contemplate his future behavior. We're hoping he learns a lesson.
We applaud the youth's father for taking responsibility for his son's behavior and for coming up with a creative way to make amends for the destruction.
We figure this method of punishment will be more effective than slapping a big fine on him and labeling him as a troublemaker. If he performs well, he'll clear his name and set a positive course for the future.
The arrangement will require some level of supervision – by city officials and the father – to make certain that the young man is working hard and meeting the terms of his agreement with the city.
Then, when the conditions are met, he can hold his head high and once again be considered a productive member of our community. We hope the plan works.
db