Thanksgiving Decorating Competitions
Across the Country Heat Up – CoverUps.com
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After conquering Halloween and Christmas, the scourge of front-yard decoration rivalries seems to have spread to Thanksgiving. Tempers flare as competition grows more intense – and the spirit of the season seems lost. Another joyous holiday has turned violent in many US towns. |
By CoverUps.comLINCOLN, NEBRASKA – The once-peaceful suburbs of Lincoln have been turned upside down as a perverse competitive rancor turns neighbor against neighbor. Case in point: Hank Chambers, 47, who was arrested yesterday for brawling with Craig Henderson, 34, who lives two doors down the street. The two men had reportedly been on the outs ever since Henderson lost the Easter Decoration competition to Chambers earlier this year.
“Ever since Halloween, it’s been like a war zone on this block,” says Chambers' next door neighbor, Janice Preston, who finds herself caught in the crossfire. “Those two just don’t stop. It started with them blowing leaves onto each other's property. You couldn't see their Thanksgiving displays under these big piles of leaves. And this after each of them put in God knows how many hours putting the displays together. Then the theft and vandalism starts. Mr. Chambers' Pilgrims were defiled one day, Mr. Henderson's corn went missing the next. It was heart-breaking.”
The feud escalated when police had to be summoned to separate the two men on the street, with Chambers holding Henderson in a headlock and stuffing straw down his jeans, and Henderson screaming death threats against Chambers' cat. Both men were released later that day on their own recognizance.
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Sadly, Lincoln is not alone in these turbulent turkey-day times. Holiday-related vandalism and property theft have risen in thirty-five states. It's something the other fifteen states should be thankful for. |
Speaking anonymously to a reporter from the Sacramento Bee, Police Chief Howard Baines offered his thoughts on the recent outbreaks:
“I’ve never seen anything like it. Even the Christmas feuds have never been this bad. There’s something in the air this year. Just last week we got a record number of calls at the precinct."
One sight in particular is burned in Chief Baines's memory.
"Two moms were going at it with Thanksgiving props as weapons. One was whacking the other with a turkey drumstick. The other at one point tried to shove a pumpkin pie up the first mom's-- well ... anyway. Their kids just stood around watching. Hell, when I broke it up you had neighbors coming out cheering 'em on. What a spectacle. It was disturbing – like it's been brewing for years, and finally just burst.”
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Hank Chambers reportedly threw these fruits and vegetables at Craig Henderson and took this picture with his cell phone camera. Then he posted the picture on his blog. Henderson has filed suit. |
Emergency room doctor Greg Spokane told CoverUps about some of the injuries he's seen.“A guy came in badly burned after trying to stomp out a flaming bag of dog poop on his porch. With all the autumn foliage around, a stray spark caught a tree in his front yard on fire. His house almost burned down. He says he knows who did it and is vowing revenge. We also had a case of a broken hand and a fractured wrist – something to do with an assault-and-battery involving a metal Native American ornament. I'm telling you – it's crazy out there."
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When your neighbor offers you that basket o' plenty this Thanksgiving, you'd be well advised to check it closely first. |
Foreboding is in the air. Many people wonder if this is only the beginning. Christmas, after all, is just around the corner.
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