BY ERIKA NORTON
WEST MILFORD - The West Milford American Legion Post 289 was broken into last week, leaving the organization short stolen donation funds and money used to repair the damage. The stolen donation funds were intended for the construction of a handicapped accessible bathroom.
“They broke into the glass [door] and they stole funds earmarked for the handicap bathroom,” said Second Vice Commander Don Webb. “We have a fund, we are trying to raise money to build a handicap bathroom and they got to those funds and they stole that cash.”
The break-in happened in the early morning on June 6 at the American Legion Post 289 on Lincoln Avenue. Webb said that as far as he knows, no arrests have been made in connection with the robbery and it is still under investigation. The West Milford police did not respond to phone calls before this went to press.
According to a Facebook post by Commander Bob Allwood, the bathroom would be for “when our injured and handicapped veterans come up, they and any other handicapped person, can use the rooms with some dignity.”
To try and offset the money spent for the repairs to the building, money raised at the post’s second veterans fundraiser car show set for this Saturday, June 18, will go to help offset those costs.
“We had to pull the money out of our own funds to repair everything,” Webb said, “so the money from the car show will offset the cost of what was taken.”