By Katina Caraganis

MediaNews

TOWNSEND -- The sign on the South Street Bridge read, "Be Good."

They weren't.

Vandals again have struck at the location, this time taking the sign with the phrase that resident Deb Kalil hoped would stick as a motto for the town.

Kalil, along with other volunteers, has invested a lot of time and money into beautifying the bridge that sees a fair amount of traffic daily.

A longtime Townsend resident, Kalil said she started decorating the bridge as a way to show pride in her community, but that quickly turned to disappointment when she realized the bridge had been vandalized twice.

The first time, several 50-pound flower pots, with purple, yellow and pink pansies, had been dumped into Townsend Harbor, and a sign that said, "Be Grateful," was stolen.

Thanks to a generous outpouring of support from residents and businesses, Kalil was able to decorate the bridge with new flowers and the new sign, but was shocked to learn that vandals had again struck, earlier this week, and stolen the new sign.

In an email , Kalil said the sign was stolen sometime Saturday.

"I guess the next sign should just read, 'Thou shall not steal,' " she wrote in her email.

Kalil filed a report with Townsend police and is hoping those involved are caught and punished. No arrests have been made, according to police.

Chief Erving Marshall said it is sad to see things like this happen, especially when community

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members invest so much of themselves in a project.

Anyone with information on the vandalism is urged to contact the Townsend Police Department at 978-597-2313.