No good deed goes unpunished.
For Nicolas Kynigos, owner of Nicolas & Marie’s Pizza, Pasta and Donair, no words better describe the way he felt after learning early Wednesday morning that his 27th Street shop had been broken into, again, shortly after midnight.
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For the fifth time since November — and the fourth time in the last three weeks, his shop was vandalized and robbed. This time, a double-paned window was smashed and a donation box containing cash allocated for Andrew Warden, a children’s book author paralyzed in an accident, and the tip jar were taken.
Kynigos declined to comment on the exact amount stolen until he has formally filed a report with the RCMP, but said he was extremely disturbed by the theft.
“I’m upset,” he said. “This can’t keep happening.”
Short of putting bars on the restaurant’s windows, which he feels are uninviting and would deter guests from wanting to dine in his establishment, Kynigos says security precautions have been taken — however, there were more setbacks.
“My landlord generously donated video cameras for the restaurant, unfortunately, the person scheduled to come and install them hasn’t yet come by,” he said.
The good news, he added, is at least this time there was a witness.
“The person who lives across the street called me and said they were woken up by the sound of the glass smashing, and looked out their window and saw a single person running away with the donation box. So I guess that’s something.”
Kynigos garnered a significant amount of support and attention last week after he publicly offered the person or people who caused damage during the previous break-ins an opportunity to work off the $5,000 bill at his restaurant. No one has come forward to take him up on his offer.
In light of recent events, the long-time Vernon resident said he’s feeling less hopeful.
“I guess whoever did this isn’t going to come forward. Obviously, I’m going to have to get those steel shutters now. They’re expensive. But it looks like I don’t have a choice.”
Erin Christie
Morning Star Staff
@VernonNewserin.christie@vernonmorningstar.comLike us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter.
