Grinch(es) steal Christmas decorations, but do not steal Balm spirit

Thieves hit after lighting ceremony

By STEPHEN FLANAGAN JACKSON

Balm Civic Association Bill O’Brian, in cap, speaks at the Christmas tree lighting ceremony on Dec. 11 before everything was stolen off the tree later that night.

Where are you exactly if you are standing in Balm? You would be in the middle of a “ghost town” according to the website “Ghost Towns of Florida.” And it’s true that not much remains of the village of Balm itself—a small post office, a general store, a car repair shop, a few homes and other buildings. But the historic Balm area, one of the few living, breathing rural communities remaining in Hillsborough County, is peopled with several thousand scattered residents passionately attached to their way of life and opposed to the relentless, uncoordinated sprawl of urban development that threatens it.

The historic Balm area consists of approximately 10 square miles along C.R. 672, bordered by Riverview and Summerfield to the north, Wimauma and S.R. 674 to the south, U.S. 301 to the west, and Picnic and Fort Lonesome to the east. The Balm Civic Association (BCA) was formed by residents of the area in 2005 to enhance the spirit of community but also to respond to the encroachment of urban development.

One of BCA’s signature accomplishments was the establishment of the Balm Park and Community Center.

Stephen Meats, Michael Fabbro, Buddy Harwell and a large contingent of other Balm residents have organized themselves and become a model of local democracy in action as opposed to other larger communities in Hillsborough County beset with frustration and apathy. The Balm Civic Association has stood up, sometimes successfully and sometimes not, to developers, to overwhelmed roads, to the large corporations and to the highly centralized county government in Tampa, in an attempt to control rampant housing development, to the dumping of phosphate waste, and to the unregulated running of solar transmission lines through the area of Balm.

This year’s Trunk or Treat event for Halloween is one of the recent community events organized by the BCA. About 75 Balm residents came out in October for a fun time for family. No problem.

Balm Civic Association provides a shining light of optimism at the Christmas tree lighting ceremony on Monday, Dec. 10. Sometime later that evening or early morning, a thief or thieves stripped everything from the tree in front of the Balm Civic Center.

The next event was the community lighting on Dec. 10 for the Christmas tree planted in front of the Balm Community Center. No problem. Correction: Big problem!

A Grinch, or Grinches, came by stealth in the middle of the night and stole the star adorning the Balm community Christmas tree, absconding with the tree lights, the personalized ornaments and the power cord!

The Balm Civic Association has reported the outrageous transgression to the authorities, but no one expects anyone to be identified or to be caught.

According to BCA president Mike Fabrro, the vice president of the Balm group, Bill O’Brian, had suggested planting a live Christmas tree in front of the BCA public complex. O’Brian donated a 10 foot pine tree and planted it with his son and grandson at Balm Park. He also donated a timer to illuminate the tree nightly and turn it off daily. Fabbro and his wife generously and graciously provided a string of 300 Christmas tree lights, a radiant star to crown the tree, and a 100 foot power cord. Hillsborough County even got in the community-minded act by installing an electrical outlet near the tree.

Balm residents were invited and encouraged to attend and to bring nonbreakable, personalized ornaments that could be used year after year.

Following the BCA monthly meeting on Dec. 10, approximately 50 people, exhibiting Balm Christmas spirit, arrived and brought ornaments, emblazoned with their family’s names.

“After a short pep talk by Bill and myself, we did the countdown and lit the tree,” Fabbro said. “We sang ‘Merry Christmas to You’ and then we went inside the BCA complex for punch, cookies and fellowship.

“It was a wonderful event,” adds Fabbro.

But then once everyone had dispersed and gone home with the vision of sugarplums dancing in their heads, the Grinch, or Grinches, made their odious move.

Fabbro, once again, picks up the narration.

“Unfortunately the next day as I was driving by the park at 9 a.m. I noticed the star was not atop the Christmas tree we had decorated the previous night,” said a crestfallen Fabbro, adding that everything, yes everything, had been stripped from the Christmas tree.

The Balm Civic Association president Mike Fabbro and his wife Fran Fabbro, hang decorations as the BCA provided a shining light of optimism at the Christmas tree lighting ceremony on Monday, Dec. 10. Sometime later that evening or early morning, a thief or thieves stripped everything from the tree planted in front of the Balm Civic Center.

Fabbro said the county sheriff was notified. “My personal thought is that whomever did this may enjoy it, but as far as the community is concerned they are trash!”

The Balm Community Plan is part of Hillsborough County’s Liveable Communities initiative for unincorporated areas of the county. This community plan details Balm’s commitment to maintaining open spaces for the preservation of the area’s natural assets, including its palmettos, pines, scrub oaks, live oaks, natural lakes, and native wildlife, such as bald eagles and gopher tortoises.

The plan also affirms the community’s commitment to its long agricultural history and recognizes the importance of the area as a supplier of citrus, tomatoes, strawberries, squash, melons, and many other fruits and vegetables to America’s kitchens. Much of the commercial production is done by large-scale operations, such as Goodson Farms, but in keeping with the area’s agricultural lifestyle, even residents living on small acreages keep bees, goats, pigs, chickens, sheep, cattle, horses and other farm animals.

Obviously, the Balm Community Plan is devoted to maintaining the community’s commitment of the last 100 years and more to the quiet country living that is enjoyed by people whose families have lived here for generations, as well as by those who have moved here more recently seeking the lifestyle it offers.

But the Balm Community Plan did not figure on the Grinch who tried to spoil Balm’s Christmas tree and Christmas spirit. The tree decorations may be gone, but the spirit remains.

All Balmers are welcome to attend the Balm Civic Association meetings on the second Monday of each month at 6:30 p.m. at the Balm Park Community Center, 14747 Balm Wimauma Road, Wimauma, FL 33598. All interested people, particularly residents of the Balm area, are welcome to attend. For more information, email balmcivicassociation@yahoo.com.

Oh, and if you know of any Grinches bragging about stealing Christmas decorations, you can also use these same contacts to report the perpetrators anonymously or otherwise.