The Crime: Defacement of Public Property
This has been a “cold case” for 58 years, until now! One of the perpetrators has stepped forward and admitted his guilt. As unbelievable as it may sound, he has been at large within the community all this time. You may have walked by him many times and never knew it, “right under your nose” you might say. His name: Fred Bresler, a 1967 E.T.H.S. graduate. Now, after 58 years, he confesses and reveals this untold story —- soon to follow.
The water tower was located on the Southwest corner of the Square, currently a parking lot owned by Taylor and Sons. In its day, it was most visible, everyone could see it; it was removed in the early ‘70’s.
The story begins in the Spring of 1967. Initially, Fred, Dave, and John thought they should place their mark in Mukwonago, for Mukwonago was their archenemy, known as “Muk Town” to them, but for whatever reason, maybe fear, they decided to vandalize their hometown. Shifting their focus, Fred and his cohorts conspired to climb the East Troy water tower and write: “Class of 67.” The idea was contrived on a whim during school hours; convincing themselves it was the right and just thing to do.
It was now time to put their mission into action. They needed materials.
“Sticky fingers” helped collect vellum paper from the Mechanical Drawing room, used for creating the stencil. Vellum was the paper of choice because it could be easily rolled up, making it easy to carry and conceal. An arbitrary decision was made that the letters and numbers should be 18” high, 12” wide, and 3” thick, and be block letters painted black.
Later, they would meet at Fred’s house to make the stencil and finalize the logistics of their caper. Day and time were essential and so was their attire. It was decided they proceed during a weekday, late at night, and dress in black. Rags, spray paint, and tape were all the tools they needed. Once on top of the tower, two would unravel the stencil and tape the ends while the third would look to make sure it was level.
Good to go!
Time to pull the trigger. Fred believes it was during the first week of May, late at night, around 11pm [memories do get foggy with time you know]. Anyway, it is believed they met at Dave’s house because he lived in the Village a couple blocks from the Square. A good starting point, because they could go on foot and easily disperse if need be.
Off they go!
All went as per plan. Fearless athletes as they were, climbing to the top of the water tower was little trouble. Looking from above they scanned the area for Jim Voss, the Chief of Police. Once Voss was detected, they moved out of sight, always keeping an eye on his whereabouts. They chuckled as they were able to watch Chief Voss travel home after his shift; Voss lived on the Northwest corner of Beulah and Elm Street. Moving in a swift and efficient manner, they prepped the surface, wiping it with rags to remove any condensation or dirt. Each knew their job so everybody was on the same page. Without a glitch, they were able to paint both sides of the tower in short-time, come down safely, and leave without notice. Today Fred laughs at the fact they chose to dress in black. He says the black color silhouetted them against the silver color of the tower which accentuated their presence. Regardless: “Mission Accomplished!” Kudos to the Class of ‘67.
Jim Voss, the Village Chief of Police, in collaboration with the school district were able to uncover circumstantial evidence, but nothing conclusive. All three were summoned to speak with Jim Voss, and all three denied any involvement. In the end, Jim Voss took an “Andy of Mayberry” approach, believing it was a harmless act and nobody got hurt. To paraphrase: “No harm no foul, kids will be kids. All is forgotten and forgiven.” The Legend of ‘67 lives on.
Fred’s Summons
Written by: Pete Kesselhon
