Cathy in the Wright

Things That Make You Go Hmmm...

I got a copy of our local weekly newspaper in the mail today. The lead story was about a Cokato furniture store that was robbed of $25,000 in merchandise. Here's the meat:

...Two complete living room sets were stolen from Countryside Furniture, U.S. Highway 12 W., Cokato, sometime between when owner Steve Kordahl closed the store at 4:30 p.m. Nov. 20 and when he opened up at 10 a.m. Nov. 22.

Both the front door and the side door to the store were damaged during the break-in. The thieves even had the audacity to use Countryside’s brand-new, unmarked trailer to transport the goods. Then they brought the trailer back.

“Who would risk getting pinched bringing it back?” Kordahl wondered. “That’s gutsy.”

The store was closed for about six hours on Mon. Nov. 22 while the Wright County Sheriff’s Department investigated the burglary.

“I feel they (the burglars) were furnishing a home,” Kordahl said. “They took complete sets, like they were putting entire rooms together. They even took pictures and throws — we’re still finding things missing.”

Supporting Kordahl’s belief the burglars had just finished a remodeling project and needed furniture is a receipt for a lumberyard sheriff’s investigators found in the parking lot.

“It must have fallen out of their truck,” he said.

The thieves even took the time to load up a set of plates in a cardboard box after they removed the store’s calendar order.

“They loaded it right out of the overhead door in the warehouse,” Kordahl said.

In all, $25,000 worth of merchandise was stolen, including a leather sectional.

Kordahl said the items are covered by insurance, but that doesn’t change the eerie feeling the theft has given him. He believes whoever is responsible came in during his “change of ownership” sale and picked out the items before they stole them.

Knowing that he probably came face-to-face with the culprits before the theft is “real strange,” he said.

Six months ago, thieves stole $143 in cash from the store, but didn’t touch any of the merchandise. During this most recent burglary, the thieves broke into the cash register, but, since the store no longer keeps bills, they took quarters, dimes and nickels.

“We’re having a security system installed today, and we’ve got extra locks on the doors,” Kordahl said during a Nov. 24 interview.

Despite two burglaries in less than six months, Kordahl remains optimistic.

“In spite of what happened, I still feel there’s not a better community to live in and do business in.”

From an advertisement in the October 6, 2004 issue of this same paper I learned that

"For the past seven years we have had a silent partner here at Countryside Furniture and Gifts. This partner has decided to sell his interests in this business. To make this transaction possible, we MUST REDUCE OUR INVENTORY BY 50%!"

This poor guy. Two burglaries. Trying to pay off a business partner. Thousands of dollars worth of stuff stolen. Has to spring for the new alarm system. And he still likes living and working here. I hope the Chamber of Commerce can do something nice for this guy.

Posted by Cathy at December 1, 2004 10:57 PM