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Day Care's Air Conditioners Stolen

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By RONNIE BLAIR

The Tampa Tribune

Published: May 13, 2008

HUDSON - A day care center had to close Monday and will remain closed today after someone stole the five air-conditioning units that cool the building.

"It's not been a good day," said Karen Livengood, owner of Discovery World Learning Center at 9310 State Road 52.
Livengood said the theft likely took place late Saturday or sometime Sunday. She reported the missing units to the Pasco County Sheriff's Office and her insurance company, and replacement units are expected to be installed today. She hopes the center will be able to reopen Wednesday.

Parents had dropped off their children Monday before anyone realized anything was amiss, so the parents had to be called to come back, Livengood said.

She said that, under state law, she couldn't keep the children if the temperature inside was going to top 82 degrees. That created problems for the parents, who had to make other arrangements or take off from work.
Discovery World serves 146 children ages 6 weeks to 5 years.
Livengood said teachers noticed the rooms were too warm and one of them discovered the theft after going outside to examine one of the air-conditioning units.

"Why hit a day care center?" Livengood said. "Why hit anywhere?"

She suspects the thieves may have been after the copper wiring in the units. Copper has become a hot commodity on the black market.

Livengood's next step: Check into the cost of installing surveillance cameras.

Reporter Ronnie Blair can be reached at (813) 948-4218 or rblair@tampatrib.com.

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