Sometime Saturday, someone stole a movie projector the Bath man had placed in his yard at 205 Anthony Drive.

The projector was showing New Year's scenes onto a white sheet that was laid across plywood. He put the projector out in early December and began showing Christmas scenes.

"I just think it was kind of low of somebody to do it," Mr. Boswell, 52, said Monday.

The movie projector was part of Mr. Boswell's holiday display, which included a Nativity scene and Santa Claus.

A few years ago, someone stole the statue of the baby Jesus from his display, he said. It was later found in nearby woods.

The projector, bought from Kmart for $50, had tapes of other scenes and could have been used for Valentine's Day, the Fourth of July and Thanksgiving, Mr. Boswell said.

"If they come back, I'll give them the other tapes," he said sarcastically.

Mr. Boswell said he doesn't know why someone would want to steal his projector, but said if he had known they liked it so much, he would have given it to them.

"It's really sad when you think about it," he said. "Quite frankly, if Kmart still had one, I'd go buy it and put it back out there."

He said the theft will not ruin his celebration of the new year and won't deter him from putting out a display again next year.

"It's going to be hard to ruin my New Year's," Mr. Boswell said. "We're alive, and everything is going OK."

Reach Matthew Boedy at (803) 648-1395 or matthew.boedy@augustachronicle.com.