MARYSVILLE Vandals continued their reign of destruction last weekend with a spree down the citys main drag that damaged the new Ebey Waterfront Park and other businesses. More than 200 feet of split rail fencing that guarded a sensitive wetland area was destroyed along with an irrigation system and a half-dozen new trees.
At a Marysville businesses planters were overturned and a payphone was nearly twisted from its base on State Avenue at Second Street. This came shortly after businesses were extensively damaged with glass storefronts smashed and tagged with graffiti on Third Street last month.
Vandals hit Comeford Park only slightly, pulling up the concrete bases anchoring picnic tables, but the main damage was to the new $4 million, 5.4-acre park at the city southwest corner.
It looks like Ebey took the worst of it, said Marysville Parks and Recreation Department maintenance manager Mike Robinson. We lost a wetland irrigation system and six trees. They pulled out 210 feet of split rail fencing.
Including a $690 custom-made garbage can lid Thats pretty expensive, Robinson wondered, and more than $500 in labor, the Ebey Waterfront Park sustained more than $2,500 in damage. While thats a hit to his budget, Robinsons tired voice reflected his disgust with vandals and graffiti, as his crews will be pulled off of their rounds to fix the damage.
Our guys were supposed to be doing normal chores but they are not, they are making repairs, Robinson said. We are very tired of this. I think the whole city is tired of this from the mayor down. It continues but nothing seems to be done.
The citys other parks have been hit by vandals on a fairly consistent basis, or about once a week, he said. Ironically the long-time sore point, the Marysville Skatepark has been the damaged the least lately.
A city spokesman said the damage occurred between Saturday night and Sunday morning, but Les McCarter said he found the damage on Saturday morning when he went for a walk. McCarter runs a propeller repair shop next to the Ebey Slough park and lives there too: he didnt hear anything at all, he said.
They did a pretty good job of it, McCarter said. I thought something was going on when I saw the flower pots overturned.
That was at Bundy Carpets at 615 State Avenue, where the business has had a truck vandalized when someone cut the gas line and siphoned the tank in December. The flowerpots were back in place but potting soil was spilled all over the sidewalk across from Marysville Junior High School.
Weve had the back buildings tagged, weve had them etch the glass, said owner Lisa Bundy. How does nobody notice somebody etch a gang logo into a window? Its frustrating.
She suggested the courts establish a list of offenders and instead of putting them in jail, Bundy wants to see them put to work removing or painting over graffiti.
They need to start catching these kids and make em go see how hard it is, Bundy said.