Vandals cut pieces from an aluminum bench, kicked out wooden slats from under skate ramp, and bent the bottom bench at the Tri-Town Skate Park in Livermore Falls. Sun Journal photo by Donna M. Perry
LIVERMORE FALLS — Vandals have struck again.
While voters will consider in June using money from different accounts to improve the Tri-Town Skate Park, playground equipment, tennis and basketball courts at the Recreation Field, vandals are doing their best to damage some of them.
It was discovered Monday that some of the boards on the end of the skateboard ramps, which prevent anyone from going under them, were kicked out or removed at the skate park, Town Manager Stephen Gould said.
A children’s play set at the Recreation Field in Livermore Falls had a rope ladder and climbing rope cut from it and safety slats for the upper level removed. The damage was discovered Monday, Town Manager Stephen Gould said. Sun Journal photo by Donna M. Perry
The ends of a three-tier aluminum bench were cut off and the bottom seat was bent, he said.
One youth at the skate park Monday night said he would like to start a fundraiser to improve the park. If the vandalism keeps up, he said, they will not have a place to skate.
The playground equipment for younger children was also damaged, Gould said. The rope ladder was cut and removed. Some of the safety slats on the upper level to prevent children from falling were kicked out.
A climbing rope was also cut.
Vandals kicked out the ends of a dugout at the baseball park at the Livermore Falls Recreation Field, Town Manager Stephen Gould said Monday. Stephen Gould photo
The vandals then went to the baseball field area and kicked the end walls out of the dugouts, Gould said. The dugouts were built by Area Youth Sports volunteers and others to help shade players from the sun.
The playground equipment for the younger children and the skateboard park have been damaged several times before. The play set that includes swings and a slide was donated anonymously in 2011.
Selectmen put off buying more playground equipment for the rec area last year because of vandalism while Gould looked at security options. The field and park are off Foundry Road behind the business area and municipal building. Police patrol the area.
Gould said Monday night he was considering having all of the brush cut leading to the park and field to give a clean line of sight to the area from the Town Office and police station. It has been done before, he said.
dperry@sunmediagroup.net
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