Point Marion park vandalized
Roberto M. Esquivel | 蘑菇视频
Vandals reportedly broke into several buildings at Point Marion Park, stealing copper and electrical breakers from the electrical boxes.
Roberto M. Esquivel | 蘑菇视频
Art Strimmel, Point Marion borough manager, walks around the damage reportedly created by vandals who recently broke into the park field house and damaged several electrical boxes and stole copper. The vandals also reportedly broke in to a maintenance building and a concession stand.
POINT MARION聽鈥� Borough officials say they will continue to make Point Marion a better place to live, despite thousands of dollars in losses due to theft and destruction at the borough park.
The park is the centerpiece of the community and the site of the annual regatta, slated for May 24 and 25, leaving borough officials just two months to replace equipment and repair damages to the park.
鈥淭his is something this town蘑菇视频 had going for 35 years. Come hell or high water, we鈥檙e going to have this regatta,鈥� said Mayor Carl Ables at the borough council meeting Wednesday.
Ables said he discovered the destruction to park facilities Sunday morning while touring the park with others. Burglars had broken into three buildings at the park and made off with maintenance and concession stand equipment including a microwave oven, weed eaters, chainsaws, sprayers and blowers, and other tools.
Thieves also made off with breakers and ripped into the electrical systems, leaving bare wires hanging. They also cut the main feed that provides electrical power to the park蘑菇视频 stage where live entertainment is performed.
鈥淭hey should have been roasted,鈥� Ables said of whomever cut the wire.
Vandals also gutted a hot dog roaster, removing the motor, and apparently attempted to cut the electrical supply to the concession stand, but must have gotten shocked and left, he said. State police are continuing to investigate the incident, and already had a forensic team at the scenes, he added.
Losses and damages are estimated between $12,000 and $15,000, he said, not to mention the time and labor that will be involved in rerunning electricity to the park.
鈥淭he regatta is still on, even if I have to get this up and going on my own,鈥� said Ables, who runs his own construction company. 鈥淚t蘑菇视频 time to do something, guys. I鈥檓 ready. Whatever we鈥檙e got to do, let蘑菇视频 do it.鈥�
Following an executive session, council unanimously voted to authorize borough Solicitor Gene Grimm to make an offer to contract the services of the Southwestern Regional Police Department. Should the regional law enforcement agency agree, the borough will contract for police services for 32 hours a week at a rate of $50 an hour, with the borough providing the use of its police car and office space. If accepted, the contract will be effective April 1 through March 31, 2015.
The borough has been without a police department since Sept. 27, after failing to secure affordable liability insurance following the settlement of back-to-back federal lawsuits alleging civil rights violations by borough police officers. The borough budget for 2014 includes $86,627.90 to operate a police department or contract police services.
Council also said they will be reviewing three applications for a borough code enforcement officer, a position that has remained unfilled since council on Feb. 15 indefinitely suspended Frederick Henigin, who had been employed by the borough for about one year, following allegations of shoplifting in West Virginia.
Also at the meeting, Councilman Patrick Kelley said he is offering a $250 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of suspects involved in the weekend burglaries. Tips may be reported by calling 1-888-404-TIPS (8477).
Anyone interested in volunteering to organize the regatta is encouraged to contact Councilwoman Victoria Evans at mamasita1955@yahoo.com.