Elizabeth Township: Mount Vernon Park damaged by vandals

By CHRISTINE HAINES

chaines@yourmvi.com

Elizabeth Township police are investigating a report of vandalism at Mount Vernon Park.

Elizabeth Forward Youth Athletics Vice President Chris Thoma said someone spray painted obscenities on the dugouts and backstops at the ballfields in the park July 4 or 5. In a second act of vandalism, someone rode bicycles through all three fields at the park Thursday or Friday, creating ruts in the infield.

Thoma said the cost of repairing the damage isn’t what disturbs him most.

“I think we’ll be able to fix it ourselves,” he said. “The dugouts we can paint over; the backstop is rubberized, so it will have to be scrubbed. Once the fields dry out, we’ll have to go out and rake the ruts out.

“The park’s been there since 1955, but things are changing to where we feel we need a security system so we’re able to better deter things in the future.”

Thoma said the EFYA board has already purchased security cameras to be installed at the park. He said the camera system is preferable to closing the park when it’s not in use by the youth program.

“It’s private property, but it’s open to the public. We want parents to come down and pitch to their kids, and kids to play pick up games,” Thoma said. “We encourage people to go down there and play.”

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