host posted on July 28, 2009 02:40
By Adam Smith
The North Jefferson News
The City of Fultondale wants to know who vandalized its future Children’s Park over the weekend.
Leaders want to know so much that they’ve issued a $500 reward leading to the arrest of the person or persons responsible.
Employees from the city’s public works department have been working on the park, located at the corner of Stouts and Fulton roads, for the last several months. Public works employee Randy Posey said workers discovered the vandalism on Monday morning and a police report was filed shortly thereafter.
“This is not the first time; we’ve had some previous problems down there,” Posey said. “Someone was obviously down there hanging out and thought, ‘We’re just going to go over here and tear this up.’”
The vandals broke windows in the park’s restroom facility and damaged the exterior of the building. Even worse, the windows were special ordered and it took six weeks to receive them prior to installation. Posey said he and other workers were upset by the discovery.
“We’re doing this for the kids and the community and trying to give them a place to go that’s safe and fun,” he said. “We’re working to build pride in the community and try to make people appreciate what the city is doing. It just makes me sick at my stomach.”
The park was set to open in late August, but Posey said the date may be pushed back. Despite the vandalism, considerable progress has been made in recent weeks on the facility.
The park’s playground equipment, which includes swings, ladders and slides, was delivered and fully installed in the spring. On Friday, water mains were installed for the restroom facility.
Despite the discovery of the vandalism, the city council on Monday authorized Mayor Jim Lowery to enter into an agreement with Alabama Power to install electricity to the restroom facility at a cost of $1,172.76.
The park project was made possible through a $95,000 grant from the Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs (ADECA) with matching contributions of $5,000 from the city.
Lowery said the city has had issues with park vandalism in the past. Repeated damage to Black Creek Park contributed to the city’s decision to allow someone to live in the adjacent senior center to keep watch over the park.
Anyone with any information regarding the vandalism at the Childrens Park is urged to call the Fultondale Police Department at 849-5456.