MARYSVILLE – The Marysville Skatepark has been closed indefinitely after vandals caused as much as $4,000 in damage Sunday night.
It was one of the worse cases of vandalism on the property since the 10,000-square-foot park opened in 2002, Parks Director Jim Ballew said.
The damage included spray-painted graffiti, strewn garbage and destroyed fences, he said.
Broken skateboards and litter were jammed into the park’s entrance sign, and the vandals chipped concrete, broke a storm grate and left a shattered bicycle, he said.
Bicycles are prohibited at the park.
A portable restroom was also completely covered with graffiti and must be replaced, Mayor Dennis Kendall said.
Graffiti incidents have increased in Marysville recently, police Cmdr. Robb Lamoureux said.
He said police photographed the skate park damage and are investigating the incident.
Ballew said he hopes the park will reopen by the weekend.
Work crews have other projects scheduled and cannot be immediately redirected to fix the park, Ballew said.
“It’s like punishing kids in the middle of summertime,” Graham Callan said of the closure. Callan owns the Unknown skate shop and gallery, which opened in Marysville earlier this year.
He said those who vandalize skate parks are different from the people who typically play by the rules.
“Skateboarders are creative kids that are trying to be active and have fun in an active way,” Callan said.
The mayor said closing the park is a shame.
“It’s also very costly and it hurts the old budget,” Kendall said.
Ballew said two-thirds of the cost to fix the park is labor.
On Monday afternoon, just blocks from the closed skate park, 7-year-old Mercedes Evans was riding her skateboard along a sidewalk.
Her mom, Misty Gage, said practicing on the sidewalk isn’t the same as being in the skate park. The surface isn’t smooth and it’s hard to do tricks, she said.
Until the Marysville park reopens, Mercedes likely will visit the Mill Creek park.
In the meantime, her mother had a message for the vandals.
“I hope closing puts a message out that we need to take care,” Gage said. “Respect everybody and don’t do it.”
Reporter Jackson Holtz: 425-339-3437 or jholtz@heraldnet.com.
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