Vandals Won't Stop Mission To Clean Up Collinsville Lake Area

An attempt by vandals to interrupt plans to revitalize Collinsville City Lake didn't go over too well.

Despite the damage, organizers working to build a trail around the lake said they'll keep moving forward.

Over 50 volunteers have put a big dent in cleaning up the area around Collinsville Lake. But Saturday night, organizers said vandals came in and tore down trail markers and damaged a machine.

Learn More About The Collinsville Trails Initiative

A new excavator will spend the next week cutting another mile of trail throughout the woods near Collinsville City Lake.

Earlier this week, work came to a standstill when vandals damaged the previous machine.

Trail builder, Terry Boone said, "We came in, somebody had taken a screwdriver and pried the lock and gas cap off and filled our fuel tank with dirt and rocks."

On top of the damage, hundreds of flags used to mark the trail were ripped down.

“You could be bummed, but then you gotta think about the 60 folks that came out there and cleaned up the trash and built new trails," Boone said.

For two years, the idea of turning the area around the lake into a place of fun has been in the works. Nick Mendez said the city helped get a $25,000 grant and hired outside contractors for the heavy duty work.

The community worked to clear out decades of trash and build trails along the lake.

“This property belongs to the city. And what we plan to do is restore it, and optimize it, and re-brand it. Give it a different culture, make it friendly to families, and kids, and trail runners, and mouton bikers and other trail users," Mendez said.

He said seeing the damage was discouraging, but every story has an antagonist who loses.

"As far as putting our work back, absolutely not; if anything, this has caused more awareness. The damage they did to Tony's machinery allowed them to get an updated machine to cut more quickly. So, technically, they've done us a favor," said Mendez.

Organizers are asking volunteers to come out again Saturday to keep cleaning up the area. You can also keep up with the initiative on Facebook and Twitter.