Vandals Frustrate Sand Springs Park Employees, Firefighters

NewsOn6.com

SAND SPRINGS, OK -- A senseless act of vandalism steals some of the satisfaction of a job well done for volunteers. They fixed up an old park bathroom, only to have it tagged with spray paint.

It's not so much that the vandalism is widespread, as that it happened so quickly.

All they wanted, all anyone wanted was to fix up an aging bathroom at Sand Springs' River City park into something nice for their families and the community.

But the sense of satisfaction from working together to make a difference, soon turned sour.

"I'm sad to report, the building has already been tagged, and it hasn't even been 20 hours," said Grant Gerondale, Parks Director.

Someone with spray paint put their mark on the bathroom wall, right on top of the fresh coat of paint.

"You can still smell the paint drying, that's what stings about this," Gerondale said. "You have to pause for a minute and say this is just a senseless act."

4/11/2010 Related story: Sand Springs Firefighters Remodel Park Bathrooms

The parks department wasn't happy about it, and neither are the firefighters who all volunteered their time on their day off.

"People don't seem to have much respect for anything anymore," said Barry Molencupp, Sand Springs firefighter.

"Society has definitely changed; it would appear that we have bred all the class out of society," the firefighter continued.

The sprayed on tag isn't a lot in the grand scheme of things. It can be painted over easily. But more than the paint, it's the principle.

"I don't know what it is about society that we are losing our respect for public property," said Sand Springs Park Director Grant Gerondale.

Police will keep an eye on things at the park, and the fire department will cover the paint.

"We're not going to slow down just because of a few dirt bags," said Barry Molencupp, Sand Springs firefighter.

And the parks department workers will keep scratching their heads, and wondering why? And how so many could care so much, and someone else could care so little.

"There's just not a good answer for this," Gerondale said.