Vandals cause $5,000 damage at Sports Complex
Published 12:00 am Friday, June 20, 2008
- Officer Shannin Zednik of the Baker City Police Department collects evidence at the Baker Sports Complex Thursday morning. Vandalism occurred overnight. Ron Stoaks, Baker School District maintenance director, in background, said vandals ripped open bags of material used to mix with infield dirt to help dry it quicker, painted obscenities on walls and sidewalks, damaged a district-owned tractor, broke tools, destroyed two trees and two drinking fountains and caused various other damage. (Baker City Herald/S. John Collins).
By CHRIS COLLINS
Baker City Herald
Ron Stoaks’ day got off to a bad start Thursday morning.
As the Baker School District’s maintenance director, he had the unfortunate duty of surveying damage done to buildings, equipment and the Wall of Fame that recognizes community residents who contributed to the construction of the $1 million Baker Sports Complex.
Stoaks estimated the damage at between $5,000 and $6,000. The school district’s insurance should pick up most of the cost of repairs after the policy’s $1,000 deductible is paid, he said.
Stoaks spent from 7:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Thursday cleaning up the destruction, along with his crew and inmates from the Powder River Correctional Facility.
andquot;It was a senseless act that should hit Baker pretty hard,andquot; Stoaks said Friday. andquot;Baker built that Sports Complex. It wasn’t just the school district. It was the whole town of Baker.andquot;
Stoaks encouraged anyone with information about the vandalism to call Baker City Police. Officer Shannin Zednik is leading the investigation. The police department is at non-emergency number at its new location at 1768 Auburn Ave. The temporary phone number while the department is settling in to its new quarters is 523-8514.
Zednik collected evidence and photographed the damage Thursday morning, but had not yet identified suspects. Charges related to the damage include first-degree criminal mischief and second-degree burglary, both Class C felonies.
Zednik said the vandals spray-painted anarchy symbols on the batting cages as well as the Wall of Fame. Speakers were torn off their mounts and two drinking fountains were torn off the outside walls of the restrooms. Each drinking fountain costs about $800 and another $200 to install, Stoaks said.
A district-owned tractor was damaged and will cost about $2,000 to repair, Stoaks said. Two mature trees also were destroyed at a cost of about $1,000 and the vandals attempted to burn six plastic outfield fences, valued at about $150 each. They also broke in to two sheds.
There has been other vandalism to the Baker Sports Complex since it was completed in 1999, but none as extensive as the damage left behind between Wednesday night and Thursday morning, Stoaks said.
