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Skateboarders Damaged Westwood Veterans' Park Benches

Westwood officials said they would investigate ways to prevent skateboarders from performing tricks on the memorial benches.

 

Skateboarders have damaged four memorial benches in Veterans' Memorial Park, according to Westwood Councilman Peter Grefrath.

The benches were purchased by local families as memorials to deceased loved ones as part of a borough program. Families donate $1,700 for the benches in Veterans' Park or $900 for benches in other parks.

"I'm not really happy with skateboarders damaging memorial benches," Grefrath said.

Officials said chipping on two of the benches could probably be repaired by borough employees, but two others may need to go back to the manufacturer for repair.

The damage was not purposeful vandalism, they said, but appeared to have been caused by skateboards being slid along the bench edges because of chipping and multicolored paint residue.

Officials said they would see if a bolt or other object could be installed in the middle of the benches to prevent skateboarders from doing tricks on them.

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Related Topics: Skateboarding, Veterans' Memorial Park, Westwood, and Westwood Council

Dumb O'Dumberer

1:33 pm on Monday, February 11, 2013

Check this site: http://stopagrind.com/ Many products for various needs to prevent skateboarding.

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21st century concerned citizen

1:44 pm on Monday, February 11, 2013

Unfortunately we have people who have no respect for the property of others. Skateborders were also seen disrespecting property at Zion Lutheran School by skatebording on the schools steps. With the amount of mischief we have in Veterans Park we do need to strategically place cameras throughout the park to deter and catch vandals

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scruffy

2:14 pm on Monday, February 11, 2013

skateboarders have been causing damage to the area schools for years. They have damaged the steps and landings at all for a long time and have damaged the park before. The cameras should have been part of the overall redesign of the park to stop not only this vandalism but also better see who goes in and out of the train station as there has been damage to it as well previously not by the skateboarders. It is a shame that we need to take such measure but how much good money shall we put after bad acts repeatedly till we learn the lesson?

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Harold Wurst

8:06 am on Tuesday, February 12, 2013

Do we have proper laws on the books if we do catch who ever is causing the damage?

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scruffy

9:44 am on Tuesday, February 12, 2013

Yes, there already are vandalism to public property as well as youth offender laws on the books. They are no different for benches as opposed to any other damage. The problem has been catching them and the cameras will greatly change that. Perhaps the cameras being installed will wake up some of the parents as they will be the one who will most likely be paying the fines for their kids if they are under the age of 18 and don't have money of their own to pay it.

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Robert

1:09 pm on Tuesday, February 12, 2013

Should be a skatboard and roller hockey rink at park. Too many soccer fields and area 61 that does not get used but is always lite. Wildcats in 7 !

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trey patunas

4:45 pm on Thursday, February 14, 2013

i skateboard but i leave in township and it would keep us all of the streets if there was a skatepark

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Gary Conkling

10:22 pm on Thursday, February 14, 2013

Hey Robert It was all planned to have a roller hockey rink. But they screwed the hockey kids.
Skate board park would be a good addition to the park. Westvale is for everyone or is it?

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Harold Wurst

8:46 am on Friday, February 15, 2013

I agree we do need a street hockey rink and skate board area for our kids.
I go to Fair Lawn every Sat. & Sun. to watch my grand children play in street hockey competition, 8 teams total ( that's a lot of Kids off the sttreet ) and a lot of parents and grand parents enjoying whatching them. All in the name of FUN.

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trey patunas

5:40 pm on Saturday, February 16, 2013

how about you guys just think a little and instead of putting cameras in put a skatepark in. you put so much stuff in for sports and what just because we are skateboarders that makes us different. it is a sport and it should be treated like one. WE NEED A SKATEPARK!!

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