Mark of vandals erased by volunteers

By CAROL ROBIDOUX

Fixing the damage at Broadview: From left, Ken Gould, Ginny True, Mel True, David Milz and Margi Ives. 

Union Leader Correspondent

DERRY – Wrongs have been righted by a group of volunteers who wanted to send a clear message to vandals who, one week ago, left the entrance to a local conservation site in shambles.

On Saturday a group of about 10 people got together and rebuilt a large informational sign that had been rammed from its wooden posts. They painted over some graffiti sprayed across a picnic table. They reinforced a post and beam fence that had been knocked out in several places.

“It took about six hours of digging and painting and hammering. In the end, we had a couple of professional carpenters who helped us get all the angles straight on the sign, and we got it done,” said Dave McPherson, who is also active with the East Derry Village Improvement Society.

Conservation Commission Chair Margi Ives had discovered the vandalism on August 24. After some debate over what to do about the damage, McPherson said it was agreed that if a team of volunteers could be rallied, the sooner the mess was fixed, the better.

“It's an ongoing problem, and it's been a problem ever since the property became a public conservation area – even before that, in fact,” McPherson said.

He added that it's not the only conservation site in town that's been under siege by late night vandals, who regularly make mischief, destroy property and leave litter, beer cans and bottles in their wake.

“You just keep hoping that the people doing this realize what they're doing to their community,” McPherson said. “It seems this time of year is when a lot of the problems happen, for obvious reasons.”

He said he's hoping between more patrols by local police and more surveillance by local residents, it might be possible to deter vandals from returning to the scene of their crime.

“It's important to show them that we care about this place, and that as a community, we're not going to stand for it,” McPherson said.