Published: June 16, 2008 11:30 pm            

STARPOINT: District to prosecute field vandals, Whelan says

PENDLETON — Individuals riding four-wheel vehicles damaged the baseball and softball fields on the Starpoint School District campus, Superintendent C. Douglas Whelan told the school board last week.

The perpetrators drove onto the Starpoint campus at night on May 23, rode all over the fields and destroyed the varsity outfield fence, Whelan said. The poles to the temporary fence were broken by the vehicles, and both fields were a mess.

“They just ran right over it,” Whelan said. “And cost the taxpayers quite a bit of money.”

The damages come at a cost that could be in the hundreds of dollars to the district and the taxpayers. The district had to use its grounds staff to spend time fixing up the diamonds so they could be used. Starpoint also has to have staff work outside at night to prevent more damage from occurring, or hire outside workers to handle it, Whelan said.

“The biggest cost is the time and effort,” he said. “Our maintenance people had to go back over and groom the diamonds.”

Starpoint athletic director Tom Sarkovics said a softball coach called him about the softball fields. After he saw the field, he decided to check out the baseball fields. The fence was on the ground.

“They basically rode around in circles,” he said. “They ran right through it.”

Sarkovics said about 14 or 15 poles were broken, and there was a hole in the fence. He guessed that to replace the fence could cost about up to $700.

While the baseball and softball seasons are over, Starpoint still had to have the field ready for the alumni game which was this past weekend.

Whelan said last week the district will go after those responsible for the damage and prosecute them to the fullest extent of the law.

“We can’t have any of these people (trespassing),” Whelan said at the school board meeting last Monday. “People really need to respect the areas. They need to stay off the areas we have spent so much money keeping up.”

Contact reporter Joe Olenick

at 439-9222, ext. 6241.

        

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