Skate park closed until vandals caught

Taking a hard-line stance against vandalism at a local Little League Baseball park last week, Corbin officials say they will keep a nearby skateboard park under lock and key until someone comes forward with information regarding the crime.

According to Corbin Director of Recreation Marlon Sams, city workers discovered graffiti written across the back wall of the third base dugout of the main field at Rotary Park last Friday morning. The next day, more graffiti was written on the back side of the Princess Vermillion McBurney Recreation Center itself.

Graffiti written on the third-base dugout at Rotary Park. Officials say a nearby skateboard park will remain closed until those responsible for the graffiti are caught.

The graffiti, scrawled in white spray paint, said “JK 47 juggalow.” Sams said the JK 47 is some sort of personalized tag, but that juggalow is a word sometimes used by youth to mean “outcast.”

“As much money as the city has spent over there in that area to give kids something to do, it makes me sick to see them tearing it up,” Sams said.

In response, Sams said he made the decision Monday to close the skateboard park until the identity of the vandal or vandals has been determined.

“We hate to close it for the others who were not involved, but it is an effective way find out who some of the nuisance troublemakers are over there,” Sams said. “I think it kind of wakes them up.”

Sams said he’s closed the skate park before for brief periods, a move that has proven effective.
Corbin City Manager Bill Ed Cannon said he authorized the closure of the skate park Monday.

“I think it is the proper step to take to rectify the problem over there,” Cannon said. “Maybe it will get somebody motivated to turn someone in or whatever.”

Corbin Mayor Willard McBurney said he grappled with the problem of graffiti last year near the local school district’s Board of Education building. Covering up lewd and unsightly writing then cost taxpayers thousands of dollars. An investigation into the incident proved fruitless. He said authorities are taking the problem just as serious this time and are hoping for better results.

“If they are not going to take care of things then they won’t be allowed to use them,” McBurney said. “They’ve got to realize that this city has put a lot of time and man hours and money into providing these facilities. If we catch you doing this kind of stuff we are going to prosecute you to the fullest extent of the law.”

Corbin Police Officer David Maiden is investigating the vandalism.