Several days after grafitti at Abate Park, Charleston Springs Road, Millstone Township, was painted over by municipal employees, another incident of vandalism at the park was reported.
Township Committeeman Fiore Masci said he is offering a $1,000 reward to anyone who provides information that leads to the arrest and prosecution of any individual who was involved in the vandalism at the park.
Millstone Township Mayor Bob Kinsey said public works employees cleaned up graffiti at Abate Park after the initial act of vandalism at the facility was reported on the morning of June 24. Kinsey said employees responded after graffiti was found painted on bathroom doors and a handball court. The cleanup began on June 24 and was completed on June 25.
Abate Park is a scenic recreation spot with amenities that include walking and jogging trails, tennis and basketball courts, a tot lot, exercise fitness equipment, a handball court, a field hockey area and a multipurpose field.
Photographs that were posted on a Millstone Township page on Facebook showed the graffiti which included anatomical references. Photographs that were posted after the cleanup showed that the graffiti was no longer visible.
However, over the weekend of June 27- 28, residents took to Facebook to report that vandals had returned to the park and once again spray painted vulgar grafitti at various locations.
Township Administrator Maria Dellasala said she learned through Facebook that there was a second round of vandalism at Abate Park on June 28.
Dellasala said she was browsing the Millstone community Facebook page on the evening of June 28 and saw that residents were talking about a second round of vandalism they had observed at the park that day.
Dellasala said she went to the park and saw messages that had been spray painted on the bathroom door and the handball wall again.
“It was disgusting,” she said. “I took pictures, but I wouldn’t send them to anyone. It looks like spray paint.”
There are no leads on who vandalized the park, Dellasala said.
She said DPW employees filed an incident report and contacted the state police on June 29. The employees cleaned up the graffiti again.
“The DPW repainted the door and walls,” Dellasala said. “The whole (handball) wall needs to be done. It will need a power washing and that will be done.”
In response to the vandalism, Kinsey issued a statement in which he said, “It is unfortunate that individuals are so bored, lost and inconsiderate that they have nothing better to do than deface public property and vandalize our beautiful public park, robbing the public of their tranquil beauty and quiet time with family.”