LOCK HAVEN, Pa. — Officials in Lock Haven say the playground in Hoberman Park is currently the only ADA-accessible park in the city, but now the playground is closed until further notice because of vandalism.
The playground at Hoberman Park has been a fan favorite for children in the Lock Haven area since it was built in 2002. However, that playground is now fenced off and closed indefinitely.
"We want to be able to see kids have a safe, fun place for them to play and interact with each other and everything, so it's unfortunate that this happened," said Kasey Campbell, director of community life.
City officials say vandals kicked or smashed the slide and other equipment on the playground. They found blood on the inside of the slide.
The city estimates the damage at around $1,500.
"Hopefully, we just have to replace the tubes. If that is the case, then it's not as much damage, but if we can't replace just the tubes, we will have to replace the entire structure, and that's where it gets pretty costly for us," Campbell said.
Parents of children who play at Hoberman Park were upset to learn that the playground was vandalized.
"It makes me think, how safe are my kids over there if someone is kicking in the slide? When are they doing it? Are they doing it while the kids are over there playing? are they doing it after hours?" April Fahr wondered.
"I don't know how often those parks are checked on," Sheila Carroll said. "There were a lot of kids during this nice weekend playing in that park where there was blood and a broken structure."
Currently, this is the only ADA-accessible playground in the city of Lock Haven, and due to the extensive damage, the city says it will be closed for a while.
"It's going to depend on when we hear back from the manufacturer about the replacement parts, so it could be a couple of months," Campbell added.
The city of Lock Haven is offering a $500 reward to anyone who has any information regarding the vandalized playground equipment.