Vandals smash Val Vista water fun Vandals smash Val Vista water fun (May 28, 2004)

City working to restore some water features by weekend
by Teresa C. Brown

Vandals attacked the city's newest community park, Val Vista, last week, causing damage that will close a portion of the park for an unspecified time while repairs are being made.

The large water play area on the south end of the Johnson Drive park is temporarily closed, said Lisa Hagopian, parks maintenance superintendent. "It's closed right now, but we're hoping to get four features up this weekend."

The park's main water feature control valves were damaged overnight May 19 by unknown vandals.

Once the features are temporarily operational, the parks department will consider how to make the operational valves and wiring more secure from vandals, Hagopian said.

She did not speculate on the cost of the damages or how much the repair work would cost the city.

The vandals pried off a 50-60 pound lid bolted over an underground concrete vault, Hagopian said. The vault housed the operation valves for six watering areas, including the park's main water play area.

"(The vandals) turned the lid on its end and smashed the valves, damaging all of them and severely damaging two," Hagopian said. The extensive repair work includes having to jackhammer the vault.

The unknown suspects also broke into an adjacent wiring box, yanking out and cutting wires before tossing the box lid into a nearby pond. A picnic table was also wrenched from its secured position and thrown into a planter, Hagopian said.

"It's unfortunate; (the park) just opened," Hagopian said of the vandal's destructive work. "There are two water play areas and if someone wants to go to one, they'll have go to the center of the park," she said.

Located adjacent to I-680 between Stoneridge Drive and West Las Positas Boulevard, Val Vista park opened May 1. With a $7 million price tag, the 24-acre park features two water play areas, a climbing wall, an in-line skating facility, a roller hockey rink and picnic areas as well as three tournament-sized soccer fields.

Hagopian stressed that if park visitors see anything or anyone suspicious at any park, they should call police at 931-5100.

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