Carson High School parents Janet DeLao, left, and Liduvina Velazquez remove graffitti that was spray painted onto the football field.
Carson High School’s athletic field was vandalized during the weekend, prompting concern for the state of the field for Saturday’s graduation.
The school was vandalized with vulgarities aimed at CHS sometime over the weekend, damaging the painted surface on the fieldturf, the running surface on the track, the bleachers, the baseball dugouts and the softball field fences. Superintendent Richard Stokes said the main concern is getting the football field and track cleaned up in time for Saturday’s 10 a.m. graduation.
“We are just working to try and get it presentable for all of our end of the year activities,” Stokes said.
To fix the damages, more than 100 students, staff and community members from Carson and Douglas worked on cleaning up the field Tuesday afternoon. Stokes said he was told the clean up was going well.
“The actions aren’t endorsed by all who hear about it,” Stokes said. “I think it was really classy (that the Douglas High students and community came to help clean) and we appreciate the show of support because like us, they don’t condone this behavior.”
Carson High School teacher Angila Golik, who led the cleanup efforts, was happy with the outcome.
“A couple bad apples does not define who we are as a school or as a community,” Golik posted on Facebook. “Today proved what good can come out of a bad situation. Today proved what teamwork is all about....today we were united...Tigers and Senators....one team.”
Carson Sheriff Ken Furlong said recently the department has been dealing with graffiti and vandalism frequently, though they have been seeing it aimed at the political signs around town.
“Emotions are high at the summer months and property damage, graffiti and vandalism is on the increase,” Furlong said.
He said acts like these seen at the high school and in politics are juvenile and a terrible way to get an opinion across.
“To smash a sign, or take a billboard isn’t an adult reaction,” Furlong said. “It is juvenile and needs to be punished. We live in a civilized world.
“It doesn’t further your cause to graffiti a high school or campaign sign, those things are counterproductive.”
Furlong said the best way for the community to prevent more incidents like these is to educate the public and help be the eyes and ears for the Sheriff’s Office. The public can be the first line of defense in helping combat vandalism.
“I have 100 officers, but there are 50,000 residents, we can do more with the help of residents than the officers... because law enforcement can’t be everywhere and vandalism doesn’t happen when the police are there,” Furlong said. “If you see it, if you hear about it, report it.”
Though the national political environment is quite hostile, Furlong said the same mentality doesn’t have to be reflected in Carson, and if everyone respects one another, then politics don’t have to get ugly.
“You aren’t wrong or right in this country for having an opinion that is different than someone else, that is what this country was founded on,” Furlong said. “We need to have respect for our institutions and political systems and we have to be intolerant of this juvenile behavior.”
Offenders can be arrested for vandalism and may face up to a year in jail or possibly spend time in prison depending on the level of graffiti or vandalism,
“If you choose to deface a sign, it is not freedom of speech,” Furlong said. “If you choose to damage school property, it is not a rivalry, it is vandalism.”
“Our community is becoming frustrated because this is continuing and when the high school was hit, frustrations went through the roof.”
If anyone has information concerning the Carson High vandalism or has any information on anyone defacing, taking down or otherwise damaging political signs, contact the Sheriff’s Office at 775-887-2500. Reports can be made anonymously and Furlong said he’s listening to the complaints made by citizens.