By Jodi Wolfe
Staff Writer

Ongoing vandalism at the recreation center at Whitten Street Park has caused many problems for Allenstown.

One of the building’s windows was broken, large holes have been made in the fence around the skate park portion, graffiti was found on the exterior storage facility, the siding has been cracked, shingles were torn off the roof, signs were damaged, garbage cans have been damaged, pool sticks were thrown in the ceiling, and a security light was damaged.

Last year, someone broke into the building and stole the recreation center’s PlayStation and some PlayStation games, valued at $400.

Most recently during the weekend of Dec. 4 and 5, the electrical pole behind the building was vandalized and the power switches were turned off. James Rodger, Allenstown Recreation Commissioner, found the power off when he visited the building on Sunday, Dec. 5. Luckily, nothing froze, he said.

Additionally garbage has been strewn about, usually on weekends. While it is an extensive list, most of the things have been done during off hours, Rodger said.

“There’s kids doing that stuff and they think it’s funny,” Rodger said. “Sometimes they do this stuff and they don’t realize it affects people. It affects every single person in this town. It’s tax dollars.”

With recent problems, the town has paid approximately $2,000 for damages. Thanks to volunteers, the town was able to save money.

“The more we spend fixing things, the less we have to buy things for them,” he said.

The recreation center and the park are available for the town’s youth. An after-school program and a skate club are run on the premises by the Concord Boys and Girls Club, which is a free service. The Lions Club and a recreation toddler group also use the facility.

The after-school program is available from 2 to 6 p.m., which are prime hours for children to get into trouble. Since the children are in one location and not throughout Allenstown, the program saves the town money in the long run, Rodger said. “We’re lucky to have the Boys and Girls Club here,” Rodger said.

At the after-school program, participants can do homework, watch TV, play video games, do arts and crafts, and other recreational activities. Additionally, they can participate in the Suncook Bucks Bank, where they earn “Suncook Bucks” by helping to clean up garbage.

“They’re trying to involve the kids,” Rodger said. “They’re trying to show them they should have respect for the area.”

At the Nov. 29 selectmen’s meeting, David Jodoin, the town’s administrative assistant, told selectmen about the recent vandalism and the cost.

“Rodger volunteered his time to fix additional problems for the building, including fixing a leak in the roof,” said Jodoin. “Once he finished, someone made a hole in the roof.”

“He’s doing a lot of this stuff on his own as a volunteer and I’m sure it’s aggravating for him,” Jodoin said.

To combat these problems, they are looking into revamping the alarm system, Rodger said.

He has talked to the children who frequent the recreation center and told them that if they see someone vandalizing the area to suggest to that person to stop.

“We’re going to have to really start cracking down on the kids causing the problems,” Patty Gardner, chairman of the recreation commission, said.

She would like to see the park be fully utilized, but it isn’t feasible with the vandalism.

“The kids that are causing the vandalism, they are working against us,” she said.

If the police were able to catch the vandals in the act, they would be able to get restitution from the children’s parents, said Jodoin.

However, the building is so far off the beaten path, the police often do not catch anyone.

“There’s so many places for kids to hide,” said Jodoin. Allenstown Police Lt. Shaun Mulholland said the vandalism is periodic.

The police had issues in the past finding drugs and gangs in the park at the recreation center, but now that the recreation center is clean, it is a place for youth to do something productive, Mulholland said.

While the police do have a problem with youth staying in the park after the 8 p.m. curfew, the most recent problem was a broken window, which was most likely from a ball and not a rock, Mulholland said.

“I wouldn’t call it a crime spree down there,” he said.