HOWARDS GROVE, Wis. — The Village of Howards Grove is grappling with an issue that has become all too familiar: vandalism.
“It’s not fun, it’s not funny and it’s not cool,” said Village Board President Dale Wuestenhagen, referring to the damage caused in the most recent incident at the Memorial Park bathrooms.
According to Wuestenhagen, the vandals took toilet paper and wood chips, using them to clog the toilets. As a result, the facilities were left unusable, prompting the village to close the bathrooms until further notice.
“It’s almost once a year…” Wuestenhagen noted. Since 2020, there has been at least one case of vandalism at Howards Grove parks every year.
“You’re only hurting the village as a whole, the people that use it — the kids mostly.” Wuestenhagen added.
Although school is out for the summer, Howards Grove Summer School remains in full swing.
David Ziegelbauer, the district's business manager, expressed disappointment over the situation, stating, "It’s frustrating, this is a shared community space."
He explained that multiple classes utilize the park, and the vandalism complicates their recess time. “You can’t just go right back over to the middle school,” Ziegelbauer said.
“We have to put some pre-planning in, making sure everybody takes their potty break before they come over, and really hope that the duration of the time you’re here,, another student or staff doesn’t need to ‘go.’”
In response to the ongoing problem, Wuestenhagen reported that they have implemented weekly policing in the area and are exploring the budget for surveillance cameras.
Watch: Howards Grove community left frustrated as vandals target park bathrooms
“Have patience. We’re trying to come up with ideas and we’re trying to figure out what we’re gonna do,” he said.
The village has since repaired and reopened the bathrooms, hoping this will be the final time they encounter such vandalism. “I have no idea who it is or what they’re doing or why they’re doing it…” Ziegelbauer remarked.
“But it does have a large effect on everybody in the community."
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