People who apparently have nothing better to do with their time have damaged property meant for the enjoyment and relaxation of others, in Atlantic. During Monday evening’s meeting of the Atlantic Parks and Recreation Department’s Board of Directors, Director Roger Herring said it’s believed persons from out of town destroyed a park bench at the Schildberg Recreation Area. The incident involving the very first new bench to be installed by a local Eagle Scout wasn’t discovered, until a week ago, when Herring went out to mow.

He says the bench was gone, and next to a picnic table was a round burn mark. Herring learned someone had pitched a tent and camped there the previous weekend. It didn’t take long for him to realize the campers tore apart the bench as used it as kindling for a campfire. Evidence of the fact included the discovery of the bench’s nuts and bolts in the campfire site. Herring says they have received leads in the case, and they don’t point to anyone local.

In another incident, Herring says someone took trash from a can at the City Park in downtown Atlantic last weekend, and dumped it in the men’s restroom. With the heat and humidity allowing the refuse to “Ferment” over the weekend, when the incident was discovered by Park workers, the stench nearly overwhelmed their senses. The culprits didn’t do any other damage, and even returned the trash can to its proper place.

City Councilman Chris Jimerson, who represents the Council on the Parks and Rec Board, mentioned also, that sometime over the weekend, persons on motorcycles tore up the Soccer Field by the Little League Park.  Herring says he believes that young people who are bored, are responsible for “That kind of Mickey Mouse stuff.”