Despite arrest, vandalism continues in North Canaan

NORTH CANAAN — Two recent acts of vandalism, on town and private property, were discussed by the Board of Selectmen at a Feb. 6 meeting. Graffiti was written in black spray paint on the windows and facade columns at the Colonial Theatre. The Railroad Street building has been closed for about 15 months now and is up for sale. North Canaan First Selectman Douglas Humes said Canaan Valley Pet Shop owner Gregg Tidd had volunteered to clean the windows. Humes contacted the owners of the building to encourage them to paint over the graffiti on the columns.At the Lawrence Field Pavilion, ice skating was resurrected last winter to the delight of many residents. But vandals recently struck there as well. Logs and rocks were thrown into the center of the ice. No permanent damage was caused, but the town crew had to clean up the mess. That and above-average temperatures have kept “no skating” signs up since.Humes said surveillance cameras are installed there but have yet to be wired for power.The cameras were purchased quite a while ago with a grant secured by Resident State Trooper Jim Promotico. That was in response to a May 2008 incident when the pavilion and new playground were spray painted with obscenities and gang-related slogans.One of two suspects — boys as young as 10 or 11 — later admitted to and was arrested for the crime. Key in solving the case was videotape from security cameras at C.A. Lindell Hardware, where employees refused to sell spray paint to the two boys. Humes said he does not know why it is taking so long to get the cameras operational, except for a purchase of the wrong size electrical cable. A local electrician volunteered to do the work.Promotico did not return voicemails.