As discouraging as it can be to see our trail signs vandalized, it is a great feeling to see them back up, restored.
We restore them as quickly as we can make new ones for two reasons:
1. We know people rely on these signs: they often let us know they appreciate the them.
2. We know that putting them back up lets people know that somebody does care about this park, that it is not a place where vandalism goes unnoticed and accepted.
The repaired signs above are:
Left: the welcome sign where the trail from the Burlington Soccer Field enters Flyer’s Field
Right: the big intersection just inside Whispering Hill Woods coming from Central Field
Both of the above signs are critical to anybody navigating the park.
We also hauled out a giant contractor trash bag full of old fireworks, beer and soda bottles and cans, and other garbage: to make the park more pleasant and to let people know that somebody cares.
We have considered a visit to Woburn schools to try to talk to kids about respecting the park (most of the vandalism is done in areas that suggest the culprits live in Woburn). But for now we will try to remember that most of us as kids did some sort of vandalism though we would rather forget that phase of our lives. And we’ll keep on fixing what needs to be fixed. (There are more places where we are still catching up to mischief of the vandals.)
To repeat: Cleaning and repairing reminds people that somebody cares about this park.