Ohiopyle officials search for graffiti culprits
OHIOPYLE, Pa. — On a bright, sunny and calm mid-50degree February afternoon, Bob Percy, 89, his wife and son took a drive about 20 miles south to Ohiopyle State Park from their home in Connellsville.
Mr. Percy had heard in news reports that the Ferncliff side of the main falls area in the park had been vandalized with graffiti on rocks near the falls over the weekend. He wanted to see the damage for himself.
“The thing that disturbs us is the fact that I don’t think we’ve had any graffiti that has been demonstrated here, so I hope they find out who did that and punish them for it,” he said.
The Scottdale native knows the park well. Mr. Percy has had relatives who lived in the area for generations, which drew him and his family to the park since he was a young boy.
“My dad, I remember he was in high water when he was a kid,” he recalled. “He was a good swimmer and got stuck out on one of these rocks in high water, and that’s back even before the turn of the ... 1900s. So we have a lot of roots up here, and we want it protected.”
Mr. Percy spoke passionately from the main parking lot near the visitors center Monday afternoon as he observed park workers spraying and scrubbing graffiti off several hundred feet of rock.
Park officials asked the public for help finding those responsible for the graffiti in a Facebook post after ranger supervisor John Kaminsky first
discovered it about 8 a.m. Sunday morning while opening the main falls gate, according to park manager Kenneth Brisbee.
Mr. Brisbee said officials were unsure when the vandalism occurred, but after alerting the public, the park got reports from visitors that the graffiti was spotted as early as Friday.
“The most upsetting thing for us is that it’s one of the most scenic areas in the Laurel Highlands,” Mr. Brisbee said. “People come from all over the world to snap their pictures there and it’s just a shame that someone would take it upon themselves to deface that.”
Mr. Brisbee said the rocks were marked with paintings of snowflakes, ladybugs and hearts. The graffiti falls on a “pretty environmentally sensitive area,” so officials were proceeding with caution while attempting to clean the rocks through the afternoon.
The park manager said a silver lining came from the dozens of volunteers who offered to help with cleanup. He said his team is unsure how long it will take. Mr. Brisbee said they may need to call on assistance from environmentally friendly graffiti removers.
This was not the first instance of vandalism at the park, Mr. Brisbee added, but an act of this magnitude is a first for the main falls. Mr. Percy, a retired Southmoreland High School teacher, can attest to that.
“There may have been maybe minor appearances [of graffiti], but whatever they do is major as far as I’m concerned,” he said.
As Mr. Percy went to continue his walk at the park with his family, he passed a group of Oregon teenagers who were in the area for a church mission. Caleb Ringger, 19, a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, said he and his fellow missionaries wandered down to the park after searching for things online to do on their day off.
The park’s scenery did not disappoint, but Mr. Ringger said he didn’t expect to see graffiti tags on such a beautiful landmark. “It kind of put a rain on our parade, so to speak, even on a nice day,” he said.
Park rangers are investigating. If found, a suspect faces charges of vandalism and a fine of an amount that depends on the cost of cleanup, Mr. Brisbee said.
The park manager said there are usually no surveillance cameras in the main falls area. Park officials ask anyone with information to call 724-329-8591.