FARMINGTON — The Farmington Department of Parks and Recreation still is determining how much it will cost to repair a gazebo that was vandalized last week in a downtown park.
The gazebo in Meetinghouse Park, located on Main Street downtown, was defaced with purple and black graffiti last week.
Annalisa Haase, 19, of Portland, and Julia Richardson, 21, of Yarmouth, were given summonses charging them with criminal mischief last Wednesday after someone noticed suspicious activity in the gazebo around 8 p.m. and called police.
Responding Farmington police Officer Ryan Rosie found one of the women still at the scene along with purple and black lettering on the floor and benches inside the gazebo, according to his report.
The gazebo is owned by the town. As a part of Meetinghouse Park, it is maintained by the town’s Department of Parks and Recreation.
Parks and Recreation assistant director Seth Noonkester said Tuesday that the department still is determining how much it will cost to repair the gazebo, but it expects to know the answer by the end of this week.
Noonkester said that the paint will have to be scraped off the vandalized areas inside the gazebo and the affected areas will have to be sanded and then painted over. He said it will be a lot of work.
“They got it in multiple different areas. Some of it is big,” Noonkester said. “We’re trying to get it done as quick as possible.”
The gazebo is one of the oldest bandstands in the state, Noonkester said. Built in the 1800s, it hosts regular performances by local musicians and is a prominent local attraction, especially in the summer, Noonkester said.
Haase and Richardson also were issued warnings not to return to the park. They were reportedly in town visiting friends.
Lauren Abbate — 861-9252
Twitter: @Lauren_M_Abbate
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