Frazier Park?s small water company is struggling to be able to afford to upgrade water pipe runs installed back in 1926. Now homeowners will have to cover thousands of dollars in new expenses from vandals tagging water tanks. Jail terms and fines may await those responsible.
Vandals Said to Cost Water District Thousands
By Gary Meyer
Graffiti vandals have been spray-painting on Frazier Park Public Utility District (FPPUD) property, causing the district to have to allocate thousands of dollars to refinish their water tanks with a high quality, oilbased paint, according to Manager Greg Keenberg.
FPPUD employees stopped at The Mountain Enterprise, Tuesday April 7 after filing their third report since February 27 with the Kern County Sheriff’s substation. The penalty for graffiti vandalism is up to a year in jail or state prison and a fine of up to $50,000.
The first tags to appear, according to the district’s Senior Operator Cheryl Mackey, were Meko and Taz. “Then others like Crock and Lucky came in and painted over the first ones,” she said.
“This is a waste of water customers’ money and could lead to other types of vandalism,” Keenberg said.
Kern County Sheriff’s Deputy Dave Benson asks anyone who recognizes the tags or knows who is defacing this public property, to please call the sheriff’s substation at 245-3440. He said callers can remain anonymous.
This is part of the April 17, 2009 online edition of The Mountain Enterprise.
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