Skateboard Park Vandalized – Cleaned Up by Utica DPW

Local residents are furious after a new skateboard park inside Utica's Proctor Park was vandalized with obscene graffiti. Utica businessman Mello Testa complimented Utica's Department of Public Works for the quick cleanup, but criticized the damage and the people who did it. Police have not yet discovered who was responsible for the vandalism.

"As you all know, I bring my grandchildren to the park almost every day on the golf cart, they love it. Today they wanted to go to the “infamous” skateboard park and this is what we found," said Testa.

"I said way back when this was proposed that the location for this was a bad idea and my point has been proven over and over. A total waste of taxpayers money, I don’t care if it was ARPA funding or city tax dollars. This was a big mistake and it’s never going to be what it was intended for," said Testa. "Whoever proposed this and supported it should be outraged, as I am, better yet, why don’t they come and monitor it and when something like this happens be responsible for cleaning it up. It’s a damn shame."

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Utica Councilperson Samantha Colosimo Testa said the most difficult part of this for parents is when they go to the park, and young children see the obscenities. "It's hard to explain to them," she said.

Many have complained about the addition of parks in Utica as a means of spending the ARPA funding. "How do we maintain these new parks, when we don't have the manpower to maintain the pre-existing parks we already have," said Testa.

Here's what the skateboard park looks like now, after the DPW cleanup.