Washington County Fairgrounds vandalized, but events continue
A vehicle bashed a series of doors inside the fairgrounds food court across from the fair office.
Windows that were smashed at the fair office are boarded up while a crew from a restoration company worked inside.
A children’s consignment sale this weekend and a Christmas craft fair scheduled for later this month will take place as planned despite a weekend vandalism spree at the Washington County Fairgrounds that the department head overseeing the county-owned property said will cost “tens of thousands of dollars” to repair.
Lisa Cessna, executive director of the Washington County Planning Commission, said a restoration company was working inside the fair office, where computers and phones were rendered useless due to snipped wires, though phone service to the fairgrounds office has been reconnected.
Crews first swept up broken glass and removed the powdered residue the culprit sprayed from fire extinguishers, she said.
Cessna is also obtaining prices to make additional repairs in the Range Resources Food Court.
“Everything seems to be an emergency,” said commission Chairman Larry Maggi at the board’s Wednesday meeting. “You say ’emergency’ to vendors and the price of everything goes up.”
Commissioner Harlan Shober said of vendors, “They’re competing for bids even though it’s an emergency.” Commission Vice Chairman Diana Irey Vaughan was absent.
“I don’t know if there’s been an arrest yet,” Cessna said after the meeting.
Chartiers Township police did not immediately return a call about the episode, which Cessna said occurred between 2:30 and 5 a.m. Sunday.
Police were called when a car was found along Arden Mines Road. Arriving to check on the vehicle, they discovered it had apparently been used as a battering ram to bash each metal door, similar to garage doors, that allow deliveries to be made to individual booths in the food court.
Surveillance video has led authorities to a single, barefoot perpetrator who tried unsuccessfully to gain access to an automatic teller machine. When stymied, the vandal “ultimately broke into the office and destroyed the office,” Cessna said.
The state police forensics unit is assisting Chartiers police.
The fairgrounds secretary is working out of an exhibit hall, and on Wednesday, Melissa and Wayne Mikus were among those preparing for Kid Mania, a twice-yearly consignment sale for which more than 300 families have dropped off 80,000 items including clothing, accessories, toys, books and equipment in Halls 1 and 4, which were unaffected by the destruction.
“When we pulled in to set up, I thought somebody had gone crazy with a forklift,” Wayne Mikus said after seeing the series of damaged doors.
Hours for the Kid Mania seasonal public sale are 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Friday and Saturday and 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sunday. Cessna said the 25th annual Pennsylvania Arts and Crafts Christmas Festival will also be taking place as scheduled Oct. 18, 19, 20, 26 and 27.