City closing all park restrooms following second vandalism

A second act of vandalism inside a public restroom has prompted Newton Parks & Recreation to close all of its bathroom facilities in the remaining city parks by the end of the week.

Two weeks after a men’s restroom near the softball fields of Agnes Patterson Memorial Park was “completely destroyed,” a separate men’s restroom in Maytag Park received similar damages, albeit less extensive.

Park Operations Superintendent Nick Cummins said one of the porcelain urinals in the Maytag Park rest area was smashed, much like the two toilets, two urinals and a sink were treated in the Agnes Patterson restroom. No other fixture had been damaged in the Maytag Park restroom.

The damages was discovered Oct. 21, a Sunday, by a staff member who regularly checks the park’s rest areas on the weekends. Much like the Agnes Patterson vandalism, the restroom was in good condition the previous morning, leading Cummins to believe the damage occurred sometime between Oct. 20 and Oct. 21.

Newton Parks & Recreation filed a report on the incident with the Newton Police Department.

To prevent any further vandalism, the department is currently locking up the park bathrooms earlier than intended. Cummins said Newton Parks & Recreation prevents access to and winterizes the restrooms as forecasts turn to below freezing temperatures.

“It’s just unfortunate for the rest of the citizens that we have to shut the bathrooms down early and get them locked up before we normally would,” Cummins said. “…We really haven’t got to that cold snap yet, but we kind of had to accelerate the process this year.”

The only restrooms that will be usable in city parks by the end of the week will be the pit toilets, which stay open all year because they do not require plumbing. Most of the park restrooms, Cummins said, have already been locked up for the season.

In addition to the two restroom vandalisms, which both occurred in the same month, spray paint graffiti was found on the shelter house of Sunset Park. Staff have since painted over the graffiti.

Cummins said the Agnes Patterson vandalism is still being dealt with and assessed by insurance providers.

Contact Christopher Braunschweig at 641-792-3121 ext. 6560 or cbraunschweig@newtondailynews.com