The Kingston Skate Park has a dismal history of vandalism, but whether history will repeat itself once a new, wooden graffiti wall is erected at the site has yet to be seen. For the vast majority of North Kitsap residents, graffiti and vandalism are interchangeable words.
This attitude, for the most part is founded and fueled by everything from “tagged” bus stops to bathroom humor etched in the stalls on the ferries.
Graffiti is everywhere and though some of it is quite artistic, the vast majority is crass humor and phrases laden with four-lettered words.
In an attempt to remove the latter types from the public eye, the graffiti wall is being built at the park. But given the fact that virtually everything there has been torn up, torn down, tipped over, kicked in, beat up or any variation of the preceding, it’s tough to believe that a 4×20-foot wooden structure will be spared by vandals.
Why would it?
A single garbage can is what remains of the former amenities at the Lindvog Road site, after all. And that is so beaten up, it, too, might be removed by the county.
Destructive vandalism, though prevalent at the Kingston Skate Park, is by no means limited to that location by any stretch of the imagination. American Legion Park and Lions Park in Poulsbo were both recently marred by vandals. Both are family-oriented and have been “hit” in the past to varying degrees.
It seems that anytime anyone goes out of their way to raise money and donate hours of their time and effort to build something nice for children and teens to enjoy in North Kitsap, some thoughtless, brainless fools are more than ready to spend a few minutes of their aimless existence to wreck it.
Maybe the graffiti wall won’t suffer the same fate.
But given the poor track record here in North Kitsap, the odds are definitely against it.