Community outpouring counters vandalism
Libby Logger Baseball posted several pictures documenting the vandalism to Facebook Sunday. (Courtesy photo)
Libby Logger Baseball posted several pictures documenting the vandalism to Facebook Sunday. (Courtesy photo)
Libby Logger Baseball posted several pictures documenting the vandalism to Facebook Sunday. (Courtesy photo)
Libby Logger Baseball posted several pictures documenting the vandalism to Facebook Sunday. (Courtesy photo)
A trophy that did not escape the destruction sits in a box with empty bottles and other items during cleanup at Lee Gehring Memorial Field Monday. (Ben Kibbey/The Western News)
Libby Assistant Chief/Fire Marshall Steve Lauer examines beer cans and other trash left in the upstairs training area used by the Libby Volunteer Fire Department above the concession stand at Lee Gehring Memorial Field Monday. (Ben Kibbey/The Western News)
After letting the paint soak in a special anti-graffiti spray, Tina Resch scrubs away an obscene image at Lee Gehring Memorial Field Monday. (Ben Kibbey/The Western News)
Libby Assistant Chief/Fire Marshall Steve Lauer shines a light on beer cans and other trash left in the upstairs training area used by the Libby Volunteer Fire Department above the concession stand at Lee Gehring Memorial Field Monday. (Ben Kibbey/The Western News)
Among the damaged apparel, some items showed signs of attempts to light them on fire Monday. (Ben Kibbey/The Western News)
The dumpster was full of trash from Sunday’s cleanup behind the concession stand at Lee Gehring Memorial Field Monday. (Ben Kibbey/The Western News)
Vandalism at the concession stand at Lee Gehring Memorial Field over the weekend prompted an outpouring of support from around the area, and from as far away as North Dakota.
Though the department is down three officers due to training, around 10 a.m. Monday morning Libby Police Chief Scott Kessel said that they had one juvenile suspect in custody and, he expected to apprehend two more shortly.
Sunday afternoon, Libby Loggers Baseball Manager Kelly Morford was at the field with assistant coaches and local chiropractor Scott Foss — the well-known program booster who has made maintenance and improvement at the field a personal mission.
The group was at the field to talk about a new batting cage when they noticed something out of place, Morford said. Taking a closer look, they found the concession stand had been completely torn apart.
Word first went out over the Libby Loggers Facebook page Sunday night that someone had vandalized the concession area, not just destroying consumable goods, but damaging — possibly irreparably — equipment and apparel as well.
The Libby Loggers Facebook stated that the popcorn machine will have to be replaced, and that the ice machine may need replaced.The concession stand also serves as a training center for the Libby Volunteer Fire Department.
Libby Assistant Chief/Fire Marshall Steve Lauer said that there was a mess in the upstairs of the building, which the department uses for training, with beer cans and garbage strewn around. There were even some cans still full.
However, the damage in the upstairs was limited compared to the concessions area.
Monday morning, John and Tina Resch were inside cleaning up. The dumpster out back was already full from cleaning efforts Sunday.
But the Reschs were still hauling out more trash as they scraped and cleaned.
On the side of one cupboard, a special anti-graffiti spray that Tina Resch brought with her was making short work of an obscene image that had been left by the vandals, but she said she had less hope for some of the more porous surfaces that had been defaced.
Sunday night after Libby Loggers Baseball posted to Facebook about the vandalism, the outpouring from the community and from further away was immediate. Within hours, a handful of donors had given $650 through a GoFundMe page Morford set up to help with the vandalism cleanup. By press time, the page had reached almost $3,890 of the $2,000 goal.
“As demoralizing as the vandalism was, it’s been just as uplifting to see all the support in the community,” Morford said on Sunday.
On Sunday, Kessel said that the crime scene pointed to juveniles being the most likely culprits.
“I want to make an example out of whoever’s behind this,” Kessel said. “We’ve had issues down there before, but nothing to this scale.”
The initial post by Libby Logger Baseball had over 600 shares Sunday night. By Monday morning, there were over 1,800 shares, and the number was growing.
Word reached as far as North Dakota and Idaho, and created an outpouring of support from the baseball and softball communities.
Susie Fleming posted, “CraZieS Fastpitch in Big Timber/Livingston sending love, some grit, and some goodies on the way!”
Dave Lapham, who identified himself as the owner of Exact Image in Missoula, offered to replace all of the damaged apparel at no cost.
Byron Sanderson identified himself as someone who has installed camera systems, and offered free labor to help the Loggers with a security camera installation.
Kyle Dull with Dull’s Detail, an automotive restoration service in Belgrade, offered his company’s assistance with the cleanup.
A number of community members volunteered to come out and help with the cleanup as well.
On Sunday, Morford said that they are grateful for the offers, but have a full crew for the planned cleanup.
Kyle O’Brien was one of the many who commented about how much Lee Gehring Memorial Field means to the community.
“As a kid I can’t even tell you how many hours I spent at that ball field. In the summers it was daylight till the street lights came on,” he commented. “I took my kids to the wood bat tournament every summer while we lived there. I learned a lot from the coaches and players on that diamond.”
On Sunday, Morford said he hoped the community will use the situation to a positive end, focusing on the baseball program and what the field does for the community.
He said that in addition to the vandalism cleanup, there will be a general cleaning and painting day toward the end of April.
“We have some improvement projects in line for this summer to prepare for the big year ahead and this will certainly not stop us,” Libby Loggers Baseball posted to Facebook Sunday night. “In the long run, the good will of Logger Nation will prevail.”
The GoFundMe page for the vandalism fundraising effort can be found at GoFundMe.com by searching “Libby Loggers vandalism.”
Donations to the Libby Loggers can also be mad by Mail: Libby Loggers Baseball P.O. Box 1528 Libby, MT 59923, or dropped off at Libby High School, Fjelstad Accounting or Foss Chiropractic.