Fairgrounds vandalized over weekend, but events continue
This photo from 2019 shows damage to a series of doors inside the Washington County fairgrounds food court across from the fair office.
Barbara Miller/ Observer-Reporter
Barbara S. Miller/Observer-Reporter
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, reported to the county commissioners Wednesday morning that a restoration company was working inside the fair office, where computers and phones were rendered useless due to snipped wires, but phone service to the fair office has since been reconnected to 2151 N. Main St.
Crews first swept up broken glass and removed the powdered residue the culprit sprayed from fire extinguishers, she said.
Cessna is also obtaining costs for making additional repairs in the Range Resources Food Court.
“Everything seems to be an emergency,” said commission Chairman Larry Maggi. “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 agenda-setting meeting at Courthouse Square.
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.
There does not seem to be an obvious connection such as a disgruntled ex-employee or a person who had previous run-ins with the Washington County Fair Board, according to Cessna.
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.
“My fear is that police have not captured this person yet,” said Melissa Mikus, a former Washington County resident who now lives in Upper St. Clair.
“The fairground has been very accommodating when they’re dealing with this kind of a mess. I need as much help from them as I can get.”
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. A food truck will be on hand, but Kid Mania organizers had no plan to use built-in booths within the food court.
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.