Vandals Wreck Chairs Set Out for Fourth of July Parade on Frederick Road

Some of the hundreds of set up on Frederick Road to reserve space for Monday's were vandalized overnight.

Vandals shattered many of the plastic chairs, crushing the seats or smashing the chairs against the ground.

residents to reserve seats by placing chairs on the parade route more than a week before the July 4th holiday. 

Residents told Patch this is not the first time the chairs have been vandalized.

In the early morning hours, Frederick Road was littered with pieces of chairs, which prompted workers from the State Highway Administration to remove the broken pieces.

But after residents called and complained that their chairs were removed, SHA workers returned the chairs, including the broken pieces, after lunchtime Friday, spokesman David Buck said.

"We were just trying to clean up anything in the road," he said.

Workers also removed broken pieces from sidewalks and in the grass as a courtesy, Buck said.

"Whatever we picked up we took back," he said.

Catonsville is somewhat unique in its permissiveness of this tradition, and many residents have embraced it, even decorating the chairs for the festivities. Others have chafed at the tradition.

Columbia Association officials from reserving Fourth of July Lakefront spots with blankets to watch the fireworks, instead asking them to wait until 3 p.m. the day of the display.

In Catonsville, the chairs stretch along Frederick Road from Montrose Avenue to Ingleside Avenue. More than 80 percent of the chairs are on the blocks from South Rolling Road to Newburg Avenue.

People have also set out tarps, blankets, caution tape, car seats and rope to reserve spots for the 65th annual parade, which begins Monday at 3 p.m.

Joe and Pinky Roedig, who live along Frederick Road, saw the shattered chairs when they woke up this morning. The couple has lived there since 1996 and said they have seen chairs vandalized from time to time.

While there are chairs in front of their house, they plan to watch the festivities from their second floor balcony.

"Most people are really nice [about leaving chairs]," Pinky Roedig said. "They'll stop and ask if they can leave them."

staff has also asked that residents leave the space in the front entrance of the library clear until the library closes for business at 5:30 p.m. Saturday.