Vandals Strike Wilson Park; North Kingstown Police Investigating

NORTH KINGSTOWN, RI—Just a week ago Thursday, Wickford Little League was proudly hosting ballplayers from out-of-town at Wilson Park for the 11-year-old Rhode Island State District Championship and while Wickford didn't have any teams playing, the place looked great, said League President Arnie Sarazen.

On Friday, Sarazen was busy taking photos of the damaged buildings and league signs at the town-owned park after vandals sprayed graffiti and obscene phrases on numerous surfaces. He then took a trip to the North Kingstown Police Department to fill out a police report. It's not the first time the park has been vandalized during Sarazen's 15 years with the league.

And every time, "it's going to cost us time, money and effort to cover everything," Sarazen said. And for a league facing fierce competition from other sports, the energy of the all-volunteer members of the league could be better spent.

The town is responsible for the park's upkeep and takes care of the field, bathroom and grounds. Wickford Little League mans the concession stand and has its own scoreboard and sponsor signs. The league does all the details in terms of setting up before games and cleaning up afterwards, Sarazen said.

The crime was not captured on video—no security cameras are installed in the park. Sarazen said while it might be unwise to note the lack of cameras, he said the league has requested the town consider installing them to deter vandalism, but "they've never come to [the point] of putting them there."

Anyone with information that might help the police investigation, including someone who recognizes one of the tags sprayed by one or more vandals, is asked to call North Kingstown police at 401-294-3311.

The damage was first discovered by Frank McGree, who said he was holding an AA skills clinic at the field at around 6 p.m.

Numerous spots were sprayed by the culprit or culprits, including a sponsor sign that had to be taken down due to profanity.

Sarazen said Wickford Little League is doing "OK" and currently has about 250 children, down from about 500 when his oldest son was a on a team. Baseball as a youth sport has been facing strong competition from other sports like soccer and lacrosse for years. The thinning numbers has led to preliminary talks with the nearby North Kingstown American Little League to possibly combine leagues, something that has happened in waves across most Rhode Island communities.

"We're in the preliminary stages of talking to North Kingstown to see if we can do one big North Kingstown Little League," Sarazen said.

Still, "the league is vibrant," Sarazen said. And if someone from the community wants to roll up their sleeves and pitch in to clean up, visit the Wickford Little League's website or Facebook page for additional information and contacts.