LUBBOCK, Texas (KCBD) – An outdoor court at Aztlan Park in North Lubbock is covered in tire tracks after someone recently drove on it.
Karen Penkert, assistant director of Parks and Recreation, said one of her employees told her on Friday that someone drove on the basketball court at the park near Interstate 27 and First Street.
“I understand that some things are accidents, but this is not something that’s an accident. This is something that is very intentional,” Penkert said.
The North Lubbock Facebook page posted photos sent in by a community member. The sender said the community works hard to keep the neighborhood clean, safe and beautiful, and to respect it.
Graffiti was also found at the Carrillo Family Recreational Area nearby.
“It’s frustrating for us as a department, but I also know that it’s very frustrating even for myself as a citizen that we have some people who just don’t want to take care of what we have,” Penkert said.
Court resurfaced last year
Penkert said the court was resurfaced about a year and a half ago. The city is in the middle of a project to create a futsal, a soccer variant, court at the location. The goals for the court have already been delivered.
“It’s very discouraging sometimes from a department standpoint because it’s like, as soon as you think that you’re making progress, we’re doing a whole project out here. I’m working on finishing it up right now. You have something like this that you got to go and address and take time and money and effort to come and fix,” Penkert said.
Penkert said it would probably cost between $15,000 and $20,000 to repaint the court, a cost the parks budget did not account for.
“If we want to see new things come to the parks, we can’t be spending all of our time and resources on fixing things that should have never happened in the first place,” Penkert said.
Mural also vandalized
Kevin Glasheen posted that someone vandalized a new mural at the shopping courtyard Cactus Alley. The “Lucky me, I live in Lubbock,” mural was changed to say “Un-lucky me, I live in Lubbock.” The same graffiti signature found at the park was left on the mural. The other side of the mural contains a message against AI.
Penkert shared a message regarding city property.
“I would just encourage everybody, just think about genuinely, what would you want somebody to do in your yard or with your stuff or if it was your money invested? Because this is all of our money invested,” Penkert said.
Penkert said she is not sure what the city can do about the tire tracks yet but hopes power washing could help.
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