Vandals target new Agate Bay boat launch

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Vandals have struck the new Agate Bay boat launch, not even a week after it was open.

Joe Russell, the area parks and trails supervisor with the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, reported to Two Harbors police Nov. 21, just three days after the boat launch officially opened, that a vehicle drove over the landscaping islands, the hill area near the boat launch, and a curb in the grassy entry area.

Russell said it’s too soon to tell just how much damage the vandals did, and that damage will have to be assessed in the spring when grass starts to grow again. Nevertheless, he’s disappointed that someone would damage the newly constructed area. “We’re disappointed that such a beautiful facility is a target of vandalism,” he said. “It’s a positive development for the city and we would hope those kinds of things would not take place.” Fortunately, Russell said, none of the newly planted trees were damaged.

Police Chief Kevin Ruberg says the boat launch area has always been a difficult area for officers to patrol and has been a hot spot for vandalism in the past. “It’s kind of a problem area,” he said. “We do patrol down there a lot and pay attention to who’s hanging out there and try to move people along if they’re hanging out after hours.”

Ruberg said that with only one or two officers patrolling at night, it’s hard to keep a constant watch over the boat launch. “We certainly can’t be everywhere all the time,” he said.

Like other areas of the city that have been vandalized in recent months, such as the skate park and other city parks, Ruberg said police are looking into alternative ways to keep watch over the areas, which may mean putting up video surveillance cameras.

Tags: two harbors, agate bay, community, news