One of the now empty story board frames in Sunrise Park, as it looked on May 10, 2025.
Last year I noticed that the Albany Parks Department had carried out a nice new idea at Sunrise Park. But like so many good things in public spaces, it did not last because vandals ruined it.
When I rode the bike through the southeast Albany park in February 2024, I counted 17 picture boards that had been installed along the paved path that circles through the park.
The boards told a story, with illustrations and text in Spanish and English, of six little penguins and their adventures. I thought at the time that parents or grandparents might make the rounds of the path with their little ones, reading the stories to them.
As toddlers, the kids might enjoy this. And who knows, maybe a few of them might even learn a word or two in another language.
The next time I visited the park, most of the art work and text had been defaced or destroyed. A couple of weeks ago, on yet another visit, any traces of the pictures and text were gone and only the empty frames and steel posts remained.
I haven’t had a chance to ask whether the parks department has any plans to try again, or to do something else with those empty boards.
Albany parks employees are not the kind to give up in the face of destructive stupidity. But I wouldn’t blame them if they did. (hh)
One of the story boards in Sunrise Park in February 2024, when the picture stories were still there and legible.
You need to expand your thinking. Let’s not blame a person for “destructive stupidity.” Blame social and economic inequalities.
The roots of vandalism are poverty, limited opportunities, and marginalized feelings.
The knee jerk response is to want to punish the vandal and call them stupid. No.
A progressive approach would focus on giving the vandal more public money, better access to public education, a government job, and city-subsidized housing.
It’s called restorative justice and focuses on addressing the needs of the vandal.
Free stuff gets progressives elected. Let’s keep our eye on the prize.
So sick of the lie regarding social inequality. The kids in this small town ALL HAD THE EXACT SAME EDUCATION! Giving people excuses to use is ignorant and untrue.
One might ask oneself; why is it that there’s so much vandalism in Albany?
What is it we do that creates such wanton disregard for the property of others?
Taking a slightly different perspective: What kind of country elects a convicted felon into the presidency, a scam artist who detests people of color, and people who are, by his own definition, suckers?
One could reasonably argue that the rot begins at the head. We schlubs see the rot daily on TV and on-line. We see the corruption, criminality and incompetence at the top and some wonder how they might get in on the action.
The petty vandalism at the bottom always sets Hering off. But I never read any of his concerns for the rotting head. One might logically wonder why. Why is it that a well-recognized voice in the community chooses to focus only on the Bottom Feeders of criminality when the worst criminal of all resides in the White House, serving as the Gold Standard for criminality.
One might speculate, but Hering’s concerns and words are clear. Condemn the small time vandal, but ignore the criminals at the top of the chain. Bemoan the mindless vandalism at a City park, but ignore the obvious dereliction at the top of the the nation. Our current leaders are showing America that crime does pay. The vandals simply follow the biggest example on the public stage. We thank Hasso for his focus on the small ball.
Exactly which president and exactly what felony?
What kind of country elects a DA whose sole campaign promise is to arrest the President, finds a corrupt judge, and with no evidence (valuing Mar Lago at $18 million dollars with the property being 40 acres with a mansion with a value over $200 million per real estate appraisers in Florida and property in Albany selling for over $1 million dollars an acre) convicts on 34 charges in about an hour with a corrupt jury. Get a life Hartman and get into the real world. The phony conviction will be overturned at the appellate court.
The real problem is the failure of the jury system which will eventually have to be overhauled as no Republican can get a fair trial in New York City and Washington DC.
As I recall the original plan was to change the stories out on a regular basis. They were changed once. The penguins were the second round. The boards were a bit of a failure anyway (in my opinion). Water easily seeped in around the edges making a mess of things and colors were fading/changing likely from sunlight.
Graffiti/tagging is popular in that area. Even the sides of the two houses at the corner of Jefferson and 22nd got honored (exiting park at west pedestrian easement).
A board near the playground listed the sponsors of the boards. It wasn’t all taxpayer money.
the petty vandalism at the bottom sets me off. if petty vandalism is no big deal to you, post your address here. wide open throttle. thats the best description of what trump is doing to america. the economy will be so strong, america will forget what democrats are. for those of you laughing at that remark, laugh while you can. you laughed at the thought of trump winning in 2016 and and for a 3rd time in 2024. the more you laugh, the more he wins. he already held his 1st rally for 2028, laugh at that while you can. my guess- it will take 2-3 election cycles for the left to come back. what do they have now? aoc? …and that wacky chick? newscum has a gazillion dollar train wreck, and a lotta $$ missing for the homeless that stops him from running. how about binder? she seems like a good fit for a democratic leader. the only past presidential press secretary we know that cant get a job! she bold face lied to u.s. everyday concerning bidens health. no wonder she cant get a job now. thats funny! the left is a convoluted, unorganized mess, carville is the closest thing to a leader they have. nothing but bottom feeders! lol! :) for a political party i do not like, i wish you all well and good luck in the future. you will need all you can get to overcome trumps economy. laugh at this while you can. laugh at it and look into a mirror at the same time. :)
Sure, blame it on social and economics. I grew up in during the end of the “Great Depression'” so don’t give me that line. We didn’t know we were poor, I don’t recall seeing vandalism on the scale we see now. You seldom saw any markings on rail cars other than numbers place their by the railroads, Even in the 1960’s and 70’s it was seldom seen. The 80’s and 90’s vandalism exploded and it continues to increase.
Would those who commit these offenses be happy if someone were to paint their or their parents homes? I think not. What happened to, “Do Unto Others”. What has the public, as a whole done to you mr., miss, etc. vandal?
Apparently, all you “lefties” were born yesterday. Just to catch you up a bit, vandalism and graffiti were around long before Trump became president.
According to the news, the villain of the century is clear: illegal aliens, migrants, and anyone who dares cross an imaginary line without filling out the right paperwork.
Meanwhile, outside of the outrage machine, a curious phenomenon persists. A different crisis, one less conveniently packaged for prime-time political theater—the growing sea of tents, makeshift shelters, and desperate souls lining city streets. Homelessness! The unseemly reality that refuses to fit into neat talking points or campaign slogans.
It seems, however, that blaming an economic system that gleefully tosses people into the abyss after rent spikes 300% is far less satisfying than pointing a finger at someone who looks different or speaks another language. Instead of questioning skyrocketing housing costs, stagnant wages, and policies that prioritize corporate profits over human dignity, let’s all hold hands and pretend it’s the mysterious, ever-looming force of migration that caused it all.
I don’t have all the answers. But I do have eyes. And what I see every day isn’t an influx of foreign invaders wreaking havoc—it’s Americans struggling to afford homes in their own country while being conveniently ignored. I don’t think it is the neglected high school-er that’s doing the tagging/grafiti.
What a spectacle we’ve created, blaming shadows while ignoring the walls that are caving in around us.