Aug. 12, 2008 — Westwood/Lake Almanor Rotary members found some of the infrastructure they built at George Young Park near Pinetown vandalized when they met at the site for their meeting Tuesday, Aug. 5. Countertops at their beverage service area were ripped off and several garbage cans were tossed into the interior workspace. In addition, a service counter in the back of the cook station was destroyed.

Rotary President Bob Bennett described the vandalism as “destructive stuff.” While the club members can repair the damage, finding George Young Park vandalized is disappointing. Bennett said the club does a lot for the community. The evening they discovered the damage they had a work project in Westwood painting parking place lines in the downtown area.

The Westwood Rotary is especially known for supporting the youth of the community. For example, each year they give a graduating senior a $1,000 scholarship and this year they selected two recipients for the honor. Also they host a speech contest, giving students a chance to develop speaking skills and win money in the process. They award the first place winner $100, second place winner $50 and the third and fourth place contestants $25 each.

The land where George Young Park is located is leased to the Rotary Club by Beatty and Associates, a land management company. It is used in the summer for regular weekly meetings and also for special events. In July, the Town Picnic is hosted by Rotary at the park and features deep pit barbecue beef and a horseshoe tournament.

The Rotary often allows other organizations to use the facilities for meetings and events. For example, the Girl Scouts have camped at George Young Park and Calvary Chapel Westwood will use the facilities for a men’s retreat in the fall.

Bennett added that Rotary members know it was probably only a few individuals who did the damage to their property. They reported the vandalism to the Lassen County Sheriff’s Department.