Kinder vandals

By Melissa Donchi
PARENTS and children were left stranded yesterday when Queens Park Preschool in Healesville was forced to close its doors after yet another savage bout of vandalism.
Staff arrived on the scene to find four windows smashed to pieces with giant shards of glass covering the inside and outside play areas.
Broken beer bottles were strewn across the yard along with a shattered terracotta pot and a concrete sewerage lid which had been ripped out of the ground and forced through the back windows.
The staff frantically made last minute calls to parents but reluctantly had to refuse some tiny students waiting at the gate on their first day back.
Administration manager for Kinderlink Jacinta Graham said the kinder was forced to close for the day.
“There was absolutely no way we could have made it safe for the kids in time,” she said.
“There were shards of glass all over the tables, carpet, books and toys.”
Kinderlink manages all the pre-schools in Healesville and Ms Graham said Queens Park has been a major target of vandals over the years.
Senior Constable Sharlene Wilson from Healesville Police agreed that Queens Park was a hot spot for vandalism and said it was being monitored by police.
“We know there are a lot of young people out drinking at night and we’re going to be targeting those areas,” she said.
Sen Const Wilson reported that there has been more incidents over the weekend in the main street of Healesville.
A brick was thrown through the windscreen of a parked car outside Grind and Groove, some paling was ripped off a fence and a lightglobe smashed just outside the Cherry Tree Fish and Chip Shop.
The Healesville Hotel cellar area was also broken into with vandals running off with bottles of wine and soft drink.
However, it was the kinder that appears to be the main target of vandals with the front gate, windows and cubby house broken countless times over the past few years.
Staff have asked the council to put grates on the windows and safety glass put on panels but their requests were denied after they were told the windows were not considered a safety issue as they were above child height.
Ms Graham said the staff were at a loss.
“Do we spend money replacing the children’s cubby when we know it’s going to be torn down again in a matter of time?” Ms Graham said.
“On the one hand, we don’t want the kids to miss out on things but we also want to be careful with our money.
“We have only just been reimbursed by the council for two incidents last year but all in all these wanton acts of destruction are costing us thousands of dollars.”
This latest spate of vandalism has left staff demoralised as they were left to pick up the pieces yet again.
Nearby residents are calling for more to be done.
Lisa O’Connor lives across the road from Queens Park and says it is rife with vandalism, all-night parties and hoons.
“There is absolutely no police presence whatsoever,” Ms O’Connor said.
“Even when you call nothing happens.”
“It’s getting to the point where you just don’t bother because you know nothing’s going to be done.
“I have a child starting this year and it’s concerning to me and other parents to see this kind of recurring problem dismissed by authorities,” Ms O’Connor said.
“It’s not good enough to just keep writing reports on these incidents.
“We need more security for our park and more police patrols on the weekends.”
All together, 13 children missed out on their first day of kinder.