NEWS

Vandals strike McNary High School

McNary High School was the site of vandalism sometime between Tuesday night and Wednesday morning.

Vandals dumped 2,000 gallons of epoxy track paint and shattered the tank of a toilet in the concession stand at Flesher Field. 

“It’s frustrating for our community,” Athletic Director Scott Gragg said. “What happens at McNary is a reflection of Keizer. It’s senseless” 

The paint was out there as part of a summer construction project that includes repainting the track. The drainage plugs of the large jugs were simply opened, and the paint slowly poured out onto the cement, stopping just inches before reaching the track.

On top of the paint and shattered toilet, a portable toilet was tipped over.

Workers scraped paint up from the ground using shovels and rakes, trying to clean up the area leading into the track and football field. A major issue could be the drain that is in the area. The epoxy paint hardens significantly when clumped together. The paint inside the drain was rock hard, according to workers.

While there are cameras all over McNary, the majority of them are inside and along the outside of the main building for student safety. There is minimal coverage for the area around the football field and track. But Gragg said the available footage is currently being reviewed. 

There are no gates to close at the entrances of McNary after hours. The free, open nature is something Gragg said he and principal Erik Jespersen are in favor of, allowing the community open access to the outdoor facilities on campus. 

“We want our community to have access to the tennis courts, to be able to walk the track when it’s not under construction,” Gragg said. “We want kids to be able to throw the frisbee on the turf. And we have community understandably frustrated when those things aren’t available.”

Gragg said they are currently working with the district to possibly offer a reward for information.