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OPINIONS
Thumbs down: Vandals damage historic theater
It's sad to see anyone's property damaged, but the recent graffiti attack on Huntington's Keith-Albee Performing Arts Center marks a new low.
Not only is it a historic building, but the theater is operated by a non-profit that could struggle to find the funds to repair the damage.
As the Keith's leadership points out, it is not as simple as just painting over the graffiti. They will probably have to use special chemicals to remove the paint to protect the integrity of the building, and the work could cost thousands of dollars.
Most of us will never understand why people do this, but it is good to see that city officials, businesses and the public are continuing to work to combat the problem. The city announced this week it would contribute materials to help with the cleanup, and the Greene Ketchum Law Firm has offered a $1,000 reward for information leading to the arrest of the persons involved.
Huntington police have stepped up efforts to crack down on graffiti and report that they have received increasing cooperation from businesses. More surveillance cameras planned for downtown should help, too.
But the public plays a key role, as well. It's hard to believe that no one saw or heard anything, and we hope someone will step forward with information that helps build a case for this or any incident of vandalism.
The Legislature also needs to toughen up the laws on felony destruction of property to reduce the standard from $2,500 damage to $1,000. That is the felony threshold for stolen property, and it makes sense that a crime such as the Keith incident should not be a misdemeanor.
