And now:Ish <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> writes:
via Martha
SPRAYING THE WORD
By Keith Rogers
Review-Journal
Johnny, Mando, Peter, Arlene, Daisy, Jess and Garth must have had
a pretty good time a few months ago at the Red Spring picnic grounds in
Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area.
They wanted everybody to know about it, too. So, they took a can
of orange spray paint and, in large gaudy letters, left their names on
some sandstone boulders in the scenic park.
Just a few days ago, Willy and Leah, using white chalk or perhaps
gypsum stone, printed their names in big letters right next to some
American Indian etchings that have endured for centuries.
"This type of graffiti is very offensive to Native Americans and
impedes the public's opportunity to enjoy these natural resources,"
Bureau of Land Management District archaeologist Stanton Rolf said last
week.
"We are trying to manage the lands and preserve the past. It is
the Native American culture that we're trying to preserve.
"Especially within the Red Rocks, we are looking forward to
developing a good dialogue and working relationship with the local
tribes," Rolf explained.
Not only has the recent surge of vandalism aroused Rolf, but it
has rangers Chuck Ward and Fred Delcamp wondering what they can do to
keep the park and the BLM's 3.5 million acres in Southern Nevada free of
graffiti.
"Most of what we get here is 'John loves Mary,' that type of
thing. While vandalism acts are misdemeanors, some property damage could
be raised to a felony," Ward said.
There is a $50 fine for mere possession of spray paint in Red Rock
Canyon.
"If juveniles are caught, their parents can be held liable," he
said.
Ward and Delcamp said they intend to attack the problem with
public education, the presence of rangers and a push for community
service penalties for those who are caught so they will have to clean up
the messes they create.
Removing graffiti from cultural sites is more difficult, however,
because it can only be done by authorized experts.
Delcamp said members of four groups, which he described as gangs,
have been caught spray-painting this month on public lands.
"Sunrise Mountain and Rainbow Gardens are starting to get fresh
graffiti tagging," he said.
Ward said a tagger was caught in mid-January at the North Las
Vegas flood detention basin with milk crates containing more than 100
cans of spray paint. He said the case, which involves adults from one of
the two biggest tagging groups in the Las Vegas Valley, is under
investigation by local police who estimate the damage could be more than
$100,000.
Ward has seen the amount of vandalism go up and down during the
years he has patrolled Red Rock Canyon since 1985 when about 250,000
visitors toured the canyon each year. Now there are more than 1 million
who travel the scenic drive.
Since November 1997, when fees were first charged to drive the
13-mile loop through the canyon, the personnel at the collection shack
have served as a deterrent to would-be vandals.
So while the steady increase in visitors over the years has
increased the potential for vandalism, Ward said the volume of visitors
in some areas of the park has had a positive effect on protecting
resources.
"As more people come into an area, there is less solitude for
people to commit acts of vandalism," he explained.
But even though "the blatant stuff," he said, has declined in
those areas, taggers are now focusing on outlying areas of the park,
like Red Spring.
Besides Red Spring, he said the most likely areas for vandalism in
Red Rock Canyon are Willow Spring, Lost Creek, Sandstone Quarry and the
Calico pullouts on the scenic drive.
"The problems haven't gone away entirely," he said during a recent
visit to Red Spring. "This is more vandalism than I've seen in the last
three or four years."
With vandalism come other problems, Ward said. "By human nature,
nobody is coming out here and doing one thing wrong. Often there are
illegal drugs, weapons or alcohol involved.
"A big problem out here in the past was truancy, but the fee shack
has reduced that," he said.
He said the public can report vandalism and other crimes on public
lands by calling a 24-hour dispatcher at 293-8932.
http://www.lvrj.com/lvrj_home/1999/Feb-22-Mon-1999/news/10642212.html
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Tsonkwadiyonrat (We are ONE Spirit)
Unenh onhwa' Awayaton
http://www.tdi.net/ishgooda/
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