Vandalism and thefts dog the Saratoga Senior Center
By Rebecca Ray
On a recent afternoon, a worker for the Saratoga Senior Center arrived there to find that the back office and lounge area had been vandalized, the latest in a string of crimes that has plagued the center.
A desk drawer had been broken and rummaged through. Candy had been taken from the desk and eaten, and candy wrappers, a nameplate and tissues had been thrown onto the floor. Silk flower arrangements had been ripped apart. The computer was turned on, and icons and other files had been deleted. "Jeremy Bon" was written on the wall with what looked like lead pencil. Furniture and the phone were turned around. And the center's portable public address system, valued at about $450, was gone.
The Santa Clara County Sheriff's Office is still compiling a list of suspects. The night before the incident was discovered, the Saratoga Recreation Department sponsored a chaperoned dance at the Senior Center for 380 sixth- through- eighth-graders from local schools. But the sheriff's office isn't pinpointing the people who attended the dance as the only suspects, since different groups rent rooms in the center and different activities are always going on, said Deputy Mark Ramirez of the sheriff's office. Even at night, the building is open for various classes and programs.
This particular vandalism isn't the only one the Saratoga Area Senior Coordinating Council, which oversees the Senior Center and Adult Care Center, has had to contend with lately. When asked about the incident, Mary Goulart, the executive director of the coordinating council, said that thefts and vandalisms at the Senior Center and Adult Care Center have increased a lot in the last few months.
On a Thursday night in January, a candy machine that weighed approximately 70 pounds was taken from the Senior Center.
In December, a CD player and speakers, valued at $580, were stolen from the Adult Care Center.
Even more recently than the vandalism done to the office and lounge, Goulart found that an American flag outside the Senior Center had been ripped off a pole, when whoever did it could just as easily have taken the whole flag.
"It's more the principle that's the damaging part," Goulart said. "It's the spirit. You feel violated."
Deputies from the sheriff's office have no suspects for any of the incidents.
Although it is difficult to say how much it will cost to repair the damage done to the office and lounge, Goulart estimated that it would cost about $600. A staff member from the Senior Center fixed the computer, and the room has been cleaned ,except for the writing on the wall, which, according to Goulart, might have to be painted over. A custodian will fix the drawer.
Considering the number of people who come through the building, it's rare that the community center--of which the Senior Center is part--has a problem, said Joan Pisani, director of recreation for the city.
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Saratoga, California Since 1955
