Thursday, August 18, 2022

Dirty tricks

Officials in Plymouth are continuing to search for the perpetrator of a “tide” of damage to the $1.5 million fountain in the center of Kellogg Park. Nearly every day last week, according to officials, Tide laundry soap pods were inserted into the fountain causing mounds of white suds to overflow and fill the surrounding area of the park. Officials ordered the fountain turned off after the first incident to prevent further damage to the mechanics as the machinery was cleaned and repaired. City officials said that while teens were suspected in the incidents, this was not “good clean fun” as the damage to the fountain plumbing and components is serious and expensive to repair. Workers from the city Department of Public Works were assigned help control the suds and clean the area, a steep expense as the damage continued all week. Officials said in addition to the financial cost, workers were re-assigned from several other necessary jobs in the community. They added that  at press time, there was no assessment of the actual damage to the fountain mechanics or repair costs.   Photo by June Kirchgatter.