Vandals destroy athletic field at Hall County church

GAINESVILLE - The congregation at Lanier Hills Church in Hall County built an athletic field for the community to use, but vandals last week destroyed the property; now, church members are hoping someone will come forward with information.

Pastor Randall Popham said the church property actually has been vandalized twice, with the first incident occurring three weeks ago. He said someone drove onto the church property on Duckett Mill Road at night, "cutting doughnuts" at the entry drive to the church, destroying trees and landscaping.

The vandals returned last Tuesday and this time, they targeted a new athletic field the congregation had just completed.

"It was just ready to start being used and they came out and cut doughnuts all through it and destroyed the field," said Popham.

The pastor said the field wasn't just for church use; his congregation had built the playing field specifically for community use.

"We have between $8,000 and $10,000 in this field," said Popham. "We had it leveled out and cleared out and then the grass had been put in back in November."

He said since the fall, church members had tended the grass and no one had even been on the field, until the vandals rutted it out.

Popham said church members also had planted hundreds of junipers next to the field for landscaping and many of those were destroyed.

In addition, he said Hall County Sheriff's Office investigators told him similar damage was done the same night to an athletic field at nearby Chestatee High School.

Beyond the financial loss, however, is the fact that a gift for the community is now a mess.

"Our people were very discouraged," said Popham.

He said his hope is that someone will hear the culprits talking about what they've done and share that information with authorities. Then, he said, when they are caught, they can help repair the damage they've done.

"You know, we don't want anybody to permanently have their record messed up, if it's some teenagers, but we would like to see somebody have to come back out and fix it and learn a lesson."

NOTES: The Hall County Sheriff's Office has a tip line for anyone who might have information on this case: 770-503-3232 or see the online link below.