Art against vandalism: Simpsons protect Gartz's BMX track!

Art against vandalism: Simpsons protect Gartz's BMX track!

In the picturesque town of Gartz an der Oder, the BMX track is the focus of a newly designed leisure offer. But it's not just the anticipation of an upcoming tournament on July 11th that causes excitement, but also the grimaces of vandalism that follow the route like a shadow. The local mayor Luca Piwodda has therefore kept a close eye on the latest artistic efforts that represent the city's beauty and will hopefully avert future acts of sabotage. Nordkurier reports that the committed volunteer Eckhard Lentz contributes to the cityscape of Gartz with his creative outpourings and has brightened up the BMX track with colorful “splashes of color”.

Lentz decorated the construction trailer on the route, which was repaired after a severe case of vandalism, with a funny motif from “The Simpsons”. As the “icing on the cake,” Piwodda hopes that such appealing works of art will encourage young people to take more care of their surroundings and appreciate the routes. Northern Bavaria highlights that vandalism is increasingly becoming a problem not only in Gartz, but also in other regions such as Quelle Park.

Vandalism is a widespread problem

In Moers, young people put a lot of effort into upgrading their old BBQ trail in the amusement park, but their joy didn't last long. WDR reports, that the entire jumping hill facility has been badly damaged recently, leading to quite a bit of frustration among the youngsters. Lara Jackowiak from the 'Streetbox' youth center complains that every jumping hill is affected and the repair is a real challenge after the city of Moers funded the renovation with 9,000 euros.

The extent of the damage, described by the Children and Youth Office as “unprecedented,” is causing nervous tension. Despite the setbacks, the young people and their supervisors from the 'Streetbox' are determined to get the BMX system back into shape. However, the question remains as to how sustainable the fun can be in wet conditions.

Fight against vandalism and garbage

The problem of vandalism runs like a common thread through many leisure facilities. In Quelle Park there are complaints about benches being damaged by BMX riders who leave their tire prints behind. The amount of damage so far is more than 1000 euros. The public space service company has already filed a complaint against unknown persons. The residents are also not exactly happy about the increasing disturbance of the peace and the resulting garbage. Northern Bavaria added that a test phase for additional trash cans is coming up in September to ensure cleanliness in the park.

This wave of vandalism shows once again how important it is to actively involve young people in the maintenance of their leisure facilities. The efforts in Gartz are therefore not only a sign of hope, but also a step in the right direction to increase the city's attractiveness for young people.