Steubenville Parks and Recreation Director Jim Orlando tells me his Department has never seen vandalism like what happened to Beatty Park.

"You know, my biggest thing is why. Why would somebody do this? There's no reason to do what is done, " says Orlando.

The Steubenville Parks and Recreation Department came to Beatty Park Monday morning to find the pool area in shambles. Vandals had broken into the bath house, tore out all the lights, ripped the panneling off the walls, and busted the second floor windows.

"I can't fathom the idea that somebody would do that much vandalism, damage for no reason, " says Orlando. The reason, who knows, but it is easy to guess what else was going on besides the vandalism. The vandals had used the wooden panels from the bath house to create something else. After the vandals got through inside the bath house, they turned what was Beatty Swimming Pool into what looks like a skateboard rink.

Jim Orlando says the Parks and Rec. Department was aware kids would go into the park area to skateboard from time to time, but there was never any property destruction. "There was no damage, nobody was doing anything wrong. They're always looking for a skateboard park someplace. They were doing it. We had the pool closed last year so we didn't think there would be any problem with it so we never gave anybody any hassle or anything else, " says Orlando.

The Parks and Rec. Department has filed a report with the Steubenville Police Department and the case is under investigation.

"I don't know who did all this. To me it's just a lack of respect for other people's property," says Orlando.

Orlando tells me his department has not gotten any estimates on the damage, and they don't know if the pool will be open next summer.

From the Jefferson County Mobile Newsroom,

Julie Grant, NEWS 9.