Public Radio for Alaska's Bristol Bay
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

Dillingham Harbor vandalized for the second year in a row

Tyler Thompson

The Dillingham Harbor was the sight of destruction last Friday morning. The men's restroom, harbor park and a camping sight belonging to two campers were ravaged. 

It would be hard to tell there was a park at the end of Harbor Spur road early Friday morning. Picnic tables, barbecue grills, a jungle gym and trash cans laid in a pile along the beach.

John Hunter is a fisherman from Egegik who was on his way to the park. He was surprised by what he saw.

“There was nothing out here!" He said. "I’m looking over the retaining wall, you have the bench, the jungle gym and all the grills and everything tossed over the side, it’s kind of a sad sight.”

Credit Jean Barrett

The carnage did not end there. A tent belonging to Victor Goodwin and another camper at the park, was decimated. Their personal items were scattered.

“I mean I’m just angry," he said. "Like what the heck - why?”

Port and Public Works director Jean Barrett discovered the damage at the park, after he received a call concerning the men’s restroom.

“Someone had thrown rocks through the urinals so, they’re ruined ," he said. "We have to order new urinals and they’re $350 a piece, so the bathroom’s going to be closed down for a while.”

Barrett and a crew of workers were on sight to clean up the mess. They attached a chain to the bulldozers

Credit Tyler Thompson

bucket and tied it to the jungle gym. It acted as a cradle, hauling the wreckage out of the bay as the tide rushed in.  

Barrett said this is the second year in a row someone has vandalized the park.

“You know it’s a disappointment because, this really is the only greenspace we have for Dillingham…we try to keep the place clean and organized and neat for people to use," he said. "And it’s well used. We’re not going to let them deter us, we’re going to clean it up and get it back to normal.”

The park was cleaned up and is open to the public. Barrett said he plans to bolt all of the equipment to the ground. There is no current timetable for the men’s restroom.

While there are cameras at the harbor, they are not in service. There are also no suspects at this time. Barret encourages anyone with information about the vandalism, to contact him or the police.

Contact the author at tyler@kdlg.org or 907-842-2200.

Related Content