New river promenade vandalized | Napa Valley Register

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New river promenade vandalized

Bronze railing caps stolen

Tuesday, May 13, 2008

Comment

By KEVIN COURTNEY
Napa Valley Register

Thieves have struck downtown Napa’s new flood control amenities, stealing some 33 feet of bronze railing caps from the new Veteran’s Memorial Park and the First Street bridge over Napa Creek.

The thefts were discovered last week as city officials were getting ready to reopen Veteran’s park to the public, said Dave Perrazzo, the city’s parks superintendent.

Perrazzo said the bronze strips, which are a copper alloy, were likely taken because of the rising value of many metals. Local recyclers have been notified, he said.

The federal government paid $60 a linear foot for the bronze railing caps, Perrazzo said Monday. He did not know the recycling value.

The city will foot the bill to replace the missing three-foot segments along the river promenade and the creek bridge. Some of the pieces are curved and will require custom fabrication, he said.

City workers are in the process of gluing down the remaining bronze pieces and replacing ordinary screws with high-security ones, Perrazzo said.

Night security at Veteran’s park should be improved now that the construction fence around the park has come down, Perrazzo said. Passersby will have unobstructed view of the park which is being lit all night, he said.

36 comment(s)

entity wrote on May 12, 2008 3:59 PM:

" With the amount of metal theft going on these days, I'm quite surprised that nobody thought of properly securing these fixtures ahead of time. Now, everyone has to pay twice just for some jerks to buy a little more meth or something. Thanks, vandals! "

pernodboi wrote on May 12, 2008 4:08 PM:

" I just walked the park and did not notice anything amiss. Are these caps really needed? Where are these caps located? The railings looked complete to me. "

Lee wrote on May 12, 2008 4:15 PM:

" Hi. My husbands first reaction when I read this to him was, who's the idiot that decided to use bronze or copper? There have been many news stories over the last couple of years about these items being stolen because of their recycle value. He says it was a given that someone would steel them. Yes, they weather well, but does that cover the cost of replacement? "

raybo wrote on May 12, 2008 5:25 PM:

" That didn't take long. Why weren't high security screws used in the first place? "

southnapareader wrote on May 12, 2008 5:53 PM:

" I saw one missing, and then it got me thinking if it was stolen or just not finished...and then I noticed that only regular screws were used. I wondered why high security screws weren't used in the first place to deter theft and people just doing it to see if it's possible.

In the past few days when passing the park after 10p it has not been lit. I was wondering if it would be and what they were waiting for. "

notpc wrote on May 12, 2008 6:34 PM:

" Yeah, the City of Napa should have planned better and secured the railing caps with high security screws. But lets not forget that if it were not for the leeches on society that that are out there we would'nt be having to replace these railing caps. It is really unfortunate that all this planning to beautfy the City can be vandalized by thugs. "

skippert wrote on May 12, 2008 7:39 PM:

" To Lee, my thoughts exactly. What gives. Here we go. "

vocal-de-local wrote on May 12, 2008 9:00 PM:

" Brace yourselves. It will get worse. Where my husband works, thieves have been taking scrap metal out of a fenced, secured yard. He also said thieves have been cutting live electricity wire down from poles for the copper.

We live in a world now where we can no longer surround ourselves with sculptured beauty without threat of theft.

I hope we're not entering the infancy stage of a "Mad Max" world, where everything becomes ugly because thieves outnumber those who are not. "

southnapareader wrote on May 12, 2008 9:31 PM:

" I don't think we are approaching apocalyptic times or that we need to glue down our entire world as if we're a cheap motel. Some forethought and planning are necessary, but the overwhelming majority of Napans are respectful and appreciative.

Let's not let fear and a few negative incidents cloud our view of the whole of society. (Studies show that one negative act stays with our memories more than 4 positive ones.) Who's going to help me and the Register spread more POSITIVE news?

I would also just like to add that the park is beautiful and really connects downtown with the river. I plan on making use of the park, and enjoying our beautiful city and river.
"

kevin wrote on May 12, 2008 10:01 PM:

" Have the police gone to the local recycling facilities and looked to see if the missing material has been sold? "

109823 wrote on May 12, 2008 10:12 PM:

" vocal-de-local, I believe that it's just the tip of the iceberg. Hold on, the worst is yet to come. Remember as the population climbs so will crime and also unemployment will have an effect as well. Heavy scrutinization at the recylce facilities may descourage some of the vandals, but I don't know how that process works. I guess stealing some metal pales in comparison to individuals having target practice on a sleeping homeless person. "

JMB wrote on May 12, 2008 10:15 PM:

" I hate to say that this doesn't shock me. It was predicted weeks ago. Actually though, I thought it was going to be news of tagging. Give it time and I'm sure the kids will be out to spray it all up instead of hitting construction sites, houses, and the skate park. "

skippert wrote on May 13, 2008 6:19 AM:

" See, this is a great example, it is not the kids skating the place or tagging it up. It is the tweakers that steal copper and bronze. Now we have to spend 25 million to supervise it. My guess everyday the register will have something to write about. "

rebob wrote on May 13, 2008 6:41 AM:

" Did they really have to use copper!!!!!People starving, forclosure rates at record highs, unemployment rate high; Just trying to make ends meet and they use COPPER!!!!! cmon now who pays for that. "

funnyme wrote on May 13, 2008 7:10 AM:

" ...Now where did I put that PERMANENT bright pink-glo-in the dark paint?...

The perpetrators should have their hands dip in that solution just like Cathy Concened proposed. "

mominapa wrote on May 13, 2008 8:25 AM:

" I'm with the others. What idiot proposed copper for these rails? I work for a metal fabricator and copper is not smart for this application. Bronze is being used in architectural and ornamental applications which are visable but not accessible to the public. Just shows how Napa cannot plan effectively. Obviously no one did their homework and was much more interested in the esthetic value of the project than the practical issues which occur on every construction project. Some lucky fabricator will keep on making the$e rails as they are de$troyed or $tolen and keep making big buck$ each time. They are not cheap, the labor to make them is over $100 per hour and it is not cost effective for the City of Napa. I predict that they will eventually settle on galvanized iron or stainless steel rails with some architectural feature that will make them pleasing to view. That is the way it should go, but, sadly, this is Napa and Napa wants the elite to move in and take over. Galvanized iron rails for the elite? Probably not, but they will have to find a benefactor who has enough money to replace these rails every year or so. "

LMW wrote on May 13, 2008 8:48 AM:

" Thank goodness there is only a tiny percentage of losers in our local population that would ever imagine going out of their way to commit such a desperate act...what ever amount of dollars they get from recycling, still flat out shameful.

Let's continue that wonderful work out there, keeping in mind what just happened. Most of us here appreciate what the city has done.

We must look ahead and realize the possibilities that our river holds in that big picture... "

my2cents68 wrote on May 13, 2008 9:00 AM:

" This boggles the mind. Those in charge of this project didn't take this possibility in mind?? So where are they taking the money to "foot the bill"? It's crazy out there. Not only are these metals being stolen, but now you have to make sure that you lock your gas tank. We recently had to replace our gas cap with a locking gas cap. We noticed over the weekend that someone had jimmied the gas door open. Luckily the gas was all there. I had a full tank! Luckily the car is still running, so hopefully no one pour anything in it. "

jeepracer10 wrote on May 13, 2008 9:43 AM:

" With copper thefts happening everywhere, I am not supprised that this happened. I have heard of crooks hooking trucks up to street light wires in new developments and pulling out all the wire on the entire street with on pull. "

Mind Set wrote on May 13, 2008 9:51 AM:

" I've got some very expensive weeds in the yard. Hopefully these jerks won't pull off a midnight raid on this year's crop. "

reality1 wrote on May 13, 2008 10:15 AM:

" You are all right on asking why use the expensive material, and WHY just use regular screws? But what got my eye was the 60 bucks per foot. That's 5 dollars an inch! I think I could put a nice cap on a rail for a whole lot less than that! Just because it was Federal money doesn't mean we taxpayers didn't pay for it. That's like the 100 dollar toilet seats we hear the government buys. I guess they just collect so much tax money each year, they think it just doesn't matter. By the way, does anyone know where the billions Mr. Bush is giving back to us in these tax rebate checks came from? Do they just have that much laying around, or did they borrow it from the CEO of Countrywide?? "

funnyme wrote on May 13, 2008 10:44 AM:

" reality1,
It might be from the "intelligence" we sold to China.
Hope not. "

vocal-de-local wrote on May 13, 2008 11:28 AM:

" I would like to live in a world where we can enjoy the beauty of bronze. This is not equivalent to $100 toilet seats. The criminals are winning when we replace the metal with something not as aesthetically pleasing. Are we to remove all art from public places because of the current trend of public vandalism? Should we refrain from building a promenade because some idiot might cover it with spray paint? Will we be forced to cover all structures at public parks with ugly material which can be easily wiped down? What's going on in the minds of these criminals? Do they lack any pride in their surroundings?

Today, we still have our cars or homes burglarized, stereos stolen etc. But in addition to those personal attacks on individuals, we now have what appears to be a greater amount of blatant attacks on public property. What's happening? "

hudds5 wrote on May 13, 2008 12:20 PM:

" It's just a damn shame that there are a few individuals in Napa that cannot show enough respect to leave things alone. Criminals do not have the ability to think rationally and law enforcement is not readily available to respond to these types of theft. Do we allow the criminals to win by not replacing these items or do we just do a better job of securing the bronze fixtures? "

cathyodom wrote on May 13, 2008 1:05 PM:

" Bummer! how about replacing it with wood? "

cordell wrote on May 13, 2008 1:36 PM:

" It seems to me that the only effective way to stop the theft of recyclable metals is to crack down at the recycling centers. If anyone tries to sell anything suspicious (manhole covers, bronze rails, copper downspouts, etc.) the seller should have to produce valid identification and the transaction should be recorded on video. Anyone who purchases stolen materials should be prosecuted the same as the thief. I know that this strategy is easier said than done, but as long as there is a market for stolen metals, metals will be stolen. "

xmrs09 wrote on May 13, 2008 2:32 PM:

" I'm always amazed that it's the NV Register bloggers who are smarter, are better planners, would be better politicians and would, of course, think of the "correct and appropriate" use of public finances than those who've been hired to do so by the city, the county and the school district. I'm being sarcastic, in case any of you Einsteins missed it. You're welcome to your opinion, of course, just as I am, but Monday morning quarterbacking is a lot easier than actually playing the game, folks. "

asahigo wrote on May 13, 2008 5:11 PM:

" Why can't we use stainless steel caps and paint them bronze? "

109823 wrote on May 13, 2008 5:29 PM:

" I think xmrs09 seems a little defensive, he or she might have a little egg on their face. Mind Set let us know if you get any of the criminals to pull those expensive weeds. I think we all have some valuables for them too. "

crusherfan wrote on May 13, 2008 5:33 PM:

" When are we going to change the laws protecting the scrap metal yards?They apparently can claim that they did not know where the material thay are buying came from ,therefore they are not knowingly buying stolen property.I call "BS".Anyone can tell when someone has legitamite scrap vs stolen copper rails,yards of wire etc.Most businesses scrap the material themselves. "

mominapa wrote on May 14, 2008 9:46 AM:

" To xmrs09: It is just irresponsible to use materials which when ripped off impact the City so terribly, when another option would be to use materials that are not easily stolen or to protect the job. It was inevitable that the rails would be vandalized since they were made of copper/bronze. Don't the city planners or whoever approved the use of this material read the papers and know it is probably going to be stolen? It's not like it is the first time it has happened. I love art as much, maybe more than the next guy since I am an artist and love beautiful things. Beauty is not always achieved by using the most expensive or "desired" materials. The world is getting to the point where we are going to have to decide whether to eat or enjoy bronze or copper railings. In the larger scheme of things, I would rather eat than spend precious money on frivilous things that will make the Elite come to Napa. You can be sarcastic when I see you out there helping the homeless and feeding the hungry on the money the City of Napa/Federal Gov't has provided to erect these rails. "

5th generation napan wrote on May 14, 2008 11:05 AM:

" Generally society has gone down the tubes. For instants, who stole the rails? Some guy needing food? Some fabricator looking for added work? or some kid wanting to download the latest Sponge Bob episode onto his i-pod? Or all the "expert monday morning artist and designers in the know" whom are the first to tell you what you did wrong after the design is done. The quarterbacks that can't get off thier rear from the computer and go to the public design input stage but are the first to it tell everyone else where they messed up and how ignorant they are putting projects together. Or the huge majority of people at the dedication showing total disrespect to the naval veteran commander hosting the dedication that was talking while he was speaking. Until the average person gets off his potatoe butt and start participating in their community, in their child rasing, and their basic values and not their self center, the earth revolves around me attitude" this type of vandalism is ALWAYS going to happen. Everyone needs to participate and be aware or we will loose our community. Who cares about the rich visitors. We live here and we need to take care or our own town. "

xmrs09 wrote on May 14, 2008 11:10 AM:

" to 109823: No I do not have egg on my face. I do not work for the city, the county or the school district, and am not related to anyone who does. I just get tired of people complaining about those who do with no understanding of what it actually takes to do their job. I don't like to see taxpayer money wasted but I'm sure whoever made the decision on the materials wanted the railing to be attractive...I certainly wouldn't have thought someone would steal the materials, especially in Napa, but now we all know...they will. "

FJ40 wrote on May 17, 2008 5:29 PM:

" Maybe they took the metal to cash in for pothole patch.
Millions for downtown and still potholes in my street for years.
"

leavintown wrote on May 18, 2008 6:21 AM:

" Instead of Napa spending all this money on a memorial park, why don't they spend this money on getting rid of the people who do stupid things like this? I don't know what it cost to build this park, but I bet it would of paid for quite a few salaries for a bigger police force. If we did that, then maybe we could use bronze railing caps in the future. But for now just keep spending a ton of money to keep Napa looking beautiful and let the criminals do what they want. "

napaao wrote on May 21, 2008 9:05 AM:

" you know thats really lame!!! they spent so much time and money building that so we can have a nice palce to enjoy our downtown celebrations like 4th of July, why can't people actually get JOBS like the rest of us to get $$$? its so bad that they have to steal freakin bronze off railings!!! time to get a job!! "

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