Henrico’s Three Lakes Park reopened after graffiti removed

Henrico County reopened Three Lakes Park today after repairing damage by vandals who defaced the park with racist and anti-Semitic graffiti.

Three Lakes was the fifth location and the third park in recent weeks to be targeted by vandals who have spray-painted racist and anti-Semitic language and symbols in the Richmond area.

At Three Lakes, vandals struck between late Monday evening and early yesterday morning, marking the park's nature center, restrooms, fences, picnic tables, park signs, asphalt trails, bridge decking and the concrete flooring of shelters, park officials said.

Similar graffiti appeared Sept. 11 on buildings in Bryan Park in Richmond. Additionally, vandals struck the Bellevue area of the city off Hermitage Road and in Oregon Hill near Hollywood Cemetery. On Oct. 3, vandals tagged Forest Hill Park, spraying graffiti reflecting anti-Semitic and racist symbols.

No arrests have been made in any of the cases.

For more details on the rash of graffiti, see tomorrow's Richmond Times-Dispatch.

-- Mark Bowes