Vandals cause widespread damage at Astoria school
ASTORIA, Ore. – Police said at least 12 people went on a vandalism spree at Astoria Middle School over the weekend.
Nine people have admitted their involvement to police. Only one of them is older than 18, police say.
The vandalism was first reported to police on Saturday. School staff had to come in over the weekend to get the school ready for students on Monday morning. A damage estimate is unclear.
The damage was significant and widespread, according to police. It included:
- Comments about drug use, sexual orientation of staff and students, descriptions of sex acts and drawings of genitals on walls, floors, bulletin boards and instruments
- Fire extinguishers discharged in the band room
- Papers and unknown liquids spread across the floors in several parts of the school
- Student art projects torn down and vandalized
- Doors broken and bent
- Food stolen from the school food cart
- Lockers broken into
- Garbage dumped into the hallways
- Bicycle wheel markings on the floors
Several school instruments were damaged. At least one will have to be replaced, police said.
The suspects face second-degree burglary charges because the school was closed when the vandalism occurred, police said.
Anyone with information on the burglary and vandalism is asked to call School Resource Officer Matt Clausen at 503-325-4411.
1) Expell the students, and terminate their right to free schooling, unless in a Youth Authority incarceration.
2) Bill the parents for the TOTAL amount of the damages for all under 18.
3) For those over 18: All wages or public benefits get garnished until they pay for the damages.
we don't need the taliban in this country. the kids themselves will tear the school down
Cane them in the public square.
It appears that Astoria has some serious problems with some out of control students. Time to clean house?
http://www.katu.com/news/local/Facebook-page-gives-HS-students-a-platform-to-harass-each-other-199255881.html
Just curious, anyone know if Mom and Dad will be on the hook for the repair bill if they turn out to be minors?
they should be.Â
@MarkKpic In Oregon, I believe the limit of responsibility for the acts of a minor is $1500.
Astoria is the kind of town where there are plenty of examples of what happens when you have a healthy population of breeders who are not parents. Maybe it is time to start holding the breeders responsible and accountable for the actions of their offspring. The courts could start by sentencing the breeders to parenting classes and then teaching proper morals, ethics, and values.
Between the facebook page and this, I'd say that school is full of 'special'.
Gee, bet those parents are proud of the monsters they birthed and then gave to subsidized schoolcare to raise... schoolcare does such a fine, fine job, doesn't it?
@starshadow If you'd left off "schoolcare..." I'd agree with you.  But why on earth are you blaming the horrible and illegal behavior of this group on public education?  These monsters need to be held accountable for their own actions......and hopefully their parents get to pick up the tab for ineffective and failing parental skills. Â
THE DAILY ASTORIAN has just announced that a new Facebook page has just popped up detailing really nasty things about certain students, teachers, etc. Police say they are monitoring it.
Send them to jail for life. See how they like it when Bubba vandalizes their cell.
@Oregon7812Â Â Bubba got released last week and hopefully he's headed to Astoria.
Now why would student athletes from the University of Idaho do this to an Oregon coastal town high school? I can see them road tripping out from Idaho to see the Oregon coast, because..well..let's face it; Moscow Idaho is not exactly a destination resort. But why take time out from binge drinking and having relations with farm animals to desecrate a school they have absolutely nothing to do with? Mind boggling..
@KillsGermsOnContact Where are you getting this information from?
Future slaves of the prison system?
I bet most of the kids come from liberal parents.
@sortbait And I bet you're full of poo.  You make the most ludicrous comments, consistently fail to back them up with any facts....you're a plain ol' troll but lack the skills of Fishbait.  So give it up, k?
@sortbait I'd bet thats highly incorrect. Its astoria a small coastal city. Besides our big cities here all the small ones are all conservative towns..in this case i'd bet 99% of those kids parents didnt vote for obama. if it was portland then ya.
Inside job...
Damage by juveniles would be down if parents would step up and discipline their children! How frustrating it is to see parents just let the kids have it their way, and not set any moral boundaries. That was someone else's property, and those "kids" had no right to destroy public property.Â
If you start with boundaries when the kids are little, they know when they are toeing the line when the time comes, and know what consequences may follow.Â
I hope those kids just fess up, fix it up better than it was originally - adding in their own money, and apologize to all the little kids and their school for the damage done. Reparation is in order - BIG TIME!
@washcomom I hate to tell you this, but it goes a LOT deeper than your solutions. Your solution is only a start. The "problem" is that each and every one of those kids had a lot of rage and hate inside of him/her and this was their way of venting it.
Yep.....it does start at home, for sure....BUT.....a parent can only do SO MUCH and the rest is up to the individual.
@paperbob That is where the parents need to get the kid focused on something...something to positively vent that anger. Those kids are probably feeling a bit unloved because they haven't had any focused discipline. If the parents even have dinner together every night, talk about the day's activities, really TALK with - not to - their children, they would find a big difference in the lives of their children.
@washcomom @paperbobÂ
How true. I know I'm walking away from this little conversation with you feeling a little bit better, myself. I just wish that it had not taken me a lifetime to figure out why I was angry all the time.
I also know that the "Coulda, Woulda, Shoulda's can kill you. We can't change the past; just learn from it and carry on.
Have a good evening, my friend. :-)
@paperbob Thank you for being so honest. This is where it lies. If we get to the truth and the honest part, we will understand more. I do believe that there are many mental issues out there that need help - chemical correction and therapy. The majority of the issues, however, certainly have a trail that is as long as the history of the kid. It is up to the parents to create good and safe boundaries. It sounds like your parents ruled with the rod instead of good, solid love. I am sorry about that. But - thank you for sharing. Life is crazy, but we can all learn something new from each other.Â
@washcomom @paperbobÂ
I would call it a personality fault. I was angry at my parents. I was beaten with a hardwood stick growing up and I think it filled me with a rage that has taken me a lifetime to first; figure out and second; deal with. So...I guess you are correct in that it goes back to the parents..
But..I still made my own (bad) decisions. I call it a personality fault, in that there are other young people who have had the same type growing up that I did, but did not choose to do bad things. The "fault" was bad parenting and my own bad decisions.
@paperbob Then reach out and teach the rest of us why you went off. WHY? What triggered you?Â
@washcomom @paperbobÂ
No offense washcomom, but you have no clue of what you are talking about. I was one of those kids, 56 years ago. My Mother was PTA president, we ate breakfast lunch (on weekends) and dinner as a family every day, went to church every Sunday and were disciplined when needed.Â
I still chose to act out and vandalize a school. The reason for my rage is beyond the scope of this conversation, but I had a LOT.
I'm telling you...a parent can only do SO MUCH and the rest is up to the child.
To be all fair and equal, check out the kids parents. How many have guns (usually conservatives) and how many voted for Obama (usually liberals). I'd bet the gun owners lose to the liberals.
@last boyscout Everything in the universe boils down to 2-party politics, doesn't it sir?
@PinkLeopard Is there some point to your question?
@Oregon7812 I voted for Obama, I also am obviously very pro-gun.
Is there some point to your question?
Those who vandalize schools hate education, those who hate education , serve only to oppress those willing to get an education, placing those that destroy educational institutions and places of instruction on my list of PUKES, may these pukes have to serve as janitors or grounds maintenance for said school that they damaged.
Also further note the kids not only destroyed school propperty but kids work as well and there should be a further punishment added on for destruction of a students work of art such as a painting, writing or drawing , or a students achievement of recognition such as an award that they may have acquired.Â
The kids that did this need to be made an example of.
Um-hmm... feeling "energetic", are we..? Â OK, fine... total up the damages, then divide by # of vandals... Â 18-yr-old (legal adult) gets a bill for his/her portion of the damages... Â Parents of minors get bills for their kid's part of the damage... If not paid, go after them in court, so wages, bank accounts, whatever, can be garnished.
Any clean-up or repair  work that does NOT require professional attention (eg: any electrical or plumbing work, repairs to the musical instruments, etc) to be done by crews consisting of the STUDENTS AND THEIR PARENT(s)...  Maybe some hours spent scrubbing nasty comments off walls and bicycle-tire marks off the floors, plus collecting all the garbage strewn all over, will use up some of that "youthful exuberance"... Â
Appropriate fines on the criminal charges should be used to help defray the costs of repair work that must be done by professionals.
Add to that: Â If my son had ever been involved in something like this as a teen, he would have been in a whole LOT more trouble with his dad and me than he would have from anyone else..! Â Â There is absolutely NO excuse for behavior like this..!
Margay1,
I vote for you to be the judge on this case....it might wake them all up!!
Outstanding suggestion. If we had done something like this as a kid, we would have run to the police, to keep our parents from dealing out justice. But back then respect was taught or suggested by some parents
@Just Lookin ~  Hey, I'll take that as a compliment... Thanks..!  :-)  (Actually, the one I'd really like to have deal with this from the judge's bench would be Judge Judy...!)
You're right about kids raised some decades ago vs kids (or at least some of them) raised now... My siblings and I certainly weren't "shrinking violets"; nor did we have halos and wings... but it would never have OCCURRED to us to do something like this...Â
@margay1Â @Just Lookin Margay1,
I agree with you on the Judge Judy part!!
Â
@margay1 I pretty much agree with your post, margay1, but everytime I see someone state that the parents should be punished for what their children did, I can't help but think of the good parents whose children go "bad" in spite of the parents' efforts. I know this happens - I've watched it with my own eyes.
@theprodigal @margay1 ~  Yes, prodigal, there are "good" parents who raise their kids the very best they can - and seemingly do everything right... and yet, one or more of the kids "goes bad"... which is why "punishment" should not be handed out without serious inquiry beforehand...
Parents of minors DO need to be responsible for making good on the costs of repairs to property (or replacement of property that cannot be repaired); this is part of what you do if you choose to have kids... This isn't "punishment"; it's just being legally responsible... Â but anything beyond that, insofar as the parents are concerned, should be carefully considered beforehand.
If there are kids that are out of control, and parents are unable / unwilling to do what is necessary to correct the situation, then there are other steps that should be considered... Regardless of who is "at fault", having kids engaged in this kind of destructive activity is unacceptable. Â Â
@margay1 @theprodigal You're right, of course, about the parents making good on the costs of the repairs. If I were the vandals' parents, I would then turn around and be sure the child felt the financial sting. For example, withholding the child's allowance until the child had repaid me for my cost of the repair. Then I would start the punishment.
@margay1Â I like your idea. Logical consequences. Although a lot of the damage can't be "fixed" let's get the little darlings in there and make them scrub and clean and pick up the mess.Â
@margay1Â I totally agree! Maybe 1 month in jail!
@goldie @margay1 ~ Mmmm... maybe... but as a tax-payer, I'd rather have them working at cleaning up the mess - and doing other community-service projects...  That way, the tax-payers don't have to pay to house and feed them...  and I think the parents of the minors need to be right in there working with them... maybe help get the idea across that they ARE responsible for their little darlings..!  Â
The first people I would talk to is that football team over there. I can remember the team being in trouble months ago for a drunken and stoned binge they went on.Â
Their single moms must be proud.Â
@lakeview Â
Couldn't wait to prove to everyone that you're an idiot? Just like that other idiot you can fly your banner: mission accomplished.
That banner was put up by the Navy - not Bush. So you're essentially criticizing the Navy here, which makes you very un-American in my book.
@Agness P Weatherby Let me guess, single mother?Â
@lakeview @Agness P Weatherby Let me guess; scum bag?
@Liberty4_WA @lee986321 @lakeview @Agness P Weatherby Most of the new stats show that marriage is no longer a requirement to have a child. If that's the case, then men need to keep their pants zipped and women need to keep their legs crossed. If they aren't going to be responsible enough to know what happens when a child comes into this world, they have no business doing the process.Â
@lee986321 @lakeview @Agness P Weatherby Dead beat mothers are probably if not already beating out the number of dead beat Dad's.
@lakeview @Agness P Weatherby Let me guess lakeview, you have this obsession with "Single mothers" One I can go into online and the other can not be made public.."
I know pelnty of good that came from single Mother AND SINGLE fathers house holds..
(Had to play equality card as now there are now even dead beat mothers out there)