DERRY — East Derry volunteers pitched in recently to help bring a town-owned treasure back to life.
Following vandalism last month at the 78-acre Broadview Farm area off Young Road, East Derry Village Improvement Society members led a volunteer charge to help clean things up.
Vandals destroyed some fencing, tore up field areas, damaged picnic tables and ripped up Scout camping tent platforms. A sign at an information area at Broadview also was destroyed. The sign was part of an Eagle Scout project.
In addition, vandals struck along Old Chester Road, smashing several mailboxes.
Last weekend, East Derry volunteers took on projects to help fix up Broadview, including repairing fencing.
Broadview Farm, formerly a working dairy farm, was acquired by the town in 1998 as part of an open space preservation mission. In the years since, it has been used extensively by local Scouts for camping and other events.
The town's community garden project also is located at Broadview.
The East Derry Village Improvement volunteers took time from their project at the historic Upper Village Hall to help clean up the town conservation land. The group purchased the hall from the town for $1 and is in the midst of a major renovation.
East Derry Village Improvement Society member Dave McPherson said in an e-mail that he wanted volunteers to take a stand.
"It is important to get the message out that, as a community, we will not accept this violence," McPherson said. "I propose that EDVIS (East Derry Village Improvement Society) join with the Derry Conservation Commission in offering a reward for information leading to the arrest of the person who committed this act."
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