NISKAYUNA, N.Y. -- The outdoor pool at the Schenectady Jewish Community Center has been closed since Monday after the secured area was vandalized.
The JCC said maintenance workers discovered that shards of glass had been thrown into the pool Monday morning, which was also the first day of its summer camp. The center says the glass was not from the property.
"Its senseless violence, vandalism. I don't know why people are doing this. If they're having fun, it's not fun. It's certainly just hurts the community," Mark Weintraub, the Executive Director for the JCC, said.
The pool, located on Balltown Road, had to be drained immediately and then vacuumed out. Crews are now working to inspec the bottom making sure it is completely clean before the pool is refilled.
Weintraub estimates the clean up will cost thousands of dollars.
"A couple thousand dollars could go toward doing, giving a scholarship to someone coming to the JCC or be used here to hire a staff person or help a kid. Every dollar spent is a dollar wasted," Weintraub said.
Weintraub said it was the second incidence of violence in about a week. On June 17, maintenance workers found that vandals had entered the secure area after hours, throwing deck chairs, table, umbrellas, even a secured flower pot into the water.
Art Leader has been a member of the JCC for 26 years and calls the incident disconcerting.
"Scary, right, that's why they really had to do it the right way and empty the pool out completely and spend the time and effort to do it right. But what a waste of time that is," Leader said.
The JCC said it hopes to reopen the pool area by this weekend. They now plan to install surveillance cameras in the area.
Niskayuna Police are investigating the incident.
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