A Montgomery County maintenance worker has been grinding away graffiti on the Huckleberry Trail near Hightop and Merrimac Road. It is home to hundreds of hikers each day.
"It's hard when you build something and you spend plenty of overtime hours to get the product, the trail up to specs and ready for the citizens to use and then it gets destroyed the way it does," said Mitchell Haugh, parks and recreation director for Montgomery Co.
Haugh says he has seen the unwelcome art return five times over the last nine days, despite efforts to remove the sometimes racist and hateful writing. It has appeared on signs, bridges, and even restrooms.
The prohibited paint is also annoying people like kurt gamer, who tackles the trail every day, and could do without the tagging.
"What we don't need is graffiti artists down here, you know, too much like the city," said Gamer.
Not only are parks and rec officials calling the graffiti unpleasant to look at, but it is also costing them quite a bit of time and money to remove.
Close to $4,000 has been spent so far in cleanup efforts, according to officials, while investigators continue to file their reports and look for ways to curb the crime.
"A little vandalism here and there but to be this persistent and this much over a short period of time, and the main thing costing the taxpayers big dollars," said Haugh.
It could cost the culprits a hefty fine, or even time behind bars.
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