Graffiti ruins memories

I returned to the Southern Tier with my family for Thanksgiving and gave my children a little tour of the special and unique places that I remember from my childhood. Unfortunately, one of these places turned out to be very inappropriate for children.

We were shocked to find that a wooden climber at the North Side Park in Endicott was covered with incredibly profane graffiti. We travel quite a bit and have visited many playgrounds, but I have never seen anything like this anywhere we've gone.

It's a shame that people like me, returning for a nostalgic visit, can't share personal history with their children. But I think it's even sadder that the children who live nearby and who play in the park don't have a clean, G-rated place to climb.

I hope the appropriate authority -- or a motivated community group -- can take care of this problem.