PORTLAND -- Graffiti that was spray-painted onto walls, doors and sidewalks at the high school /middle school complex is proving far harder to remove than officials had first thought.

After trying acid washes and high-pressure water spray, officials have concluded that some sections of the new sidewalks around the school and the tops of a low wall will have to be pried out and replaced. In addition, at least one door leading into the rear of the high school will also have to be replaced.

No one has put a price on the cost of fixing the damage. But First Selectwoman Susan S. Bransfield has directed the contractor working on the high school renovation project to keep a separate tally for the costs of repairing or replacing the damage caused by the blitz attack.

However, Director of Public Works Richard D. Kelsey estimated Friday that it has cost at least $650 to clean off street signs that were defaced by the vandals.

The graffiti was sprayed on the sidewalks and/or buildings in red or black paint.

Most of it referred to "MOA" or "Masters of Anarchy," an apparent reference to a web game that is played via computer. Police said the vandals also apparently made a stab at a political statement.

On several "Stop" signs, the word "Bush" was spray-painted on the face of the sign below the word "Stop," in an apparent reference to President Bush.

Two 15-year-old youths were referred to juvenile authorities last month after an intensive police investigation following a night of vandalism at the schools and at a Catholic church, where the faceof a statue of the Virgin Mary was sprayed with black paint.

The vandals struck at several other sites in town, including the gazebo on the Town Green off Waverly Avenue. A number of street signs in town were also defaced.

Both the Valley View elementary school and the high school/middle school were struck by the paint-wielding vandals. The graffiti at Valley View was removed quickly and easily, school officials said. But the graffiti at the high school/middle school has proved to be more intractable.

The graffiti attack came as the town is racing to complete construction on the new middle school and the renovations to the high school.

Donna Finkelstein, the chairwoman of the school building committee, said the problems with the remnants of the graffiti have proved vexing to contractors, and demoralizing to building committee members.

"It’s very, very disheartening to the building committee and the school administration," she said this week.

"It’s really very unfortunate," she added, that with work on the new school almost completed, that some people have chosen to despoil the school.

The damage has been equally annoying to Kelsey, who said while he has cleaned off the signs, he still has to repaint the floor of the gazebo on which MOA was scrawled.

In a report to the building committee Thursday, Michael Hughes, the project manager for the school project for Turner Construction Co., said in several instances, "The graffiti is not coming off; it’s just impregnated into the concrete."

Turner hired Armani Restoration Inc. of Hartford, which specializes in masonry restoration to clean off the graffiti.

He said Armani used high-pressures hoses in an effort to eradicate the graffiti.

"They were using 3,300 psi (pounds per square inch) spray, and they were still not able to remove all the traces" of the graffiti, an obviously frustrated Hughes reported.

"It came off easily at Valley View," Finkelstein said, "but it’s not coming off easily at the high school."

In many cases, Hughes explained Friday, the concrete was still relatively new and had not completely "cured," making it more porous and thus more susceptible to soaking up the paint.

During a tour of the school Friday, the remnants of a sign or symbol could still be seen on a portion of the sidewalk at the rear of the building. Gesturing at the section, Hughes said "we’re going to have to saw-cut it out and pour new" concrete to get rid of the defaced concrete.

In front of the school, outside the administration office, is was possible to read "MOA" and "Emily Rocks," both of which had been scrawled in red paint on top of a low, decorative wall adjacent to the entrance.

Hughes said some bricks might have to be replaced as well as the concrete.

"Have you tried steam cleaning?" Superintendentof schools Joseph R. Castagnola asked.

Hughes said he was not sure, but would ask. He said Armani was hesitant to try sandblasting the remnants of the graffiti because it could damage the concrete and discolor the brick.

"Unfortunately," Hughes said, "Armani has had experience in removing graffiti."

To contact Jeff Mill, call (860)347-3331 ext. 221 or email jmill@middletownpress.com.