MENOMINEE, MI. (WTAQ-WLUK) — Graffiti with vulgar language and offensive images was discovered around Menominee on Sunday morning.
Locations vandalized included the base of a popular tourist attraction and historical site.
“The lighthouse is just an iconic symbol of Menominee. It’s just kind of heartbreaking that somebody would come out and damage it,” said Mike Kaufman, executive director of the Menominee Historical Society.
He says he and other community members have been working hard to clean the purple graffiti off of the historic Menominee North Pier Lighthouse.
“A lot of it referred to as rivalry in high school sports between Marinette, Wisconsin, and Menominee, Michigan, and some of it made some obscure kind of references to that rivalry,” said Kaufman.
Kaufman says this isn’t the first time the lighthouse has been a target for vandalism. In June of 2020, the lighthouse was spray-painted with anti-President Donald Trump messages.
“Why doesn’t the historical society put up cameras?” asked FOX 11.
“We’ve looked at cameras several times. The problem is that there is no electrical power at the lighthouse,” said Kaufman.
Kaufman says the damage done on the lighthouse is well over $100.
The lighthouse wasn’t the vandals’ only stop.
Menominee High school seniors Hannah Schultz, Makayla Sinks and Madison Doubek said the front doors of the Menominee Area Public High School had the same purple graffiti.
“Just out of the blue, to spray paint the inappropriate stuff on our community’s stuff and then our school is just horrible,” said Doubek.
John Herbert, assistant principal at Menominee junior and senior high schools, said there will be serious consequences.
“We do take vandalism of any fashion very seriously. In many cases it’s a felony so it’s really serious business, make sure the consequences are handed out appropriately and let that legal system run its course,” said Herbert.
Herbert says the school has video surveillance and is working with the Menominee Police Department on the investigation.
The Menominee Police Department declined to comment.
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