HELEN Miles and the Hastings Valley Netball Association have a New Year's resolution to win an ongoing battle against Port Macquarie's spray can vandals.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
The association's Macquarie Park clubhouse has been the target of repeated graffiti attacks in recent weeks, but Mrs Miles and club members have vowed not to let the hooligans win.
The latest incident came on New Year's Eve, just a day after 14 volunteers scrubbed the vandals' previous work.
They will give up more time on Sunday from 10am for the cause.
It's a costly war to wage, but Mrs Miles said the vandals weren't going to win.
"Paint's not free for them or us," she said.
"We figure they might eventually see their money wasted if we quickly get it covered up."
She wasn't prepared to give up.
"It's just disheartening," Mrs Miles said.
"You're trying to provide something for the community."
The battle began after the Port Macquarie West Rotary Club members painted the clubhouse on November 23.
Mrs Miles and other netball association executive members conducted checks twice a week, and touched up small tags from the vandals.
"Every week, something minor was painted over," Mrs Miles said.
The first big attack was on December 29.
Hoodlums broke into the clubhouse courtyard and tagged the toilet block.
"I came down and checked, and it was really bad," Mrs Miles said.
"It was the worst since it was painted on December 23."
The association is investigating the cost of building a fence around the clubhouse.
It will have to dig deep into its coffers for the cash which ideally would be used for court upgrades.
Mrs Miles said she would like to go further than just a fence.
"I would love an electric fence with rottweilers running around the inside, but I don't think that's legal," she said.
That approach could have prevented an incident in May 2009 when the clubhouse was destroyed by fire.
A number of youths broke in before it was set alight.
