IRVINGTON —Sometime between the evening of Aug. 3 and afternoon of Aug. 4, vandals struck the iconic Iring Circle fountain, located on South Audubon. As a result of the damage done to the hoses and housing for the pump, the fountain is inoperable.
The Irving Circle Park is maintained by volunteers in the neighborhood, who put in many hours of weeding, planting, and cleaning every week to make the park welcoming for everyone. It is a vital part of the growing Irvington community, just a few blocks south of the re-emerging Old Commercial District along Audubon and Bonna, where long-standing shops such as the Magic Candle and the Bonna Shops will soon have company — the much-anticipated The Mug restaurant and Tyner Ponds market are slated to open later in the year, and other shops are soon to follow. The circle itself is bordered by stately homes and old trees which set Irvington apart from other neighborhoods.
Friends of Irving Circle is a not-for-profit dedicated to maintaining and improving Irving Circle Park in Irvington, and announced that Glenroy Construction had generously fixed the fountain in June, just in time for their monthly concert. Last month, the Historic Irvington Community Council announced that they were donating funds to the improvement and maintenance of the park.
The Friends of Irving Circle will host their next concert at the park Aug. 27 at 7 p.m. It is hoped the fountain will be back up and running by then. In the meantime, many in the community are donating online the organization’s Facebook page (there is a Donate Now button) to help pay for repairs and possibly install a security system to prevent further problems at the park.
Anyone with information on the vandals are urged to call IMPD’s non-emergency number, 327-3811.
