MONTICELLO – Recent acts of vandalism at DeHoyos Memorial Park have prompted the Monticello Village Board to shorten the park’s operating hours in an effort to prevent future incidents, a move approved during Wednesday night’s board meeting.

In his manager’s report Village Manager James Snowden recounted an incident—although he did not give a date—in which the closed park had been breached after roughly 120 individuals skirted the barricades and assembled underneath the pavilions.

“They shot fireworks off and they set the grass on fire,” Snowden explained.

The fires prompted a response from the Monticello Fire Department, who worked to extinguish the blaze. When village crews returned the following day to inspect the scene, they discovered damage throughout the park and garbage littering the grounds.

“[There] was garbage all over the place. The grass was all on fire, and nobody took responsibility for it,” Snowden recounted.

According to Monticello Police Chief David Lindsay, the incident occurred on July 12 at around 8 p.m. and there were no arrests.

The board expressed frustration over the incident, with Snowden adding that the village works to keep its parks clean while providing a welcoming space for the community.

Trustee Theodore Hutchins shared those concerns, especially from a safety standpoint. He noted that work is underway on a new public pool within the park.

“If we have people going around the barricades and starting fires, who knows what may happen with the pool,” Hutchins stressed.

Hutchins suggested changing the parks’ operating hours from dawn-to-dusk to a 6 p.m. closing time for both DeHoyos Memorial Park and Dillon Park, saying the earlier closure would allow police to better monitor the properties after park staff leave for the day.

The resolution changing park hours to a 6 p.m. closing time was unanimously approved by the board following a motion by Hutchins and a second from Trustee Gordon Jenkins.