An apparent combination of “horsing around” by over-eager, too-big teens and some vandalism is threatening the decorative carousel horses that have graced The Avenue Business District the past few weeks.
Two more carousel horses were damaged sometime overnight Sunday. Police suspect that one horse, at 809 South Blvd., was deliberately broken, while another at the southeast corner of North Boulevard and Oak Park Avenue appears to be the victim of some hard riding that has severely loosened the foundation attachments.
They are just the latest horses-which cost more than $1,000 a piece prior to any decoration-to suffer harm.
While the base on which the horses sit is concrete, the horses themselves are made of lightweight fiberglass and are hollow. They are anchored at four points by screws into the concrete.
Mike Steinmiller of THD Management, which sited the horses for The Avenue, said the art pieces would be taken back to their manufacturer and repaired.
Avenue Business Association President Dan Haley, who is also the publisher of Wednesday Journal, said Monday that the horses are simply not as solid as they look.
“We’re concerned about the fragile nature of the horses and are asking people to stay off them.”
Haley said that the bottom of the legs, about 8 inches from the base, appears to be a weak point on the horses. The attachment points are also weak points.
The main problem, however, are riders who shouldn’t be on the horses in the first place. While little children aren’t a problem, Haley said, older pre-teens and teenagers are too heavy for the fiberglass frames, especially when they start rocking and galloping on the frames and pulling on the carousel pole that helps anchor the horses.
Oak Park Deputy Police Chief Bob Scianna said the street art also presents an inviting target for less playful types intent on destroying things.
“They’re a very attractive target for vandals,” he said. “Last year we had the pigs, and they spray painted or marked them with markers.”
Whether it’s vandalism or people unintentionally abusing the horses, Scianna said that it’s all but impossible to maintain a watch throughout the day.
“[The horses] are out there 24/7,” said Scianna. “We can’t be there every minute of the day.”
Haley said it would be a shame if his organization was forced to remove the popular horses from the shopping district.
“The response to the horses has been incredibly positive. People really like them,” he said. “We’d like to keep them up all summer.”