Minor vandalism at Memorial Park in Arlington Heights

Memorial Park, the oldest and perhaps most emotionally charged park in Arlington Heights, was hit by vandals recently, but the damage was repairable.

Unintelligible writing appeared last week on a brick wall and a pedestal holding one of the seals honoring branches of the U. S. military. Bricks around a star in the middle of the new display were also marked, according to a report from the Arlington Heights Police Department.

The scrawling was apparently done with markers, and most of the damage was removed by park district employees, said Shannon Ridgeway, superintendent of marketing and communications. It is possible more work with cleaning solution will be needed, she said Tuesday.

A total of more than $160,000 has been raised since 2006 for rehabilitating the park at Fremont Street and Chestnut Avenue, including existing monuments honoring people who served in the Civil War and World War I.

The new display was also built with those funds, said state Rep. Mark Walker, of Arlington Heights, who founded and chaired a committee to revive the park before he was elected to the Illinois General Assembly.

They need $100,000 to complete Phase II of the project, to install a sculpture in the center of the star and a timeline on the wall. Some of that money has been collected.

A Veterans Day celebration to raise money will be held Nov. 11 at Arlington Lakes Golf Club. Tickets are $25 for individuals; $40 for couples. Deadline to sign up is Nov. 3. Visit ahparkfoundation.org/MemorialParkFund/index.htm or call (847) 506-7143.

The 1/2-acre triangle was donated in 1883 as a soldier's memorial by Dr. John Best, a local physician who served in the Civil War.