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The Ashland Parks & Recreation Commission and Ashland police decided this week to install 24-hour surveillance cameras at the Ashland skate park in an attempt to cut down on vandalism and other bad behavior. The cameras might even be viewable by the public. The skate park is in an off-the-beaten track part of town, yet not far from downtown. It attracts a crowd with behavior that can be less than satisfactory for some residents, including occasional vandalism and public intoxication. Ashland police Chief Tighe O’Meara said the entire community could have access to the cameras. The idea was suggested by parks Director Michael Black. A big plus would be that parents could check on their kids and have some peace of mind, O’Meara said. It would be the first public-access security camera in town. O’Meara said a security camera in the Plaza can be viewed from YouTube, but the camera doesn’t keep a record, it simply monitors in real time. So far this year, the Ashland Police Department has received 70 requests for service at the skate park; 17 cases were written up, and 18 people were arrested or cited. “That’s not particularly up, maybe it’s even a little bit down from last year, but I still think it shows that there are some significant behavioral problems there,” O’Meara said. In his presentation to the parks commission, O’Meara said APD could absorb the cost of the cameras. The initial cost is around $3,000; however, he said he would like to add a second camera, which would bring the cost up to $4,000. “I think that would give us good coverage and would be a good use as a pilot program,” O’Meara said. “If it’s successful, maybe we could use it as a model for other parts in the city.” Commissioner Joel Heller asked O’Meara whether he’d considered the possibility of vandalism to the cameras. O’Meara said the police department will be prepared to cover the costs of replacements, because there is a good chance it will be vandalized. They’ve considered placing it high on a pole that would be out of reach, but the logistics of that haven’t been confirmed. “I’m aware these cameras would be targets for vandals,” O’Meara said. The police department will pay for the installation, maintenance and upkeep of the cameras. “I can see this application being useful to us in many different ways,” Black said. “And frankly, this would be a great opportunity for us to try it out on someone else’s dime.” Commissioner Jim Lewis said from his experience of taking his granddaughter to the park it’s apparent it’s an area with a lot of vandalism. “A young person could get quite an education down there,” Lewis said. The program was approved as a two-year pilot program. In other business, Janet and Scott Fregonese, widow and son of John Fregonese, appeared before the commission Monday to ask for help in raising money for the restoration of the Butler-Perozzi Fountain. John Fregonese was an Ashland city planning director for 13 years. He died in June. Janet Fregonese told commissioners about the first night her husband, John, discovered the fountain disappearing behind thickets of blackberry shrubs and how he dug up the history behind it. Scott Fregonese said he watched the years of work that was put into it both by his father and by sculptor Jeffrey Bernard. “The restoration of the fountain was his passion,” Janet said of her husband. “John learned that the original marble came from a quarry in Carrara, Italy, and it was still available. And our good friend and neighbor Jeffrey Bernard just happened to be a sculptor trained in Italy.” She said it took many years to raise the funds and complete the project, but on July 4, 1987, the fountain was rededicated. The fountain was originally sculpted by Antonia Frilli in Florence, Italy. It was showcased at the 1915 Panama-Pacific International Exposition in San Francisco, purchased by Gwin S. Butler and Domingo Perozzi, and then donated to Ashland that same year. It is listed in the Ashland Cultural Resource Inventory Survey and in the National Register for Historic Places alongside Lithia Park. “If we don’t do something about the fountain now, we may lose it,” Scott said. A foundation was started for the restoration with a goal of reaching half a million dollars. To donate, see frego.com/perozzi-fountain. Contact Daily Tidings reporter Caitlin Fowlkes at [email protected] or 541-776-4496. Follow her on Twitter @cfowlkes6.