SANFORD — Those who look after Soldiers and Sailors Park say they figure it must have taken some considerable force to do the kind of damage that was recently done to a bench. Not only were the slats that had been bolted to concrete supports ripped away, one of the concrete supports was smashed and broken in two ”“ standing only because of the iron rebar inside.

Ron Rivard, one of a band of brothers who maintains the park, pointed to some marks on one of the slats.

“They came prepared,” he said of the vandals. “These are saw marks.”

The bench is one of several in the park. It is dedicated to the memory of Henry Rivard, the father of Ron Rivard and his siblings. Henry Rivard served in the U.S. Navy in World War I.

It has been located away from the other benches ”“ specifically at the request of Paul Rivard, one of the brothers, who used to live in an apartment building on nearby Oxford Street. The entrance to the wooded park and the trail that winds through it is at the rear of the apartment building. Paul Rivard, who died in 2010, just a few months after the park was dedicated, felt the halfway spot between the Oxford Street entrance and the Twombley Road entrance was a nice spot for folks to sit, rest and reflect.

Paul Rivard, who was a World War II veteran, took a great interest in the park, making it his mission to see that it looked inviting in a practical way ”“ clearing brush and the like with his brothers. Ron, a veteran of the Korean War, and brothers Gerard and Urban, who both served in World War II, and sometimes their children, are all doing their part to keep it that way. On Monday, they were weed-whacking, clipping and otherwise tidying up.

In 1929, the citizens of Sanford dedicated Soldiers and Sailors Park to the memory of those who had perished in World War I. But however it had looked in the late 1920s and early 1930s, it had become an overgrown tangle. Through the years, it became a jungle of weeds, overgrown trees and brush. A few years ago, however, property developer Lionel Sevigny bought the former Edison School and converted the building into apartments. At the same time, he pledged to donate time and materials to help rehabilitate the park. It was rededicated in June 2010.

Ron Rivard said the damage to the bench is discouraging, but they’ll repair it ”“ again. The vandalism the men discovered when they came to tidy up on Saturday is the third such instance. They’re not sure when the damage actually took place.

Sanford Deputy Police Chief Tim Strout said there are no suspects or leads in the case.

Rivard said when the bench is repaired it will be returned to the park, but not in the same spot ”“ this time it will be placed in a more visible location.

And the men will continue on, tamping down brush and weeds, and picking up trash. They’re doing it because of their father and their brothers, and all those who served.

— Senior Staff Writer Tammy Wells can be contacted at 324-4444 (local call in Sanford) or 282-1535, ext. 327 or [email protected].