FORT SMITH (KFSM) -- If you’ve driven past Cisterna Park downtown, you may have noticed quite a bit of foam in the fountain.
Parks Director Doug Reinert said people have put bubbles in the fountain twice in the past 48 hours—once on Saturday (Oct. 8) and again on Monday (Oct. 10).
“I'd say they're very lucky they didn't spray paint graffiti all over it,” resident Bill Russell said.
Reinert said the pink foam put in the fountain on Saturday took several hours to clean up on Monday.
“It’s got a white liner on it, and they had to power wash all that out after they drained it, and then of course some of those bubbles floated down the street and left a pink residue on some things,” he said.
Shortly after that, the Parks and Recreation Department found out someone put white bubbles in the fountain, so two city workers will be sent out to drain the fountain again.
“Those people are designated to be mowing grass picking up trash, fixing broken structures, weed eating, edging, and so if they're over there doing vandalism cleanup they're not doing the services that they're actually supposed to be doing,” Reinert said.
“I've heard of soap in the fountain like laundry detergent like from the 50s,” Russell said. “I'm sure it's an older prank than that.”
Although putting bubbles in the fountain may seem harmless to some, police say anyone caught will be charged with criminal mischief.