Beaches at Vigo County parks wont be closing at least for now but their hours will be reduced in a further effort to control vandalism.

Officials last month posted notices warning that Fowler and Hawthorn park beaches would close if thefts, vandalism and other incidents did not stop.

We have seen a slight improvement [but] were still experiencing vandalism, Adam Grossman, assistant superintendent of parks and recreation, told the countys park board Monday.

One very costly deal in recent weeks, Grossman said, involved the cutting of ropes marking safe swimming areas.

Grossman and Kara Kish, parks superintendent, requested, and received, board approval to reduce beach hours to 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily through Aug. 8 and cut operations back to weekends only from Aug. 9 through Labor Day, the traditional end of the beach season.

It is within our purview as the managers of the department to make this decision, but seeing as this is something that weve come to you before, we are asking for support, Kish said.

Revised hours are the same as those in place when lifeguards were removed from the beaches a few years ago.

Restrooms have been a frequent target for vandalism. Grossman said reduced hours will allow restrooms to be locked when beaches are not open and for beach attendants to be on hand during operating hours to enforce park rules.

I think its a step in the right direction and we can have discussion in the off season about that, he said.

Sure is a lot better than drawing a line in the sand and saying Youre all gone. I would have hated that, said board member Joe Newton, who last week suggested the 30-day notice of potential closure.

Kish and board members heard a request to sever ties with the National Rifle Association concerning crime prevention and personal safety seminars scheduled for Aug. 4 and Aug. 12 in Clinton.

The NRA has come out, especially in the last few months, with some incredibly extremist propaganda and rhetoric that actually treats our group and its members as the enemy, said Lori Henson of a group called the Activist Study Hall of Vigo County.

Our concern is with the parks department using public resources to arrange, promote (and) sponsor this event with the NRA, Henson said. We also feel there are other groups that are less objectionable that are politically neutral that dont carry the political baggage of the NRA.

Henson presented a letter from her group citing an NRA video that stops just short of calling for armed violence against other Americans for the exercise of their First Amendment rights to free speech and petitioning of government.

The letter calls on the department to withdraw its sponsorship of the upcoming NRA-trademarked Refuse to be a Victim seminar or disinvite the NRA in favor of gun safety and self-defense training by local and state law enforcement and the Indiana Department of Natural Resources

Bear It All Arms Training of Rosedale is scheduled to present the seminar. The business Facebook page says the four-hour course addresses the psychology of the criminal mind; security in the home, workplace, automobiles and travel as well as phone, personal and technology security and self defense tools and training options.

This is not a firearms instruction course and does not include instruction in physical self defense, the page says.

After Henson spoke, parks board President Jeff Fisher said, We appreciate your comments. Thank you.

At the end of the meeting, Kish also thanked Henson for coming and said, We will have discussions about that.

Asked by the Tribune-Star about the request, Kish said only, Well take it under consideration.

Dave Taylor can be reached at 812-231-4299 or dave.taylor@tribstar.com. Follow him on Twitter @TribStarDave.

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Vigo County beaches get reprieve for rest of summer - Terre Haute Tribune Star