It’s an ongoing battle every year, although some years are worse than others.

On many early mornings, before most folks are out of bed, the Department of Public Works is out scrubbing graffiti off the walls of the town pool building and picking up damaged equipment in the nearby playground.

“It’s a juvenile-type of thing,” said DPW Director Donnie Westhaver. “They do it every year.”

And every year, the DPW does what it can to make things right.

“We try to be as user-friendly to everyone and every department, but the Recreation Department does seem to take a lot of the heat,” Westhaver said.

For their part, the Recreation Department is thankful for the time the DPW and many other town departments put in to make sure the playground and pool are a family-friendly destination for the residents of Whitman.

“The DPW guys will tell you that this has been going on forever, but no one would probably know unless they were out first thing in the morning,” said Recreation Director Michelle Winnett. “They are so quick in cleaning up all of the problems.”

One of the more disturbing incidents of vandalism happened the night after the Boston Celtics won the NBA championship. In addition to some congratulatory messages to the Celtics, there were also some filthy and vile messages spray painted on the bathhouse, Winnett said.

“That filth was on the bathhouse for about two hours because we had to wait for the sheriff’s department to come down and take pictures,” Winnett said. “That kind of stuff isn’t fit for small kids.”

The vandalism at the park has extended beyond the spray painting of profane messages, Winnett said. One of the chair swings at the playground disappeared about two weeks ago and a monument to people who contributed to the building of the park was recently tipped over.

In addition to the DPW responding without question, Winnett said the police have also been responsive to helping out with any potential issues at the park.

“If there were any potential safety concerns at the park, the police would instantly respond,” she said. Winnett said the fire department has, likewise, been extremely helpful.

“We are so very lucky to have such fine men and women watching our backs and keeping us safe as well as answering our emergencies and training the staff who are taking care of your children in a variety of town programs,” she said.

Winnett said she hopes the shenanigans at the park don’t take away from the many benefits afforded the town by having such an active recreation department and quality facilities.

“We’re all working together to make it possible to have a pleasant vacation in our own back yard,” she said.

The Recreation Department and the town also strive to make the swimming lessons and other recreational offerings affordable for the town’s residents, Winnett said.

“I love doing this,” she said. “All of our staff have come through the programs and many of them come back year after year.”

As Winnett continues to make sure those programs remain successful, she said she’ll always be thankful for the behind-the-scenes hard work of the DPW staff.

“The DPW does much more than mow the grass, plow the streets and fix broken water pipes - all honorable endeavors to be sure, but there is so much more that we don't see,” she said.  “And there are good people, working hard, to make sure you don't have to see.”