Vandals have made a popular sports field into an eyesore on Chicago’s north side.

Debris greeted players yesterday on the turf in Lincoln Park.  They found a melted mess of artificial turf, 20 feet wide smack in the middle of what was once a premier place to play soccer.
“We have kids from all over the US and this week is one of our highlights because we’re right here by the lake and this field,” said Rick McKinley of the Chicago Eagles. “For a soccer player is one of the most desirable to be at.”
Late in the night on the Fourth of July, vandals set off fireworks and took the two million dollar soccer field, paid for by city taxpayers, and kicked it, right in the gut.
“It’s pretty hard to even compete in a place like this right now,” Mckinley said.
The Park District says the damage is too much for their folks to take care of, so an outside firm needs to fix it.   How much?  It could be tens of thousands of dollars before all is said and done.