Vandalism of El Morro spoils a shaky legacy

The wreckage left after the closing of El Morro Village brings a whole new sense to the phrase “trailer trash.” And it does nothing to improve its meaning.

There is no arguing the fact that many of the trailers at the now-empty El Morro Village were ruined during the community’s final days before residents had to leave their sunny seaside paradise. The question ? and one that might never be answered ? is who is responsible for the destruction. State Parks Department officials are looking into it, however.

It is easy to point fingers at the former residents, who were loudly upset at being forced to leave the publicly owned land under an agreement they reached with the state in September 2005. Crystal Cove State Park Supt. Ken Kramer captured the correct reaction to the destruction when he told the Coastline Pilot: “It all came down to how they wanted to remember their exit.”

But did they think about how they wanted to be remembered?

Some of those residents, it certainly would appear, wanted to remember their exit as a final brush off to the state and the public.

If they trashed things ? which seemingly would have violated their agreement with the state ? it was an unconscionable deed, one that assuredly will cost taxpayers more money as the state has more work to do to clean up the park. As a final act, it would sum up what many residents there seemed to think about the state and all the people who couldn’t enjoy El Morro.

Any sympathy for the former residents ? what little was deserved for people who dragged their feet on leaving the property after doing everything to make El Morro an unwelcome spot for outsiders ? is on the shakiest of ground. As the cost to get the park ready for public use goes up, that ground will be trembling even more.

For those who did leave their trailers in fine shape, there is no doubt a feeling of shame that the actions and words of their former neighbors made them all prime suspects in the park’s trashing. It is simply too easy to believe they are guilty because wrecking the place fits in with how many of the residents were acting in the final days.

That is a sad last legacy for the long history of El Morro, and not what most folks would wish to be remembered for.