A wealthy Oregon woman enraged by her local lake being opened to the public has allegedly been caught keying the car of a campaigner who made it happen.
Lake Oswego Police said an ‘unknown suspect’ damaged the vehicle in a public parking lot on Foothills Road, south Portland, on Saturday afternoon.
The victim, Mark Kramer, told Oregon Live he believes he was targeted while out kayaking on the newly-opened Lake Oswego with dozens of others.
Kramer is a local attorney who was also among the plaintiffs who successfully secured public access to the picturesque waterside following a 12-year court battle.
His vehicle was left badly marked when he returned from kayaking on Saturday afternoon, with more than a dozen scratches blemishing the paintwork on one side.
Kramer said a tipster left a note saying they had seen an older woman keying the vehicle before driving away in a black Range Rover between 1.30pm and 3.30pm.
The witness did not provide their contact information, but disclosed the suspect’s license plate number, which Kramer said he has given to police.
Lake Oswego Police have called for the ‘anonymous witness’ to come forward, along with anyone else who may have observed the vandalism.
The City of Lake Oswego was ordered to allow public access to its private pond following a ruling by a judge on March 3 which ended a 12-year lawsuit brought by local residents
Mark Kramer (pictured) was one of the plaintiffs in the lawsuit. He said his vehicle was scratched up on Saturday while he was enjoying kayaking on the newly-opened lake
Lake Oswego Police said an ‘unknown suspect’ damaged the vehicle in a public parking lot on Foothills Road, south Portland , on Saturday afternoon. The car was scratched multiple times
Anyone with information should contact the police department via (503) 635-0238.
Oswego Lake opened last week after a Clackamas County Circuit Court judge ruled in favor of local swimming and kayaking enthusiasts who wanted to use the water.
Judge Kathie Steele ordered the City of Lake Oswego to immediately remove no trespassing signs and other obstacles blocking the waterside on March 3.
Lake Oswego’s 12-mile shoreline is mainly surrounded by private residences with private docks that grant them access.
Many of them are members of the Lake Oswego Corporation, a defendant in the case that manages the lake and has been opposing public access.
Open water swimming enthusiast Todd Prager, Mark Kramer and several others sued the corporation and the city for its ‘exclusionary lake policy’.
‘I’m thrilled that the public has finally regained access to this unique and important public resource,’ Prager told The Oregonian after the ruling.
‘I hope the public responsibly enjoys their immediate right to access the lake.’
The ruling overturns the current situation at the lake which means that only residents of the ritzy private homes lining the lake’s shoreline get access to the water
The lawsuit was also brought by local open water swimming enthusiast Todd Prager (pictured)
Lake Oswego Corporation, headed by president Mark Harnish (pictured), also opposed the access for the lake. They were shot down by a judge’s ruling last week
The Lake Oswego Corporation attempted to argue that the lake had been altered so much over the year by dams and canals that it could technically be reclassified as a dam.
On the corporation’s website, Vice President Doug Woodcock states: ‘It has been a privilege to live on Oswego Lake for over 30 years and I take the board’s mission to preserve and protect the lake very seriously.’
However, another judge ruled that the original body of water was public when Oregon was settled, which mean public access doctrines are applicable.
Steele’s decision comes after previous rulings including a jury trial also sided with the plaintiffs.
City officials have forked out more than $1 million in legal fees since the lawsuit began.
Spokeswoman Madison Thesing said the ruling is ‘an important milestone’ and confirmed that the council would meet to discuss it.
‘The city is taking a deliberate and thoughtful approach in assessing next steps with its legal and operational teams,’ she said.
The city has previously appealed rulings, but has not confirmed whether it will in this case.
