Grand Island Town Supervisor Pete Marston is on a mission to find the individual responsible for vandalizing his business sign. The incident took place sometime Thursday evening and Marston believes it was a direct result of his role as an elected politician. He suspects that his sign, which bears the name of his company, Marston Power Equipment, located on Grand Island Boulevard where he has been the owner for over 20 years, was targeted among the 100 others in the vicinity.
The perpetrator spray-painted the message “Drain the Swamp,” which Marston finds ironic given his political affiliation as a Republican. Despite spending countless hours cleaning up the mess, Marston views this act of vandalism as indicative of a larger issue within the community. He notes that Grand Island residents are increasingly agitated with politics, citing extremism on both sides as a key factor. Despite prioritizing the needs of Grand Island, Marston realizes some may disagree with his approach.
In response to the incident, he is offering a reward of $1,000 for any information leading to the arrest of the culprit. The Grand Island Police and Erie County Sheriff’s Office are conducting investigations into the matter. Sarah Minkewicz, an Emmy-nominated reporter and Buffalo native, has been part of the News 4 team since 2019. For more of her work, including updates on this story, follow her on Twitter @SarahMinkewicz.