Sour note struck at LynnArts

LYNN – Vandals who smashed down doors and stole musical instruments and laptops won?t stop a music program for low-income kids from continuing to hold after-school classes in LynnArts? Central Square building.?This will not stop us. We will continue holding programs for our 26 kids in the building,” vowed Doreen Murray, music director of Building Bridges Through Music.Police Lt. Richard Donnelly said initial reports to police on Tuesday morning indicated doors to six first-floor studios in the 25 Exchange St. building were ripped open and doors to two second-floor studios were vandalized.Murray said she learned by mid-morning that Building Bridges? third-floor performance studio rooms and storage spaces had been vandalized with thieves making off, according to Murray, with eight of the program?s 12 guitars, more than five laptops, a keyboard, amplifiers, a flat screen television and a drum set still in its box.She did not offer an immediate dollar estimate for the stolen items, but said the instruments and other equipment were donated or paid for outright by people committed to supporting the 15-year-old program.?What gets me more than anything is the amount of time volunteers spent raising money,” she said.By late afternoon Tuesday, Donnelly said police were compiling a list of items missing from the building. Murray said officers spent much of Tuesday investigating vandalism sustained by Building Bridges and artists who work in 25 Exchange.?They have been doing a real thorough investigation,” she said.Located in 25 Exchange since 2002, Building Bridges uses music to help kids improve academic skills, creativity and social skill development. Students ages 5 to 14 attend the program from 2-5 p.m., Murray said, paying a “minimal cost” to participate.KIPP Academy sophomore and Building Bridges peer tutor Loida Rosario stepped over glass shards Tuesday evening as she surveyed the damage left by vandals.?It?s upsetting – who does this?” she asked.Donnelly said someone with lawful access to 25 Exchange St. spotted the damaged studio doors before 5 a.m. Tuesday and artist tenants subsequently reported vandalism. He urged building tenants to contact police if they are missing property from the building.?At this point, it is unclear how entry was gained,” Donnelly said.Murray said she feels bad for Building Bridges kids and their parents as well as donors who have sustained the program, including the Ernie Boch Foundation. Thieves took with them much of the newer equipment donated by the foundation, said Murray.?It?s really disheartening, but we won?t let this stop us: We provide a safe place for learning,” she said.