Swastikas, Jewish stars and profanity were painted on a concrete spillway on the property of an open-air mixed-use lifestyle and shopping center in Beavercreek, a suburb of Dayton, Ohio.
Lake Miller, who lives in Beavercreek near The Greene Town Center, noticed the graffiti on June 6, as he walked his dog in the area. Miller said he relocated with his wife, Allison, about three weeks ago to an apartment near the center and the two have been taking their Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, Rosie, on regular walks nearby.
He said the concrete spillway “had been totally covered in graffiti, including swastikas and like incredibly profane language. The Jewish star was there among the swastikas. So we noticed that that was happening and at that point, we usually didn’t walk off of that trail, but I knew that at that moment I had to go walk towards this and see what it was. So we walked the maybe 10 feet off of the trail.”
Miller took photos and reached out to the management of The Greene Town Center to ask whether the spillway was on its property. He was told the management would be taking care of the graffiti.
On the evening of June 7, the offensive images had been covered over, he said.
“I checked back this morning,” Miller said. “Within 48 hours, it’s been completely covered up, which to me makes me feel good supporting them, knowing that they want to make sure that hatred is taken care of quickly.”
Miller is a program manager for the National Conference for Community and Justice, focusing on youth programs. He grew up in Yellow Springs, about 15 miles from Beavercreek, attending Temple Israel in Dayton, where he still belongs. He said he was inspired to work in his field by experiences at L’taken in Washington, D.C. – a program of the Religious Action Center for Reform Judaism, where he learned about the power of individual action – and an NCCJ camp, Anytown Leadership Institute, which he is now coordinator for.
He said those experiences taught him that, “When you see something that’s not right, you stand up and you say something.”
Marcy Paul, director of the Jewish community relations council of the Jewish Federation of Dayton, said she learned of the graffiti in the morning of June 8 and emailed Beavercreek Mayor Bob Stone. He answered within the hour, which pleased her.
“It is my understanding that the area affected has been or is to be painted, either by the owners of The Greene, or by a local arts center that desires to paint a mural,” Stone wrote her. “I’m certain an update will be soon to follow.”
Paul said she hoped Olshan Properties, the owner of The Greene Town Center, would file a police report.