Armenian Genocide billboard crumbles from water damage

By Christopher Loh/ Staff Writer
Monday, April 24, 2006 -A billboard at 160 Arsenal St., promoting awareness of the April 1915 Armenian Genocide, looked as though it had been vandalized, as a large section in the middle was torn from the top all the way to the bottom.
However, Watertown Police said it doesn’t appear to have been vandalism.
The billboard’s collapse couldn’t have happened at a worse time, because this past weekend was the 91st Anniversary Commemoration of the Armenian Genocide.
The billboard’s condition was reported to the Watertown Police Department on Saturday, April 22, at 5 p.m.
Police said Clear Channel, who owns the billboard, investigated the matter Monday morning, but found no evidence of foul play.
Lois Catanzaro, director of public affairs for Clear Channel, said company representatives had gone to the site, and believed the damage was caused by water.
Daniel Hejinian, a representative of Peace of Art, the company who owned the advertisement, said the cause of the damage could be many things, and that Peace of Art is looking to replace the billboard with another concerning the Armenian Genocide.
The representatives removed the remaining remnants of the billboard. Currently an old United States Navy advertisement is displayed.
Police are still investigating the matter.