5/30/2002 --  By CINDY DOW Staff Writer LAKEVILLE - Vandalism at Betty's Neck Farm, Inc., has escalated over the past couple of weeks to the point that CEO John Decas has offered a $1000 reward for information leading to the arrest of the vandals.

"We've had three or four incidents over the last week or two. This last incident was so big we decided we had to do something to combat this," explained Mr. Decas.

Betty's Neck Farm, Inc. is the corporation that operates the Decas' family cranberry bogs on Betty's Neck.

The first couple of incidents had to do with cut wires and problems in the pump houses.

Pumps are needed at this time of year to turn the sprinkler systems on to protect the cranberries during cold nights. Coming during a period of time when there were frost warnings on six out of eight nights, that destruction alone could have cost the Decases their cranberry crop.

The second incident just a few days later involved a farm tractor. Someone drove a tractor from the farm onto one of the bogs and into the waterhole used for irrigation. Police were called for this incident.

The latest incident created an even more serious problem. Mr. Decas explained that the vandals broke into the biggest excavator at the farm and drove it into the canal that connects to Cranberry

Pond, which in turn connects to Assawompsett Pond. The excavator had fuel and fluids in it that could have created a serious contamination. As it was, the machine was discovered at 6 a.m., and was far enough up the canal that workers were able to boom it off to contain the spillage, which they were then able to clean up.

Paul Alexander, the general manager for Decas Cranberries, said that the canal is boomed off already to prevent algae from getting into the float boxes of the pump systems. The booms contained the fluids and made cleanup easier.

"This is more than `kid stuff,' this took adult knowledge on how to operate heavy equipment," said Mr. Decas. "It wasn't just started and then allowed to slide into the canal, it was driven in by someone who knew what he was doing."

Mr. Alexander pointed out that someone with knowledge enough to drive the excavator could have put it directly into the public water supply, but chose instead to put it into the water where it would damage the equipment, but be contained.

The farm is part of the land that voters at a special town meeting and special election earlier this month approved purchasing from the Decas family for $9 million. The state has provided more than $6 million of the purchase funds, and Lakeville, has agreed to come up with its share, $1.15 million. Taunton and New Bedford will each try to come up with their shares of $600,000 each.

Mr. Decas said he has heard it suggested, but he does not see how the sale of the property to the town would trigger the vandalism. "If we were developing the land, I could see it, but we're selling it to the town to preserve it," he said. "I just can't make the connection."

Mr. Decas said that the area is all gated off, and he is unsure how the vandals got in. The state police have been called in and have fingerprinted the excavator, and Mr. Decas has offered the reward money in hopes that someone who has seen or heard something would come forward. Anyone with information is asked to contact the Lakeville Police Department.