The BE all and END all of BASKETBALL

The HOOPLA!

I am not a fan of “basketball” although I have written about it and its “king”
https://thatwoman.wordpress.com/2010/07/09/le-brawn-is-gawn-thank-gawd/

I was first introduced to the game by its sound, as a neighbor’s son got his hoop on the garage. All evening long even after dark ( on came the security lights) day after day, night after night you could hear the thump , thump, thump bang shake rattle of the back board hour after hour..

Luckily for me, we moved . My introduction to the sport of basketball was a negative, it ranked up there with barking dogs and Chinese water torture.

In recent days in this neighborhood we have seen an elementary school playground become the place , not of children’s laughter as they slide down slides, climb and play ball, but of consternation and criminal activity; definitely not the intended use of the facility .

Not playing around; Disturbing activity at Admiral King Elementary playground draws concerns
http://www.morningjournal.com/articles/2013/05/23/news/doc519d8ef1646e8056846889.txt

It had become the “gathering place” of “ASB’s” anti- social behaviourists”– these are the young ADULTS who move in , take over and generally don’t give a damn for society except their own. There was much ta do in the neighborhood anger and complaints about the behaviours emanating from the playground long after school was over.

SOURCE

“I’ve seen grown men urinate on playground equipment, people having sex on the slides, smoking pot and who knows whatever else,” Watchorn said. “There are basketball games that go on till all hours of the night, drug deals; terrible language; it goes on constantly.”

Even the intended use of the ” hoops” by the neighborhood children was negated. Instead the ASB’s took over.

Ironically, as I have watched the dialogue unfold menacing and disgusting behavior ( abhorrent to those of us in another society) , open foreplay, fornication , foul language that was as repetitive as the thump, thump, thump, bang, rattle off the backboard- urination on the equipment , culminating in a neighborhood arsonist ( who also went to the playground for the “hoops”) setting fires not once but apparently 3 times but it was the request to remove the hoops that caused consternation among some of the powers that be!

“Where are their priorities ?”

I was amazed therefore, to see how even those who proclaim their place in leadership and society focused not on the “quality of life issues” but becoming irate and passionate about saving “basket ball hoops” on a ELEMENTARY SCHOOL playgound . Some of the people, for whom I have the greatest respect, were defending basketball hoops rather than the quality of life of individuals who are affected by this anti- social behavior.

.

Lorain school officials remove basketball hoops from Admiral King(Morning Journal)

http://www.morningjournal.com/articles/2013/05/31/news/doc51a81782a0f5e691538371.txt

Anti Political Correctness Ad by Chris Ritchey

The priorities seem very confused to me so let me be clear:

1. The repetitive noise of the “game ” hour after hour after hour into the early morning has been shown to cause heightened stress levels which in turn can cause health problems . Your decisions ( BOE and Lorain City schools) could be seen to create a possible public/ private nuisance and not only in the Admiral King Elementary neighborhood. .

“To constitute a nuisance, either public or private, the acts complained of must either
cause injury to or obstruct the reasonable use or enjoyment of another’s property”

A common, or public, nuisance is the doing of or the failure to do something that
injuriously affects the safety, health or morals of the public, or works some substantial
annoyance, inconvenience or injury to the public. Commonwealth v. South Covington &
Cincinnati Street Railway Co., (1918), 181 Ky. 459, 463. To be considered public, the nuisance
must affect an interest common to the general public and it is not necessary that the entire
community be affected, so long as the nuisance will interfere with those who come in contact
with it in the exercise of a public right. W. Keaton, D. Dobbs, R. Keaton & D. Owen, Prosser &
Keaton on the Law of Torts, 645 (5th Ed. 1984).

/”private nuisance”

A private nuisance is an interference with a person’s enjoyment and use of his land. The law recognizes that landowners, or those in rightful possession of land, have the right to the unimpaired condition of the property and to reasonable comfort and convenience in its occupation

2. In this particular situation around Admiral King Elementary,for those BOE members who are trying to save hoops rather than quality of life for their neighbors:

These hoops are being denied to the very children for whom they were meant ! You are introducing an element to a playground that adversely effects your young students.
I don’t think that was the intended use of such equipment

3. If Lorain City Schools wish to give the general population access to the “basket ball ” courts etc. then there must be accountability by the Lorain City Schools. You are confusing a playground with a public park, in my opinion. I don’t believe it is up to Lorain City Schools to provide entertainment to adults at the expense of the children , students and neighbors. Apparently these full court hoops are becoming a magnet for moronic behaviours.

There has to be “rules’ – LCS – you do not let your students run amok in your buildings and playgrounds , spitting, urinating , acts of a sexual nature during the school day. Why then, should you allow such usage after hours? It doesn’t make sense! Does your definition of quality of life and responsible behavior end at the end of the school day?

SOURCE

No , if the desire is to keep this equipment available to the “general public” then it carries with it the responsibility of “refereeing ” of the usage .

It means signage, limited hours and “policing”- NOT BY THE NEIGHBORHOOD, NOT BY THE RESIDENTS, NOT BY THE LORAIN POLICE DEPT BUT BY THE OWNERS OF THE PROPERTY- LORAIN CITY SCHOOLS ( and apparently since the State of Ohio paid 81 percent for the building of the new facilities ) BY THE STATE!

To those that cry foul to the taking down of the hoops I would suggest “involvement” , intelligentsia, and consideration for those who feel the ripple effect of your decision-making!