The Observation Deck

Jeff,
I said it at the top of the post, non-white kids. I know this is only a guess, but until the city steps forward and makes their case.....

This is ridiculous.

Two years ago I walked with my daughter to Madison Park to shoot baskets because she had just joined the Jr. High Basketball team. We got there only to discover that there were no hoops! She asked why, and I didn't have an answer for her. I still don't. Sadly, she no longer plays basketball so the lack of a nearby hoop is no longer needed.

If the problem is kids gathering together and a few of them causing trouble, send a cruiser out at regular intervals to monitor what's going on. Have a city employee with a radio on site. There are better ways to handle this than taking down the hoops.

I would much rather see the kids playing basketball than walking in the middle of the street.

While we are at it. How about fixing the tennis courts too!! I play tennis almost daily in the summer and the courts, in Rocky River, Bay, Strongsville, and even Cleveland ( at Impitt, Jefferson and Gunning Parks) have better maintained UNCRACKED tennis courts. Unfortunately the recreational facilities in Lakewood are no longer at par with those in neighboring communities.

Rick,

Although I share your frustration, what you are suggesting needs funding and lots of it. To keep a city worker on site at one or more of the courts to monitor things would mean you have to pay him/her to watch kids play basketball all day when they could be cleaning parks or the graffiti everyone is complaining about.

Police, same thing. One police officer at the court, one less serving and catching those criminals you despise.

And if you think "well, hire more!", that opens up a new can of worms as we can see by the police levy thread.


It's a lose-lose here. If only there could be a medium where kids could play basketball and they wouldn't have to be watched all the time. That's why I liked the harding courts, because they were in the middle of traffic so that everyone could see. Madison is in the back of the park, by the factory, where no one really walks.

I didn't realize anyone still played tennis.

Tennis is a dying sport like Indy Car racing, horse racing and boxing.
Golf has replaced tennis on the US food chain.

Whenever I see a tennis court around here, whether it be at Impett park, LHS or Lakewood Park, it's empty.

When I was a kid in the 1970s, tennis was still extremely popular....Billie Jean King, battle of the sexes, Mcenroe and Connors, etc. They even had tennis courts in my crapppy old neighborhood by Max Hayes High, and they were always full. The sport has slowly died away, and I'm not sure why.

The tennis courts in my old neighborhood have been replaced by the soap box derby track that is visible from the shoreway.

I think a couple of the tennis courts at Lakewood Park were sacrificed for the skate park...it was a good trade.

The only part of tennis that is still widely popular is Anna Kournakova calendars.

Ivor Karabatkovic wrote:what you are suggesting needs funding and lots of it.

What I read Rick suggesting is to have a police officer drive by once in a while and to have city workers report possible problems. Sorry Rick if I am putting words in your mouth.

What it takes is for someone to say "Mr. so-and-so in charge of the police, have your officers make a point of driving through so-and-so while on patrol. Drive though and make a presence while on patrol in that area".
and...
"Mr. so-and-so in charge of the parks, would you ask your employees if they would keep an eye out for problems and use your cell phone to call the police if you see something strange going on".

Wouldn't cost anything.

Maybe this already takes place. I don't know.

Joe Ott wrote:

Beajay Michaud wrote: I have a brand new hoop at my house, our yard is too small for the kids to play in. I would be willing to donate it to the city if cost is the issue. I find it hard to believe that removing the hoops will stop kids from tagging. Tagging has always been a problem.

I have one laying in my garage. One of those things with the base filled with sand. If you can move it, you can have it.... come and get it.

This boy Jose did just that about two weeks ago, he wheeled one to the park it was there for a few days and the city removed it. I would love to let them play in my back yard, however it is way to small.

I would gladly put mine and yours at one of the parks, however I'm sure the City would remove it.

I would have to agree with Joe Whisman.

Beajay Michaud wrote:This boy Jose did just that about two weeks ago, he wheeled one to the park it was there for a few days and the city removed it.

Someone put one behind Taft a few weeks ago. There were kids there every night.

It's gone now.

Maybe it's too much of a nuisance for the residents. It can be noisy. In fact it can big as big a nuisance as that asinine cornhole game.

Mike Deneen wrote:dying sport like Indy Car racing

Blame Tony George for that...

Mike Deneen wrote: Tennis is a dying sport like Indy Car racing, horse racing and boxing.
Golf has replaced tennis on the US food chain.

Mike

Thanks for including Indy Car racing as a sport. Most do not even go that far.

Tennis is still pretty strong with some Americans coming on strong. Tennis, like Golf have their own channels, so you do not see all the events.

Boxing is going through a funk, but still strong, horse racing?

IndyCar Racing, strong and getting stronger, But F1 will be the hot sport this year. First win by a black driver in the top level of the sport. Lewis Hamilton is breaking records almost every race.

This week they are here in America and I would encourage all to see the toughest sport and most decadent way to spend billions in the world. FOX TV Sunday will be the race.

.

I love playing tennis.

Stephanie Toole wrote:The removal of the outside courts is hurting the basketball programs at both the middle schools and the high school.

Removing all the courts has sent the message to other cities that Lakewood is no longer safe enough to play outside basketball on city or school board owned courts. This is a fact and what people have said to my kids. People are asking what is going on with Lakewood? Why are there no basketball courts? Drug activity? Crime?

I'm first on board to help lead the way for 'hoops' back in Lakewood!

Count me in too!


Well with Basketball being the hottest sport in Cleveland right now. I think that it is a same. In Parma Hts they have nice courts. Kids (Non-Whites) from the Chevey area apartments go there and play as well. The police don't babysit them, Parma Hts has a patrol car going around every so often. The police are patroling anyway.

Don't Lakewood Police drive around patroling Lakewood? I see them parked on Detroit all the time.

It would be nice if someone from the City would chime in. Give us some reason that we could all understand.

Tony George killed Indycars. (NASCAR didn't do it)
Don King and Bob Arum killed boxing. (Vince McMahon and Cage Fighting didn't do it)
Legalized gambling killed horse racing (except for the Kentucky Derby, which is just a big party and not really a sports event)
Gary Bettman is working hard to kill hockey (although the sport is still very strong regionally at the grass roots and college levels)

I don't see F1 catching on here. It's too European and most people can't tell the difference between those and Indy/Cart cars.

Anyone going to the Cleveland race next week?

Regarding the hoops.....we definitely need to have an "open gym" or "midnight basketball" type program at our schools. Kids need to play!

Mike Deneen wrote:Tony George killed Indycars.

Put another way - Tony George killed open wheel racing in the States. His IndyCar series is nothing more than open wheel NASCAR - a spec series. I will admit though, IRL does put on a decent show sometimes. CART is just dead. Too bad, it was a great series way back when.

Mike Deneen wrote:I don't see F1 catching on here.

It's too complex for the average stick and ball sports guy to follow what's going on. Like professional European cycling - one the most grueling sports in the world and one the biggest spectator sports in the world along with F1 - it's very complex to follow. People don't understand it.

Mike Deneen wrote: Anyone going to the Cleveland race next week?

Nope. I would consider going for free, but the seats are better at home for this one. Bring it back to Mid Ohio Sports Car Course and I'm there.

Oh, and video killed the radio star...

Good ole boy network killed basketball in Lakewood.