Posted on 10/30/2008 7:11:32 AM PDT by Behind Liberal Lines
When the New York State Electric Gas company decided two weeks ago not to fund the construction of a new basketball court in a downtown Ithaca park, it brought an apparent end to an ongoing struggle between neighbors of the park and city officials that had resulted in allegations of racism and stereotyping.
The controversy began earlier this year as the Greater Ithaca Activities Center searched for an alternative site for its youth and adult basketball leagues because its current basketball facility was contaminated with coal tar and had to undergo a two-year-long clean up project. Since NYSEG was found to be responsible for the contamination, it had struck an agreement with the city to secure a “suitable alternative site” for the GIAC basketball leagues, according to City Attorney Dan Hoffman.
GIAC proposed installing a new basketball court on open space in Conway Park, which is located several blocks away from the Center.
However, tension soon grew between some neighbors of the park who opposed the construction of a basketball court and some city officials who supported GIAC’s plan. The residents complained that the project would create more noise, crowds and litter while decreasing the park’s green space.
Alderperson Maria Coles (D-1st Ward) said that GIAC tried, unsuccessfully, to work with the community to mitigate some of their concerns.
Coles explained that the “quite offensive attitudes and remarks” from a “vocal minority” who opposed the court could not be characterized as anything but racist. She said that the intensity of the opposition as well as residents’ unwillingness to negotiate led her to believe that there were elements of prejudice at play in the community.
Coles cited an incident at Conway Park in which a man approached a GIAC staff member who was working with children, stared at her and questioned her presence in the park, as an example of the racism.
Marcia Fort, director of GIAC, echoed Coles’s comments about working with the residents in the neighborhood.
Fort said that GIAC has been running basketball leagues in Ithaca for years and would have been a respectful member of the Conway Park community.
Fort also agreed with Coles’s assertion that prejudice was a force in some of the opposition to the basketball court.
Atif Chaudhry, a resident of the Conway Park neighborhood, opposes the construction of the basketball court and said he was amazed to hear GIAC say that racism was part of the opposition.
“It seems like a stretch,” he said. “[Allegations of racism] drive a wedge into the community, and I don’t see what good they are because GIAC should be trying to build bridges [with the community].”
Chaudhry said that he felt GIAC mishandled the situation by failing to communicate with the residents, who felt the project was a done deal before GIAC sought their input.
“They created an environment because of how they approached the issue, in which we didn’t feel our concerns would be taken seriously,” he said.
In moving forward, GIAC officials said that they are looking into existing indoor and outdoor courts that they could rent elsewhere in the city. In a press statement, NYSEG pledged to reimburse GIAC for any rental costs for a replacement court and for associated transportation costs.
Google maps has that park at 5th/Cascadilla. The satellite image shows what looks like a full basketball court along the western edge of the park.
Now take the dingbat attitude of these people crying racism, and multiply it by 1000000000000000000000000, and you still wont get the level of BS that we will be getting with Obi in charge.
Obama's desire to have an internal police force as powerful as the military is FOR ONE THING ONLY, control of the people. It will basically be set up and act like the Nazi Gestapo. You will not be able to speak against the Obama crowd, own a gun, have private property, or gather in crowds to protest Obama. His private police force will come after people in the dead of night. Gun owners are going to be early victims of this private police force. They know who we are from the forms where we legally purchased our guns, and from the local law enforcement records of who has a carry permit. Just getting our guns will take millions off the streets. They do not care about their fellow gang members having guns, because they need them to protect themselves from the unarmed public.
This desire and need for a private police force as strong as the military is the most scary thing that I can see from Obama. This private police force can be for one thing and one thing only, keeping the people suppressed, cutting off descent and control. That is all it can be for. We ALREADY have police, high way patrol, sheriff departments in every town, city, county and state in the union. Why the need of a private police force as strong as the military? One thing folks, control of the population.
“I was a knucklehead. I had family issues and had trouble initially,” he said. “GIAC helped me keep good grades and helped me when I needed a job.”
Can't imagine why the taxpaying park neighbors would be concerned about this grifter hanging around.
I didn't think there were any alderpersons left after the Empire blew up Alderon with the Death Star.
Obama signs must be like weeds out there, eh?
Yep. In fact, supposedly, the Obama campaign has refused to send any more, on the theory that the place is already oversaturated.
I did not make that up.
I’m seeing a lot less Obama signs that I had been expecting to see..but then I figured this county would go NADER again.
the giac is nothing but a blackhole money pit...
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