Basketball hoop controversy continues as covid cases rise

Oct 27, 2020

The Board of Selectmen has received dozens of emails from citizens frustrated by the town’s continued refusal to replace the basketball hoops at every court across town, which were taken down in July.

Selectman Peter Teitelbaum said the board had received 30 or 40 emails about the basketball hoops when he brought the issue up at the board’s Oct. 27 meeting. The hoops were removed after Sunday Onset Pick-Up games drew large crowds that violated coronavirus restrictions, and the town’s controversial decision to remove the basketball hoops altogether has been a point of contention more than three months.

Teitelbaum asked Town Administrator Derek Sullivan to address Wareham residents’ concerns. 

Sullivan said that although everyone would like to get back to normal, there were no imminent plans to bring the hoops back. 

“As we know, in the last few weeks there’s been a drastic uptick,” Sullivan said. “Frankly, at this point, with what we’re seeing around us basically being a sea of red, ourselves being yellow potentially trending to red, I don’t see us making any changes at this point.”

He encouraged Wareham residents to work together to get the town down to green, which he said could allow for the return of a single basketball hoop at each court. 

“Let’s get us back down into the green because I think getting one hoop up makes sense when it’s safe,” Sullivan said.

Teitelbaum thanked Sullivan for taking the time to publicly respond to residents with concerns. When board members receive so many emails, “obviously people are going to be talking about it here, there and everywhere,” he said.