CHESTERFIELD — There is a baseball field, a skate park, a playground and a couple tennis courts at Russell Memorial Park.
If you are basketball player, there is nowhere to turn to get some jumpers up.
Joe Libb and Tom Briere have taken the time to make that change.
About a dozen years ago, the park had a basketball court that was used by Libb, who lived nearby in West Chesterfield.
“It was the best thing at this park,” Libb said.
The hoop was removed in favor of the playground and swings.
Now 19, Libb is working with Briere to get a hoop back to the park, which is within walking distance of their apartment. The roommates started a petition to get a hoop back.
Libb first stayed at the Chesterfield Post Office to gather signatures. To move the process along Briere took the petition and started going door to door.
“The petition said that the tennis courts have more than enough room for a hoop,” Briere said. “Literally everyone signed it except for one person.”
Going door to door they collected about 80 signatures. Along the way they met Don Willard, who is the chairman of the town recreational committee.
“He said he would bring it up,” Libb said. “He got us a meeting and at the meeting they said that they approved. The petition didn’t matter because they like the idea of a hoop being in the park.”
Willard got the basketball court request on the agenda of a Select Board meeting, where solutions were discussed.
“I appreciate the way they went about it,” Willard said. “Starting the petition and doing the right way.”
According to Willard, the town is mulling two options. One would be renovating a portion of the park for a basketball court or just putting a hoop in one of the two tennis courts.
“There is no definitive day about when they are doing it,” Libb said. “It’s just a matter of money.”
The idea of the hoop in the tennis court is more cost-effective and would be a quicker solution.
“The tennis court is such a big area that never gets used,” Libb said. “We were using it every day.”
Before the town got involved, Libb tried a couple of solutions on his own earlier this year.
He first placed a weighted basketball hoop on one of the tennis courts.
“We were playing there for a while,” Libb said. “People from the town said it was a good idea.”
Then came a note.
“It said the hoop needed to be moved or it would be disposed of,” Libb said.
Two days later, Libb and his friends found the hoop on the side of the road. So he stood it up and began playing in the road with an occasional halt in play for a passing vehicle.
Then came another note that stated the hoop needed to be removed. When Libb next showed up to play, the hoop was gone.
The highway department was responsible for removing of the hoop, according to Willard. The Select Board requested it be returned after meeting with Libb.
After the hoop was retrieved from the transfer station it was placed on the lawn of the post office.
Currently the only court in Chesterfield is behind New Hingham Regional Elementary School.
“There are a lot of after school programs,” Libb said. “We don’t want to interfere.”
