Aragon looking to clear basketball goals off streets

ARAGON — Many people who drive down Aragon Road have found themselves in the following position: local youth are enjoying an afternoon or evening pickup game of basketball, and are focused more on scoring than cars speeding by. Sometimes, according to several city officials, they even block the streets.

An effort is underway now to do something to move those players from the street and into local park spaces after the Aragon City Council approved spending of $10,000 to build a half basketball court with an “indestructible” goal, according to building inspector and code enforcement officer Josh Ozment.

The topic opened discussions during the council’s work session last Thursday, providing Hunter Spinks the opportunity to ask a pertinent question: Where will the youth go if they don’t have places to play in the street?

“There are three or four basketball goals in visible sight of my house right now, and whether they’re in the road or not there are kids playing on them, and you’re going to take them on down and replace them with one basketball court at the end of the road,” Spinks said.

The $10,000 to pay for the materials is coming from the city’s Special Asset fund, which has been used for several projects and is now down to $160,000.

Additionally, the council also approved a measure to remember every Sept. 29 in the future in honor of Detective Kristen Hearne with the Polk County Police Department. Hearne, who was shot and killed in the line of duty at the end of September, was married to Lt. Matt Hearne of the Aragon Police Department, and was a fixture at city hall.

The Polk County Standard Journal