Glen Rock Public Speaks on Fate of Basketball Courts

GLEN ROCK, NJ - What should happen next to the Wilde Memorial Park basketball courts: that was the subject of the September 16 public forum on what comes next after the courts were closed due to a shooting and two fights.

While the meeting, which lasted about two hours, allowed the public to lend their collective voice for the usage of the basketball courts going forward, it did not bring forth a resolution.

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“We're not making any decisions tonight,” Mayor Kristine Morieko said.  “Once we hear from you, we need time to deliberate. This is not a formal public meeting, so we cannot vote tonight. We cannot take formal action tonight.”

The mayor said the council has cleared its agenda and will discuss the matter at its next meeting on September 25.

The basketball courts have come under scrutiny after the May 21 shooting alarmed residents who have publicly questioned repurposing them or simply keeping them open with more security.

There have been no arrests for any of the incidents and no further information regarding the incidents from law enforcement.

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Morieko reviewed the shooting and two subsequent summer incidents that police determined were fights. The courts were reopened after the shooting in late June and then closed down again on August 1 after the last incident. They remain closed.

Two Assaults Force Borough to Close Glen Rock Basketball Court at Wilde Park

Morieko said the borough started a public safety group consisting of the police chief, the mayor, the borough administrator, the recreation director, the borough attorney, council members, and the borough's Office of Emergency Management.

Here are some of the foundational talking points developed by that committee, which conducted meetings over “hundreds of hours," according to the mayor:

• The courts cannot be restricted to Glen Rock residents, Morieko said. In 1974, when the borough accepted Green Acre funds from the state of New Jersey, they were remanded to keep the park open to the public-at-large.
• Security cameras are currently being installed and are expected to be operational within days.
• No smoking signs have been installed. By law, there is no smoking, including vaping, allowed in any public park in New Jersey.
• Only two calls to police complaining about crowds or otherwise in the park have been discovered since a records review dating back to 2021.
• A marked police car has been parked at the entrance of the park over the last four months.
• Consider zoning the park so individuals can notify police if there is an issue and pinpoint the area.
• Improve sightlines and lighting.
• Consider survey results. The survey, which asked the public about how they view and use the park, was conducted after the May shooting.
• Revise public notification system for incidents and utilize reverse 9-1-1 notification system more effectively.
• Possibly employ a basketball court monitor.
• Develop time slots when different grade-level/ages can utilize the courts.

• Keep the courts closed until a public decision by the borough council is made.

  Approximately 20 people spoke at the meeting with varying opinions. There were those who wanted to keep the courts open for basketball, those who thought repurposing them was more beneficial, and those who were strictly concerned about safety no matter what the council decided to do.

  Kathleen Walters, a resident and teacher in the Glen Rock school district, said she felt keeping the courts open was part of a healthy experience for children, especially as they develop independence. “I have to tell you, as an educator, most of the education your children got actually happened away from you. Part of children's development is free play. By closing down those courts, it would severely harm that ability for our children. I believe we should keep them open. Their social development comes from this free play and we need to respond with a thoughtful and studied response, which I think is what's going on here. ”

  Fred Mangione, a long-time coach in the town, said the courts serve as an important place locally in the summer where the high school team could practice and sharpen their skills. With members of the Glen Rock high school basketball team with him, he said, “I know what happened, but just shutting this down, this community has always been about equality and something for everyone, and shutting down the courts isn't something for everyone.”

Then there were those who told their stories of being there when the shooting took place, telling teary-eyed renditions of the trauma it caused their families.

“I was at Wild Memorial and ran from gunfire,” Stephanie Carosella said. “I believe Glen Rock did fail us, [they] failed to protect [us], which we are entitled to. Over the past year or so, illegal activity and common sense crowd safety had been ignored. Nothing was done to address unsafe numbers, the alcohol and drug use, the litter, the bad behavior and illegal activity. Too many neighbors shared how they were not surprised because of the actions they observed over the year. Given my experience on May 21st, I want change.

“My kids definitely lost a piece of their childhood that day,” Carosella said.

Several individuals told the council their children utilize the courts regularly, calling them a “fun, positive and healthy” outlet. But others said the recent danger outweighs those benefits.

Maureen Coglin said her property abuts the park. “One minute you're in your backyard reading with your daughter. The next minute you're giving a statement to police officers and canine dogs are sniffing around your backyard for evidence tied to the shooting that took place approximately 300 feet from your home. That is the exact scenario that happened to my family. Needless to say, I am very much opposed to reopening the basketball court. To be very clear, the opposition is not racially driven.  After all, how can it be when the Bergen County Prosecutor's Office has yet to release any information on the suspect? My opposition is based on safety, or lack thereof.”

Nicole Davidson said the courts should be shut down permanently. "We moved to Glen Rock six years ago with the same hopes and dreams you all have: to live in a safe town and provide our children with the best opportunities to thrive. We specifically chose our home because it was on a dead-end street and our backyard was Wild Memorial Park. It was a dream come true. Since we've moved here, there was an attempted burglary at our neighbor's house, a shooting in our backyard at the basketball court, and then to my complete disbelief and horror, the court was reopened without any notification to the public, and of course, two more back-to-back assaults broke out on the court. This doesn't feel like a very safe town to me anymore.

"My understanding is that there are people in this town trying to turn this into racism and vilify families wanting the court closed to keep our community safe. To those of you in this room trying to turn this into a racial issue, shame on you. You should be embarrassed at how low your character is to do that. What will it take to cause more outrage in this town? One of our children dying here?

"Wild Memorial Park is in my backyard I have a clear and direct view from my home to the basketball court at all times. What I detest more than anything is people lying and saying their children are using the court as much as they are. I am standing here with a very different lens than the rest of you and see what is happening in our backyard.

"The people playing on the court were not from Glen Rock. They were, in fact, from Paterson. I know this because I asked them where they're from on my daily walks. And they told me. Every single day the court was open, they were there drinking, smoking weed, and playing loud music with profanity. And now we know that they were also packing guns.

“I've seen Glen Rock kids I know use the basketball court maybe 5% of the time and to be honest with you, that's being extremely generous. I wish our kids were playing there, but that is simply not the case and not true. When did protecting gangs become more important to you than protecting our own children? What exactly are you fighting for? That this is the only regulation-sized court in town and your kids will be devastated, really? For the 5% of time they use it? I didn't realize how many NCAA-bound stars there are in this town. Have the tough conversations with your highly-sensitive kids about why this basketball court needs to shut down.”

After listening to the varying opinions, Mayor Morieko said the council cleared their agenda for the next meeting to “discuss the options and go around the table and really hash out what we think will be the best way to move forward.”

As stated above, the next council meeting is scheduled for September 25.

“This won't be fixed overnight,” Moreiko said. “I wish it could be. I wish I had a wand and an endless checkbook where I could put the courts in a protected place where we don't have to allow everyone access, but that's just not the case right now.”

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