Old Sign on Trail Going to
Soccer Field The story of Resurrect the Rims at Doyne County Park begins in 2009 when a good part of the park, outside the 9 hole golf course was closed for some major renovations. When the park was reopened in 2010 the playing field for soccer players was flattened, there was a new playground and new basketball courts, with 4 rims. Most of the people in the neighborhood did not know why the park was closed and reconstructed. But soon after it opened an individual called a meeting in his home about taking down the rims on the new basketball court. The than pastor of the Church on the Park called a public meeting in the Church hall to see what people really were concerned about. Although the few persons wanting to take down the rims tried to dominate the meeting a few other concerns of homes boarding the park were expressed. One of them was that parents of a local private high school were now driving cars on the bike trail to get to soccer field. There is a parking lot in the park but the girls from the private high school soccer team would have to go on trial next to young men playing basketball, including many African Americans and by the playground.
New Sign on Trail going to
Soccer field Also during the course of public meetings it was disclosed that the County Supervisor at that time with a small group of individuals thought they had a promise from County Park System not to put back the basketball courts. It turns out that many full court basketball places in mostly white neighborhoods at been taken down by the County when African American males started to play basketball there. This was one of full courts left outside of North Central Milwaukee, 85% African American, only a few full court basketball playing areas, in the very far nearly all white Southside and the 85% white suburbs. Now thanks to someone firing a shot in the park and a WE Energies truck hitting one of the poles there are two of the four basketball boards left and no full court basketball playing.
While working to keep the rims up I learned the major portion of the park renovation has been paid for by a private high school and thus the county felt obliged to put signs up that the new level soccer field could only be used by private permit. One of the other concerns, besides taking down the rims was accomplished, the placing of a sign on the bike/walk sign saying “No Motorized Vehicles Allowed.” This sign was same as one off the road in the park going the other way on the bike/walk trail.
I used to drive into the parking lot to check out basketball players. After two of the rims were taken down I noticed cars again driving on the bike trail to get to shelter for golf course or soccer fields. When I could easily do it, I would point out the violator, there was no vehicles allowed on the bike path. A few weeks ago I pulled into the parking lot by the rims and by chance noticed that sign going into the park had been changed. The new sign now reads “No Motorized Vehicle Parking.” The city ordinance quoted is the same but the big change was ‘Vehicles Allowed’ to ‘Vehicle Parking’.
So it seems now that people can drive cars on the bike/walking trail path past the courts, playground to get children playing soccer but they cannot ‘park’ on the bike path.
These days where we see the life of a young adult African American is not valued very much in society but money speaks and is ‘free speech’ this story speaks of the racism rampant in Milwaukee. African Americans playing full court basketball is a ‘danger’ but cars driven by white person on well used walk/bike trail is safe?
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