Medina celebrates opening of new basketball courts at Butts Park

By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 30 May 2024 at 10:18 pm

Photos by Tom Rivers

MEDINA – Medina Mayor Marguerite Sherman cuts the ribbon to celebrate the opening of two new full-size basketball courts at Butts Park. She is joined on the court by many local kids and adults who were eager to shoot some hoops this evening.

Other key supporters of the effort joined for the ribbon-cutting.

The courts opened on Tuesday.

“This is a direct result of what can happen when we pool resources to fill a need in the community,” Sherman said.

The village contributed $110,000 towards the project with that money coming from par tof its federal American Rescue Plan Act money. The Town of Shelby (representing by Councilman Jeff Schiffer at the ribbon-cutting) contributed $10,000 in ARPA funds.

Melissa Valley from the Medina Sports Boosters sought bids and donations for the courts. The Sports Boosters gave $3,332 and Valley reached out to Shelby Crushed Stone. Tom Biamonte, owner of the business, donated 800 tons of stone valued at about $8,000.

The new courts are painted in Medina Mustang colors. The group gathered for a ribbon cutting after 6 p.m. today.

The courts were busy this evening. Melissa Valley, a Medina teacher and coach, has pushed the past four years for the courts. She said there weren’t outdoor courts in any local parks.

She was thrilled to see so many players on the courts today.

“This is what this was all about,” Valley said watching a fast-paced pickup game. “I knew they would play. It’s been busy since they went up. There are lots of smiles.”

Sherman, the Medina mayor, also commended the Village Department of Public Works for prepping the site with the stone from Shelby Crushed Stone.

Sherman said the hoops have adjustable heights. She expects to see some tournaments on the new courts. Mainly, she is happy to see the immediate use.

The courts were painted in the Median colors on Friday and then striped on Saturday. On Tuesday the nets were back and the courts open. (The nets were removed temporarily so the courts could be painted.)