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Aug 11, 2023

Sides report improved relationship after rental snafu

NORTH PROVIDENCE – After some rocky recent history between the North Providence Men’s Basketball League and School Department, the sides are now signaling a better relationship moving forward.

NORTH PROVIDENCE – After some rocky recent history between the North Providence Men’s Basketball League and School Department, the sides are now signaling a better relationship moving forward.

Organizer Marcus DaRosa told The North Providence Breeze in an email copied to Supt. Joseph Goho this week that the group had another successful year with no issues on their part at a new location.

“I was also able to meet with Mr. Goho to improve our relationship with the School Committee and develop better plans for the continued future of this league and its members,” he said.

In the end, though basketball courts at Stephen Olney Elementary School weren’t their first choice, “it was a more than adequate space for us to play in,” he said. “We definitely underestimated the quality of the flooring in that gym (can’t beat a new rubber floor).”

In addition, after their initial troubles with the custodian, which were previously reported on by The Breeze, “we were assigned a new custodian (Steve) who was an outstanding help to us, was friendly to all our members, and was punctual every week,” he said.

DaRosa said their group may not have gotten as far as they did without having a platform to get their story out in the local newspaper.

The situation between the men’s league and local school officials got messy when DaRosa first wasn’t allowed to submit an application to use the North Providence High School gym, and then a later application was rejected due to needing to refinish the floors. DaRosa had suggested potential racism was at play related to the league’s treatment, accusing a town employee of assuming that members of color weren’t from North Providence.

Once they did settle into a new playing space at Stephen Olney, at $2,000 rent instead of the $9,000 being asked for rental of the NPHS gym, league members complained after a custodian refused to help them by getting out a table, chairs, and sweeping the floor.

Goho responded to DaRosa, saying it was great meeting him and hearing his feedback about the league’s experience this summer, “particularly that Stephen Olney Elementary actually worked out as a better location than the league had anticipated for a number of reasons.”

As he’d indicated regarding DaRosa’s interest for the league to plan an additional session one night per week during the school year, possibly January to March, the town basketball youth league uses Stephen Olney during that time, said Goho, but he checked with the facilities office, “and the youth basketball league does not use SOS every night, and it looks like Tuesday evenings would be available. That should not be a problem. Submit your use of property form to the facility office at your convenience, the sooner the better.

Goho, who has plenty of height, concluded by talking basketball.

“I will definitely take you up on your offer to come visit everyone,” he said.

“I don’t think I’ve lost my 3-point touch quite yet.”

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