Game on: Easton Area School Board backs re-doing Vanderveer basketball courts

The basketball courts at Vanderveer Park in Easton may receive long-awaited renovations in the near future.

Josh Ziatyk, Easton Area School District’s assistant superintendent for district operations & services, discussed at the district’s last school board meeting a partnership with the city to redo the basketball courts. This came after Easton Councilman Frank Pintabone approached the board requesting $30,000 for the renovations with the city covering the rest.

Pintabone said the district owns Vanderveer Park, located at 12th and Spring Garden streets, but the city leases it to allow for public use. The basketball courts belong entirely to the city, which he said are “atrocious.”

He said the total cost to renovate the courts would be between $75,000 and $95,000. This would include demolishing the courts, redoing the pavements, repainting the lines and putting up new nets.

Ziatyk said the request was met favorably among Building and Grounds Committee members, citing that beautifying the park has been a goal for several years. Renovating both Vanderveer and Centennial parks has also been a topic of discussion in Easton City Council meetings.

“We are recommending that we move forward with this request,” Ziatyk said.

He also discussed funding the project, and he emphasized several options for the district. One involves money the district received for a piece of land sold for $50,000. Funding from a donor who contacted the committee about Vanderveer Park improvements — as well as the music program and other funding — amounting to $100,000 is also an option, he said.

The board was mainly in favor of moving forward with the proposal, especially Board President Meg Sayago. Board member Jodi Hess questioned how the district would fund park maintenance.

“I would love to have the kids be there and utilize it,” Hess said. “If we’re going to maintain that, at what point are we saying we’re not going to continue to fund it. Just caution that.”

Pintabone, who attended the meeting, said Unity Bank would cover basketball net replacement. This information comes from his fellow Easton council member Crystal Rose, who serves as the first vice president and marketing director of the bank.

Since the board showed majority favor, Ziatyk said the administration will work to create a proposal, and will look toward July to approve it.