If the Trash Stays, No One Plays

On Monday morning, employees cleaned up water bottles, shoes, shirts, cigarette butts and more from the basketball courts at .

As a result, two basketball rims were removed so full-court games can’t be played.

“There are signs posted,” Mayor Don Brauckmann said. “If they don’t throw their trash away, the rims will be taken down.”

Brauckmann, also the director of parks and recreation, said a little trash doesn’t hurt, but public works employees thought there was an outdoor concert over the weekend with the amount of litter they picked up.

“It’s kind of a tough love thing,” Brauckmann said. “It bothers me because I like to see people in our park. It’s spring, everybody wants to be out enjoying the park. We have to teach [people] to be respectful of our play structures and park.”

The posted sign is right in the middle of the park, at the courts, near trashcans and recycling cans.

Team basketball is finished for the season so those using the courts are residents, or non-residents, playing pickup games.

“It got to a point where public works didn’t know what to do,” Brauckmann said. “To send a message and to say consistent with what the sign says, they decided to take them down.”

The rims, which have been down since Monday, will be replaced today.

“We’re hoping we don’t have to do this again,” Brauckmann said. “We’re hoping to send a message very early in the spring season to carry through. Keep the courts clean or you won’t have a place to play.”

There is a township-wide for all of Cinnaminson’s seven parks this Saturday, beginning at 9 a.m.