Basketball court dedicated to former firefighter in Worcester, Mass.

By Scott J. Croteau
Telegram & Gazette (Massachusetts)
Copyright 2006 Worcester Telegram & Gazette, Inc.
All Rights Reserved

WORCESTER, Mass. — Kids shooting baskets and friends and family eating, laughing and sitting on benches in the warm afternoon sun.

That was the scene yesterday at the newly revamped Hawley Street basketball court in the Piedmont Street area. It was the scene Allen E. "Fatty" Jenkins Jr. would have wanted.

The cage, as the court is known, was revamped through donations and work by several community organizations, and yesterday the basketball court was dedicated to Mr. Jenkins, a former firefighter who was 53 when he died of lung cancer two years ago.

"This is what he was all about," Rashad Jenkins said while looking at the court full of players. "My little brother would have been very pleased."

Rap music blasted in the parking lot while neighborhood children tested out the new bright red rims. Some took turns slapping the new backboards.

The facelift to the court is part of the Neighborhood Strength Program, where officials from Clark University, the Regional Environmental Council, Family Health Center and Youth Center work together to address quality-of-life issues.

A group of teenagers from the Youth Center called the Action Team, or A Team, also surveys local youths to see what is important to them. Alex Ayala, 17, a member of the A Team, said the basketball court was important to area children. School programs are another issue that will be discussed, he said.

Jonathan Negron, 17, and another member of the A Team, played on the basketball court. He said the pavement was cracked, trees and bushes pushed through the nearby fence and rims were a rarity.

"If we were lucky the backboards had rims, but most of the time it didn't so it was pretty much unusable," said Rebecca N. Dezan, project coordinator for a Neighborhood Strength program organized by the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences.

Hopefully the dedication and community effort to fix the popular court will keep people from disrespecting the property.

Mr. Jenkins grew up the neighborhood near the court and took time to talk to neighborhood kids. His wife, Tara, said the family used to tell Fatty to run for mayor because he knew so many people.

Several community organizations donated either time or money to the court, which cost $20,000 to fix up.