Arcadia Residents Protest To Keep Eisenhower Park's Basketball Courts

ARCADIA (CBSLA) — An off-handed comment about the "types" who play basketball in Arcadia's parks prompted a loud protest in support of keeping the quiet community's popular courts.

Dozens of people gathered at Eisenhower Park, at 2nd Avenue and Colorado, to demand the City Council keep the basketball courts. A planned renovation at the park removes the courts, adding new picnic areas and baseball diamonds.

But the renovation plan is not what got people fired up – it was the comments last week from Arcadia's Mayor Pro Tem Roger Chandler. At the City Council meeting, he said, "I personally observed some of the folks, and they're not the type that I would drive into Arcadia."

At least one protest sign on Sunday asked "What type?"

"Our city loves basketball. Our city is tolerant, our city is beautiful, and we just do not accept the type of representation we had," protestor Sraavan Donthineni said.

Arcadia's mayor, who changed her mind after hearing the passionate pro-basketball arguments at last week's meeting was also at the protest. She says she is in favor of keeping the basketball courts.