Kingston council discusses roadwork, parking, condemned property

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NEPIRC celebrating 2016 Manufacturing Day in Scranton

<p>WILKES-BARRE &#8212; The residents of Barney Farms who complained about rowdiness at basketball games on public courts in the neighborhood know something about the theft and return of the playground equipment, a city councilman said.</p><p>&#8220;I firmly believe that,&#8221; Mike Belusko, councilman for District A, said Wednesday.</p><p>He brought up the matter at Tuesday night&#8217;s city council meeting and was suspicious of the timing of the return of two backboards and rims that had been removed from the poles during the Labor Day weekend and the cancellation of a meeting with two residents about play on the courts. The residents, whom he declined to identify, called off a meeting after the equipment was returned, Belusko said. &#8220;It seemed very shady to me,&#8221; he told council.</p><p>The equipment went missing from the poles on the west side of the courts facing the backyards of residences on Reliance Drive. Wilkes-Barre police are investigating and assigned a detective to the case, confirmed Commander of Patrol Ron Foy.</p><p>A resident of the neighborhood of homes built in the shadow of the Wyoming Valley levee system in South Wilkes-Barre said he saw two men return the equipment approximately two weeks ago.</p><p>Scott Barth, 51, of Reliance Drive, spoke to a Times Leader reporter and photographer visiting the courts Wednesday morning.</p><p>&#8220;I happened to be out here walking my dogs just like I am now,&#8221; Barth said.</p><p>He said he was near the tennis courts and saw what he described as a dark &#8220;Chevy Trailblazer&#8221; sport utility vehicle pull up on the grass on the far end of the basketball courts around 10 a.m. Two white males - one in his 40s and the other in his 20s - got out and retrieved the backboards and rims from the vehicle, he said.</p><p>&#8220;They took them out of the back and set them right here,&#8221; Barth said pointing to the court not far from where he said the vehicle parked. The vehicle drove away soon afterward, he said.</p><p>The courts can be reached by turning off a cul-de-sac along Reliance Drive onto grass behind houses, Barth said.</p><p>The backboards and rims have since been reattached to the poles anchored into the ground.</p><style>
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<div class="neCaption">A resident of the Barney Farms development in South Wilkes-Barre said approximately two weeks ago he saw two men exit a dark Chevy Trailblazer parked in the clearing near the basketball courts and leave behind backboards and rims stolen earlier from the public park. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo0>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/web1_TTL100616BasketballHoops1.jpg</photo0><caption0>A resident of the Barney Farms development in South Wilkes-Barre said approximately two weeks ago he saw two men exit a dark Chevy Trailblazer parked in the clearing near the basketball courts and leave behind backboards and rims stolen earlier from the public park. </caption0><photoCredit0></photoCredit0></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/web1_TTL100616BasketballHoops2.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Barney Farms resident Scott Barth said he saw two men drive up the basketball court approximately two weeks ago and leave behind two backboards and rims stolen earlier from the public park. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo1>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/web1_TTL100616BasketballHoops2.jpg</photo1><caption1>Barney Farms resident Scott Barth said he saw two men drive up the basketball court approximately two weeks ago and leave behind two backboards and rims stolen earlier from the public park. </caption1><photoCredit1></photoCredit1></div></div>
<div class="metaInfo"><bylineMeta><p>By Jerry Lynott</p><p>jlynott@www.timesleader.com</p></bylineMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><shirttailMeta><p>Reach Jerry Lynott at 570-991-6120 or on Twitter @TLJerryLynott</p></shirttailMeta></div>

Missing basketball equipment returned and reinstalled at Barney Farms courts