Grayslake: Keep basketball hoops away from street in winter

It's not unheard of for Lake County villages to alert residents about the potential for snowplows smashing their curbside mailboxes, but Grayslake is continuing a tradition with a different kind of reminder.

Grayslake this week rekindled its request for residents to not allow portable basketball hoops to remain on any public rights of way in the winter.

Deputy Village Manager Derek Soderholm said Friday that while there never have been any major problems, officials decided the reminder was necessary after noticing "more and more hoops were being located near the street creating a problem for snow removal operations."

"To ensure all village streets and sidewalks remain safe for residents this winter season," reads the message in a prominent spot on Grayslake's website, "we ask for residents' cooperation in removing their portable basketball hoop from the parkway."

Although curbside mailboxes and snowplows are typically addressed by villages in policies or messages to residents, Soderholm said he's not aware of similar requests regarding basketball hoops by other nearby Lake County municipalities. The portable basketball systems have a wide price range from less than $100 to at least $1,000.

Cities in Maine, Pennsylvania, Ohio and some other states have started issuing warnings about how the portable backboards and hoops should be in a proper spot in the winter.

Mifflinburg, Pa. -- in the Susquehanna River Valley between State College and Lewisburg -- is not as gentle as Grayslake in its directive about the basketball hoops.

"Please keep your basketball hoops out of the streets and alleys!" says Mifflinburg's winter message to residents. "We can't say it any simpler than that. Residents continue to place portable and in some cases permanent basketball posts and hoops within the municipal street right of way. This is illegal and it can be dangerous. We have dragged these hoops with the snowplows and torn them apart with the leaf box. You have been informed and you are liable for personal injury and property damage that result from the placement of unauthorized property within a municipal right of way. Thank you for your attention to this matter."

Grayslake Mayor Rhett Taylor said the village is trying to be proactive in its basketball hoop message.

"I've personally never received a complaint about it," Taylor said.

Twitter: @DHBobSusnjara