Evanston Now
Ald. Tom Suffredin (6th) says one of the two tennis courts at Bent Park was damaged this week, apparently by fireworks.
In a message to 6th Ward residents Thursday evening, Suffredin said the court was damaged Wednesday evening after fireworks were set off on the surface.
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Evanston Now observed the park’s west court with a spot of damage, while the eastern court remained undamaged. The netting on the damaged court had been removed as of Thursday morning.
Suffredin said the damage has made the court “unplayable” and said the city is “actively working to assess the damage and get this resolved as quickly as possible.”
He said the court’s acrylic coating and the underlying asphalt were damaged by the fireworks.
“This goes beyond typical ‘kids will be kids’ antics,” Suffredin said of the incident. “Damage from fireworks deprived residents of the use of the Bent Park Fieldhouse in the past. Once again, fireworks damage is depriving residents of a civic amenity that we have all paid for. Be assured that this vandalism is taken seriously by the City and the Evanston Police Department.”
Suffredin said anyone with information or video evidence can contact the police non-emergency line at 847-866-5000 or submit an anonymous crime tip to EPD through text message to 274637. Messages must begin with the keyword “EPDTIP” to be routed properly.
Matthew has covered politics and local government for Evanston Now since 2024. He was previously a freelance reporter for the New York Times. He grew up in Cleveland and has a journalism degree from Boston… More by Matthew Eadie
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