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Supporters urge Syracuse City to name McChesney Rec Center court for Dennis Barnett
Summary
At a Syracuse City public hearing, the nominee's son, nonprofit leaders and residents urged naming the Machester Community Center basketball court the Dennis Barnett Ball Court, citing decades of coaching, weekend youth programs and personal mentorship; no opposition spoke and the legislation will be taken up later.
Supporters at a Syracuse City public hearing urged officials to name the Machester Community Center basketball court the “Dennis Barnett Ball Court,” citing decades of volunteer coaching and youth mentorship.
Mark Vardanette, who identified himself as Barnett’s son, told the hearing his father "has been coaching for around 50 years now in different aspects of the sports," and described how Barnett persuaded the McChesney Rec Center to open programs to youth and started a Saturday morning basketball program in the early 1990s. "He is there 4 nights a week, 6 hours a night," Vardanette said, describing what he called a lifetime of volunteer work that reached hundreds of children.
The proposal’s supporters said Barnett’s programs grew from about 10 teams to roughly 27 and have provided regular, structured activities for local youth for decades. "If you get the chance to walk down the hallways at Henniger High School ... every kid knows this guy," said Dale Johnson, who said he runs the nonprofit Tilly's Touch. Johnson estimated Barnett has coached "probably pushing towards 10,000 kids, honestly, in the Syracuse community," and recommended the renaming as fitting recognition of that service.
Dan Romeo also spoke in support, saying "people like him is what makes Syracuse great," and urged the body to move forward with the proposal. Quante Elijah, who said he has known Barnett for some 20–25 years, offered a personal account: "I just feel like overall, mister Barnett helped change my life, save my life," and urged the council to approve the naming.
No one spoke in opposition during the hearing. The Chair closed the public hearing and said the legislation "will be considered during the regular order of business," meaning the body has not taken a vote on the naming at this meeting.
The record shows multiple community members—family members, a nonprofit leader and residents—testified to Barnett’s long-running role coaching and mentoring youth in Syracuse. The next procedural step is for the sponsoring legislation to appear on the governing body’s regular agenda for consideration and any possible vote.
