Man told to let kids play in peace

A man engaged in a yearlong war of words with families using a playground next to his home has been ordered to stop harassing children and their parents.

A court commissioner granted a three-year restraining order to parents who said they were tired of Art Maxwell’s making their kids cry. They contended that Maxwell videotaped families and gave dirty looks to patrons of the Becky Temko tot lot.

Maxwell says park users routinely violate the city’s noise ordinance and argues that it is his 1st Amendment right to scream at people.

The commissioner told him that the noise of children is the price of moving next door to a park.