Webmaster

Some members have expressed the desire for a social/tournament on Labor Day weekend. There are still members we haven’t met and this would be a perfect opportunity. We only have a week and a half to prepare.

Please reply ASAP to the notification email you will receive or comment on the website post with 1) your general interest, 2) any particulars you care to share, 3) whether you’d like to participate/help (food/planning), 4) preference of day(s), time of day, 5) whether you mind if some of the court availability is reduced due to a club function…

If a tournament is planned, likely doubles and mixed doubles to make best use of the courts, would you like to choose your own partners or have a random rotation like our tournament a few years ago?

Members,

We have had some calendar problems–the disappearance of reservations. Please understand that anyone can modify ANY MRTC reservations. Use care and caution. Everyone has equal event privilege on a shared calendar.

We have provided this instructional page, https://www.madrivertennis.com/using-the-google-calendar/, which I may further update when I have time. Please review it again if you are posting reservations on the calendar. The biggest problem we have had in the past was posting personal events inadvertently on this calendar, but this year numerous reservations have been deleted. The only two ways I have found in research that this may be happening are:

• Individual error/improper use
• Corrupted files syncing to iCloud (beyond our scope to advise on)

To avoid any double-bookings (at the court itself), please periodically check that your reservations are still intact before heading to the courts. Please review what is on the schedule before you reserve and double check that other events are still there after you post a reservation. If you attempt to clear space on your personal calendar, please be sure to UNCHECK the MRTC tennis calendar view before doing so.

If we are able to narrow down any individuals who are improperly using the calendar, we may revoke privileges at least until we can determine the cause(s).

Thank you for your understanding and assistance.

Briefly on another subject, youth tennis camps are scheduled for this week and the week of August 1st. It is possible that the camps will not take up both courts. If you do find a second court available for play while a camp is in session, please understand that stray balls are likely.

Thanks,
Darlene

Dear Members,

1. The court surface material has been delivered and will be applied this week. We anticipate opening by the weekend. Rather than send another group email, we will post on the Google calendar when we are open.

2. Some people have told me they hadn’t received past emails.

• Emails went out to members on 4/12, two on 4/30, 5/8, 5/17, and 5/24, either from me or a Board member. Please check your spam folders if you did not get these. Please ONLY write back to me if you have a problem that you think I can resolve. I cannot diagnose your email service problems.
• I have posted the relevant emails on the website in case you did not receive them. Please go here, https://www.madrivertennis.com/news, to see those you may have missed.

If you received today’s email, please consider any problems resolved.

3. I have put all paid members on the Google calendar. Please test it now so that you don’t have a problem when you need to make a reservation. Please see https://www.madrivertennis.com/using-the-google-calendar/ if you need help working with the calendar.

Thanks,
Darlene

Update from Club President Bob Vietze:

Thanks Again to everyone for your patience as we have had to navigate an unexpected shortage of Red DriFast from our supplier. I spoke to Hadeka this morning and they will have material available this week. Will know on Thursday when it will be delivered to the club. Rest assured we are going to do everything in our power to get the courts open as soon as humanly possible. I’ll update everyone later in the week on an opening date for the club.

—

Robert P Vietze

From Club President Bob Vietze:

Good Morning

As all of you have heard the club opening has been delayed due to a lack of material in the marketplace. We source our material which is Northeast Red Dry Fast from Hadeka Stone who service 29 distributors in the Northeast. Our club is lucky to purchase our material directly from Hadeka Stone and avoid a markup from a distributor. In calling a few distributors to see if any material was available they are in the same boat we are waiting for the stone to be crushed and processed. I was willing to pay a higher price to get the club open early. The lack of available inventory was caused by panic early season buying then lack of raw material. Right now Hadeka is crushing Green Dry Fast and in my latest communication with Mary Beth Hadeka they have red stone in the silos and will start processing next week. Once that is complete it will be 24 hours to get it shipped. I’ve been in contact with Hadeka once or twice a week since early April and I’ve been in contact with Scott Barker who is anxiously waiting to put the material down. The courts have been prepped, the pump is primed and the sprinklers are ready to go.

On another note we will be putting down new lines and nails this year which are herringbone and punched for a true bounce off the lines.

The goal a few years back was to provide a much better playing surface for the club after a couple of years of horrible conditions and eroding membership. I’m as anxious and frustrated as all of you to play based on the way May’s weather has been but unfortunately it’s the world we live in now with supply chain disruption. After next week’s call with Hadeka I should have a date for the opening of the club.

Appreciate everyone’s understanding and support of the club.

—

Robert P Vietze
508-446-5473
[email protected]

Dear Tennis Friends,

Tremendous thanks to the many members who arrived yesterday to lend their energy and talents to preparing the club for the coming tennis season. Kudos to each of you for finding your way with enthusiasm and proprietary spirit to wherever you could be helpful. Together, our goals were accomplished, and unforeseen needs and challenges were met and dealt with effectively.

All of us are very grateful.

Dear Tennis Friends,

Join us to help get the courts ready for play in May. Work day May 7 with the rain date of May 8. (Call or text Geordie 802-793-5316 if any questions.)

Time 10:00am.

We need the following:
– pickup truck to move furniture
– 4’ or more step ladders
– torch
– adjustable wrenches

Projects will include priming the pump, sprinklers, fence work. May expand but start with these.

Those who would like to do some garden touch-up, please bring your own garden gloves, hand tools (spades, garden forks, clippers), maybe a rake.

Please let Geordie know if you are coming and what you will be bringing so that we don’t end up with 10 of everything.

And you are welcome to bring a beverage to enjoy after we’re done working. It should take no more than two hours unless we expand it.

Thanks,
Geordie
(via Darlene)

https://www.madrivertennis.com/
There will be a Member-only section to the website this year. You will receive further instruction.

Dear Tennis Friends,

Thank you to those who have sent in your memberships! The two piles I have gone through were a breeze having everything together. Now for a little more heat and less breeze outdoors.

A note to those who have requested electronic registration and payment: The Board considered this option and decided to stick with the paper method, at least for now. The platforms that accept payment generally require a real person to set it up, not a “role” such as [email protected], i.e. the service is tied to a person in the organization. That person will get a 1099. (Changing that person is a pain in the arss, been there, done that.) I helped one sports organization become an official non-profit 501c7, and that cost $600 to the feds at the time. So, unless someone wants to explore options further, we are not making this kind of a change in the near future.

A reminder, the Club has substantial expenses early in the season. Please take a moment, if you haven’t already, to print your membership form, fill it out, write a check, put both in an envelope and mail to the address at the top of the form. Thank you for your assistance in streamlining our accounting. We’ll be sending out to past members and people who have inquired shortly. And a reminder to carry that pesky cash or check with you when you invite guests. We are still on the $15-in-the-envelope guest payment process.

No change to target opening day. There have been supply chain issues in tennis court material as well, so cross our fingers.

A separate email will go out about workday next Saturday May 7.

Thanks,
Darlene

https://www.madrivertennis.com/
There will be a Member-only section to the website this year. You will receive further instruction.