Board Post

We need to start some of the end of season maintenance stuff which includes: storing and winterizing the pump, moving in most of the furniture, cutting back the daylilies and gardens, and putting the plugs in the court sprinklers. 3 to 4 people should be able to accomplish this.

If you can help please email me directly at [email protected]. We will do this Saturday, October 8 at 2 PM. This is something that can be done even if there is light rain or snow showers.

Hope everyone has had a great summer and have gotten the opportunity to enjoy the courts!

As we enter the first few days of Fall, I would like to update everyone on the projected closing date of the club. We will keep the club open as long as possible in October as weather permits. On a side note, the portable will be in place until we close in late October.

Let’s hope we get an extended period of Indian Summer before the snow flies!

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

Scott just finished nailing the lines down. Tomorrow he will finish sweeping, rolling, watering and putting up the nets. Play will start Sunday morning.

Enjoy!!

Good Morning

First off I want to ensure everyone the delay in opening is a one off this season. We live in a different world now with supply chain and labor challenges.  I’m frustrated as you are along with the other board members in losing three weeks of the season. We will be open later this week at this time I do not know the day as soon as I do we will make sure the word gets out. That being said based on the time lost we will offer a rebate on next year’s membership of $25 or if a member plans not to rejoin a check back in that amount. The plan is to stay open as long as we can in October weather permitting. We have installed new lines this year and our vision is to improve the infrastructure of the club in the future. I’m hoping we can install new net posts at the start of next season. At season’s end we will look at this challenge along with others we faced and see what we can do differently for 23.

Thanks to All for Hanging In!!

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]