Tournament Aims to Renew Aged Tennis Courts

Fifty years ago, Dwight Eisenhower was the president. It was also when the fences surrounding the tennis courts at Mead Memorial Park were installed.

Over the years, the fences and general condition of the courts have continued to deteriorate while the baseball fields and other areas of the park have been kept in great shape.

Now, with the blessing of the Recreation Department and the Park & Recreation Commission, Sharon Stevenson, Mary Singh and Bob Goldsholl look to bring the tennis courts up to par with the rest of the park. (Full disclosure: Bob Goldsholl writes about sports for New Canaan Patch.)

"We're just trying to make things better, because right now it's not up to standard," Stevenson said.

At the Park & Recreation Commission meeting back on July 28, Stevenson got the go ahead for herself and her partners to hold a fund-raising tournament to benefit the courts. The first annual Friends Open Tournament will take place Aug. 22-23 at the Mead Park courts, with a kick-off wine tasting event at Waveny Lodge on Friday, Aug. 21.

The idea for the tournament came earlier this year. After waiting through two rainy months to be able to get out on to the courts, the trio was finally able to play at the beginning of June. While the competition was great, the surroundings were lacking. The fences, now fifty years old, have rusted and warped. In some places, trees have overgrown the fencing, and there are noticeable holes and gaps. The water fountains aren't working and the pathways are eroded. The courts are overdue for an overall upgrade. The group decided to act.

On June 6, they took Recreation Department Director Steve Benko and Superintendent of Parks John Howe on a two-hour walk-through, pointing out the needed improvements. The tennis shed has since been painted, the water fountains are being fixed, and new benches are being ordered.

The town has been impressed by the group’s initiative in formulating a plan to raise funds to address the other repairs and getting estimates for the priciest fix—it will cost at least $75,000 to replace all the fabric, posts, and chain link fencing around the courts.
 
Park & Recreation Commission Chairman Scott Gress was forthright when Stevenson presented the tournament proposal in July.

“There is no money available in the town for this kind of thing. If you raise $7,500 (from the tournament) it’ll take you 10 years.”

Stevenson and her partners are determined to get the repairs done faster. They want donors to be able to see the impact of their contributions quickly. Furthermore, if the fence repairs are done in phases, that could increase the cost of the project by more than 30 percent.

While calling it a “long term effort,” Mary Singh estimated that the improvements to the tennis courts would take about two years to complete.

Donors have already offered to repair the pathways between the courts, plant bushes, buy new brushes and drag cloths, and new numbers to label the courts.

"Right now, there are three numbers on nine courts," Stevenson said.

Whether the repairs take two years or 10, the fund-raising events planned will certainly be a step in the right direction.

Entry fees for the weekend tournament will be $25 for singles and $40 per doubles team. There will be women's and men’s doubles competitions, as well as men's singles and mixed doubles. New Canaan residents and non-residents are welcome to participate. To enter, mail checks made out "Mead Park Tennis Facility" to Mary Singh at 27 Indian Waters Dr., New Canaan, CT. Any questions can be directed to Mary at bunder@optonline.com or 203-594-9531.