On Tuesday, May 19, voters in the Hudson City School District will be asked to vote on the proposed $59.2 million 2026-2027 school budget (and a 5.8 percent increase in the tax levy) and for two members of the Board of Education. On Tuesday, too, voter input will be sought on whether or not to add pickleball striping on the historic tennis courts at Montgomery C. Smith School, which is part of the grand design originally known as the Chancellor Robert R. Livingston Educational Center.
It is not clear where the idea of adding pickleball striping to the tennis courts originated or why the suggestion is being seriously considered, but it is. Aside from the issue of the appropriateness of altering the historic tennis courts in this way and mingling what may be a just passing fad with a serious sport whose history dates back to the sixteenth century, there are problems associated with pickleball, especially when pickleball courts are introduced into residential neighborhoods. This article, published last year, explains the issue: "These Communities Pulled the Plug on Pickleball." Our choices should be informed by the experience of other communities.
The polling places for Tuesday's vote are:
- Hudson Central Fire Station, 77 North Seventh Street
- Greenport, Stottville/Stockport, Ghent Greenport Community Center, 500 Town Hall Drive, Greenport
- Claverack, Livingston, Taghkanic A. B. Shaw Fire House, 67 NY-23, Claverack
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As an avid tennis player, former Division 1 player at Siena College and Hudson High School stand out and top singles player and Hudson High tennis coach as well as head coach for the Columbia County Youth Bureau, I will say I am a purist when it comes to keeping tennis courts tennis courts and pickleball courts pickleball courts. The gravitas surrounding combining tennis courts with pickleball courts has come with the influx of new people to our area. This is in no way should be spun as a "nativist" having yet another gripe about new people in the area but alas, I'm well aware of how things play out here. At the end of the day, facts are facts. As a tennis player, I think I speak for all of us when I say we really don't like playing tennis on a tennis court next to someone playing pickleball on a tennis court that has or has not been made suited for pickleball by drawing new, additional lines. Firstly, there is the obtrusive and jarring clunk of the paddle hitting a plastic ball that we just don't have with tennis. Secondly, there are known rules and etiquette that tennis players follow that may be unknown to newbie pickleball players and often unfollowed. I have also thrown my hat into the pickleball ring and I quite like the game however, I think the courts should be kept separate. With all of that being said, in no way should this have anything to do with approving the school budget. I feel some people are grasping at straws and at the final hour, claiming to have interest in our youth as a justification for voting no on the school budget. I have seen comments from people stating that our kids can't read. That is a flat out lie, as I am a reading mentor to these kids and all of them can read and the people who are stating they can't are also reading mentors. And those are my two cents, for what it's worth.
ReplyDeletePS: When mentioning the tennis greats of Hudson as was done in previous postings, it is neglectful to not mention the best ever produced from our area, Megan Yeats. Thank you.
-Justin Weaver
Sharing this (relevant to this Gossips story) banger from Instagram from none other than Mr. Allen. No relation to Allen St.
ReplyDeletehttps://www.instagram.com/p/DYZtYEhtBuG/
There are people playing pickleball there just about daily and the noise is minimal if not existent. There is no noise actually.
ReplyDeleteI'm so conflicted on this. On the one hand, I've never quite bought into the argument that pickleball presents this incredible noise inconvenience.
ReplyDeleteOn the other hand, and on the off-chance I'll ever play tennis again which must have last happened over the 30 years ago, the gratuitous additional lines on the court would annoy me. I happily side with Justin's purity argument.
In the end, I'll probably vote no purely based on the fact that drawing these lines would cost a few bucks and given that people appear to play pickleball on these courts without them now, they don't seem needed.
Those who should vote no in droves are the neighbors of the courts. Property values across the nation in such spots drop anywhere from 1-20% depending on proximity. It is not just the one thwack sound. It is the endless thwack sound. Thousands of cases of litigation abound against putting the courts in the middle of someone’s front yard. For everyone Who votes yes they should host a pickle party in their yard, next neighbors. The HCSD has one billion acres of flat empty land behind the Soviet school. Uou know, where Otty and Suttmeir demanded and got that plastic field which you are still paying for. Put pickle there. As Justin said it is a nice outing. But it ruins tennis courts. And keep in mind that tennis courts with pickleball lines are not eligible to host sanctioned tennis tournaments. It seals your fate and not in a good way. A more serious expenditure would be to add small airplane landing strip on Oakdale Lake. There’s room and it’s convenient. Keep in mind that the tennis courts have been declared the work of a master and historically protected. But hey, it’s just history. Me thinks the Paddocks are about to be pickled
ReplyDeleteDevils’s advocate. Cost of a few pickle ball lines versus 2 - $50,000 baseball dugouts, $100,000 chain link fence installed around the field and the every other day mowing to keep the grass in the specified 1” to 1.5” length for baseball. The Youth Dept used to provide tennis lessons to kids and adults but that’s gone and sadly the school district can’t field tennis teams like they used to. There was no boys team this spring. Homes in this area asking price half a million for a middle class residential area. What must be invasive are the court lights that shine for evening players directly into the front windows of adjacent homes but it doesn’t seem to be an issue which is great. If this is really an question on the ballot 5/19 let the voters decide.
ReplyDeleteOnly in Hudson does a debate about the school budget in a failing district devolve into a debate about pickleball and sanctioned tennis matches.
ReplyDeleteWhy is this a ballot question? Is it some kinda of strategy to draw turnout?
ReplyDeleteIt is not actually a ballot question; it is an exit poll.
DeleteOk. Fair issues. The way to resolve almost every facility issue in the HCSD is to audit the many millions Rhinebeck architecture has made off of these projects. And the reason things always devolve into facilities etc is because no matter what you say or try to push on academic standards is ever answered. To date Rhinebeck Arch has never been audited. Check out their budget for the tennis courts. It is mind blowing. I’m all for pickle ball but perhaps another site should be considered. I think we can complain about two or three things at once. Any tennis purist will tell you this is a giant mistake. But I agree the budget itself is a monumental disaster for Hudson’s future. Meaning once we pay our taxes we won’t be able to afford pickleball equipment. It’s a win win for someone.
ReplyDeleteIt should be noted that pickleball courts are part of the Charles Williams Park plan, should that ever get off the ground.
ReplyDeleteAnd by the way, hudsonians and the district, we must have some fabulous architects and engineers here on home turf. Why on earth do we continue to pay a firm in Rhinebeck? Or we could do an exchange. I hear but not sure that the Ed system in Rhinebeck is quite good. Am I right? Anyway let’s say I am. Have Rhinebeck architecture fund us a superintendent and let a Hudson architect n engineer rehab our gorgeous campus. Rhinebeck builds in 10-20% in overruns for every project including this pickle slash tennis mess. Audit and fire them now. Put out an all call for Hudson talent. Do you really think the Smith property looks well cared for? Now add a sport that drives people insane. A local architect could go door to door on paddock. Joslen. Riverledge. Oakwood. Parkwood. And the millions could employ people n geniuses in OUR district. When you vote, write in that you want to fire Rhinebeck architecture. My guesstimate is that we have paid them nearly $35 million over the years. Do you think we got $35 million of care for our campuses? FIRE RHINEBECK ARCHITECTURE. HIRE HUDSON ARCHITECTURE. it seems that even while our students suffer we creat jobs in another county. What a disgrace.
ReplyDeleteThe budget is a disaster . It’s down right scary. But people will go to the polling place and vote yes without a thought in their head just what does that yes mean. Why is it that “ if we can’t afford it, we can’t have it. “. Or maybe “ we can’t afford this for this school year but maybe next year.” Having one less music class is not going to make a criminal just like having it all is no guarantee of a role model citizen and scholar. Would love to have every child to have the earth, moon and stars but middle income people are being crushed. Bravo to the graduating class in spite of it all.
ReplyDeleteBTW Justin is a helluva tennis player. Listen to him Hudson.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Ken. Legend has it, you're pretty great yourself!
DeleteI can’t believe that this is another proxy battle in the never ending war between the Townies and Cidiots. Are newcomers into pickle ball? Are “locals” tennis freaks? Maybe we can get Ben Fain to add a country club for pickle ball.
ReplyDeleteThe noise of people playing pickle ball at the tennis courts is annoying, espically when they turn the lights on at 8:30-9 at night…… you can hear it, it is annoying…… maybe if the school would just not allow the lights to be turned on by anybody who feels like it it would solve the problem…..and save money….. those lights are definitely not cheap to run, espically 7 nights a week for an hour or 2! But then that means the school district would have to listen to the people that it impacts, and that doesn’t happen!
ReplyDeleteThis is all interesting, even entertaining...
ReplyDeleteBut zoom out and notice that we are spending $45k + per year, per kid, in Hudson. The EU and America spends less than $20k on average.
And the kids in Hudson aren't alright...
Meanwhile, no one at HTA, HCSD, or the story-first Substackers have provided any substantive plan, named the person who made the $4m accounting error (if our DA had financial forensics capability and dug into that it would likely lead to something), or said anything other than mostly sports and art programs will be cut, "vote Yes!"
Which is curious, because Hudson already has a dozen plus groups offering after school programs or some sort of aid.
And this is how Hudson... over two centuries... stayed Hudson, while Manhattan and Albany became important cities. Generation after generation... performing the Hudson Handicap, and covering it up with Hudson Hypocrisy. (12534.org)
Reference on school costs and the dozen "nonprofits";
https://www.hudsoncommonsense.com/frenemiesofyouth
Yes we are tennis freaks. Tell us about your lifetime passion that gave you a shot in a tough world and introduced you to the greatest people in the Hudson area and beyond. We are not townies WE ARE TENNIS PLAYERS!
ReplyDeleteTo be clear Ken, and since HCS does not hedge;
Deletetennis is the sport of kings and pickleball the sport of jesters. One is geometry and poetry played in Wimbledon and Roland Garros, the other is ping-pong with delusions from Florida. ;-)
Ken surely knows the essay… but this is a good time to re-read
David Foster Wallace’s essay on the Swiss-South African tennis star: “Federer as Religious Experience”
“Almost anyone who loves tennis and follows the men’s tour on television has, over the last few years, had what might be termed Federer Moments. These are times, as you watch the young Swiss play, when the jaw drops and eyes protrude and sounds are made that bring spouses in from other rooms to see if you’re O.K.“
https://www.nytimes.com/2006/08/20/sports/playmagazine/20federer.html?unlocked_article_code=1.jVA.6mow.4LHkoZ9sKlwM&smid=nytcore-ios-share