At the HCSD Board of Education meeting last night, Board president Mark DePace reported on the results of the exit poll that sought community input or whether or not pickleball striping should be introduced on the historic tennis courts at Montgomery C. Smith. DePace's report can be heard here, starting at 2:20:27.
DePace said that of those responding to the exit poll, 322 were in favor of introducing pickleball striping and 199 were opposed--an outcome that DePace described as "fairly close." (There were a total of 1,345 votes cast for the school budget, so it is safe to say that the majority of the voters missed the exit poll.)
Despite the intel reported by Justin Weaver a couple of weeks ago, it seems, from statements made by DePace last night, that decisions have not yet been made about which courts would get pickleball striping, the ones closest to the bleachers or the ones farthest away, or even if repaving the tennis courts will be part of the current capital project. DePace indicated too that they have not yet confirmed if pickleball striping would preclude the use of the courts for sanctioned tennis tournaments.
DePace told the board, "We don't need to make a decision tonight" regarding the tennis courts. When a decision will be made is not clear.
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I find it funny that with all the hem and hawing that they’d have to cut all sports and activities “for the children” if the budget didn’t pass; and not more than a few weeks later they are already debating how to spend money in a clash between a country club sport and a current fad, both mainly enjoyed by adults. They don’t even pretend to care about the optics. Nobody bothers to vote. Hudson Common Sense and Gossips make a few posts asking legitimate questions and the union went on a full court press comparable to the Knicks, along with the usual finger waving from the nonprofit scolds. But you know what? That’s all over with so it’s back to wasting our money in plain sight. Maybe bow tie man can get the schools back on track and just maybe we can get an actual education system to go along with our newly renovated Racquet Club.
ReplyDeleteI can’t wait for the tax reval and the reality check that’s coming for long time property owners. The consequences of bad decisions take far too long and are too complicated for most voters to grasp. So this is what we get. That’s ok, we can keep putting blame on the faceless boogeymen from “the city” for why things are less adorable.
I don't know Union Jack but I love his/her line, "wasting money in plain sight." That is exactly what we are witnessing. But I object to tennis being labeled as a country club sport. Sorta used to be BUT Billie Jean, Serena and Venus fought and beat THAT system. Smashed it apart in fact. So we are not trying to create a racquet club. And those of us who built a life on those courts, like me, were from modest means, to say the least. And, the Smith/Livingston Center that includes the tennis courts, was paid for by Hudson taxpayers and the US Government and was billed and promised as a "community center" for all, including adults. And maybe especially adults. One of the great fears of the Depression was how adults, and children, were staying fit and where their minds were being used. It was a dark time and FDR feared so many of the ideas that were floating around. FDR and his team wanted to bring Hyde Park to the masses. Hudson got special attention from FDR and ER hence the college-like school campus we have. We owe a debt of gratitude to the push to build a civic center for all. MC Smith and others were afraid of the dangers of the tremendous poverty created by the Depression. When that campus finally opened it was a national spectacle and FDR received an immediate brief on the tremendous Hudson success. It is always true that we can all do two or three things at once. We can play tennis (next to adults) and also get good grades. Young learners today know how to multitask better than any generation in history. So, yes, we can build a nice tennis facility at the same time we build a new approach to educating the youngsters. But Union Jack brings up naturally logical points. Dog, tail, wag. If we had full community input here we wouldn't fight new tennis courts and we wouldn't so doubt the slow motion process of choosing a new super. We can support both and get behind the twin ideas of scholastic and community spirit. I would gladly walk away from new tennis courts if it meant 20 more kids were going on to great things. But that isn't how it works. But I hear you. It's almost as if a long pause to breathe is needed here to see where this is all going. The tax numbers are just way, way, way, way too high. This is clearly unsustainable. I truly enjoy people commenting on these projects and ideas and plans. Dr. Laurie Cox and MC Smith and Dr. John L. Edwards were primarily teachers and educators. Everything worked in synch. Without great grades and achievement there could not have been a campus like we have. And Hudson students at the time of the Depression were excelling like never before. And their parents needed a place to play. It's just the truth. I don't know my point here other than to say let everyone speak and then let us decide. And let's not expect anything from anyone until they produce something for the good of the community, especially when they only get a few voters to approve $60 million dollars of something no one really understands. So, speak up Hudson and district. It is time. Given the low bar we are at in terms of bringing the community together and getting students to shoot for the moon it seems like the right moment for all of us to have an opinion and to get involved.
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