Last month. at the school district election and budget vote, there was an exit poll to solicit public opinion on whether or not the historic tennis courts at Montgomery C. Smith should be striped for pickleball. When the results of the election were shared, the outcome of the exit poll was not. The only information offered in response to an inquiry was that the Board of Education would be discussing the data from the election at its June 16 meeting.
This morning, Gossips received an email from former mayor's aide Justin Weaver, an avid and accomplished tennis player who regularly plays at the M.C. Smith courts. With Weaver's permission, that email is quoted below:
I was out playing tennis on those very courts at Montgomery C. Smith School yesterday, and the contractors who will be performing the renovation showed up, alongside of the Hudson City School District facilities crew. They were carrying plans and clipboards and going from court to court, taking notes. I asked them if the courts were going to remain tennis courts, and they told me two of the courts will also be suited for pickleball. I found out later . . . that the two courts that will become suited for pickleball are the two courts closest to the bleachers. Surprising that this is happening without any known disclosure to the public about the results of the survey voters filled out on the day of the budget vote. I'm thinking that the survey was just something to ameliorate the masses and this was the plan all along. I also find it surprising that the two courts that will become suited for pickleball are considered the show courts as they are closest to the bleachers. Whenever there was a tournament there, the bleachers would be filled with spectators watching the matches. The best matches were featured on those two courts and usually had the best players playing on those two courts. Apparently now, spectators can bask in the glory of pickleball players. Alas, change is inevitable. Tennis players will now be fighting for the tennis court furthest away from those pickleball courts and closest to Paddock Place or, like myself, will be searching for a new place to play tennis.
Tournaments may not be a consideration in the future. I seem to recall Ken Sheffer, whose knowledge of all things tennis and of the history of these tennis courts is boundless, saying that sanctioned tournaments cannot be played on tennis courts that have been striped for pickleball.
I do wonder if the public will ever learn the results of that exit poll.
COPYRIGHT 2026 CAROLE OSTERINK
Neighbors might driven to tears with the noisy game of pickleball being played. Tennis quiet, pickleball not.
ReplyDeleteJustin,
ReplyDeleteThanks. I am with you. PB courts should go elsewhere.
Ted Dewsnap
Everyday I see many teenage kids playing pickle ball on the tennis courts for hours. Better there than finding mischief elsewhere. The pop is so minimal can’t believe it bothers anyone and certainly can’t be heard indoors.
ReplyDeleteI could see if there were really any tournaments anymore but tennis kinda died unfortunately.
PB seems like fun. It is easy to learn. But it is more for older players or persons with limited mobility.There is no running. It is faddish and probably will not last. If I had young kids, I would get them into tennis. There is a clinic on Fridays for young tennis players at the high school courts with excellent attendance.
ReplyDeleteThe exit poll was a joke.
ReplyDeleteThe perfect place for pickleball courts are the unused tennis courts at Columbia Green College. No neighbors and no noise or others to complain about! Why the city can’t do something with the county and renovate that area is beyond me Because it would Provide an outdoor Sports opportunity for children and adults alike of just about any age.
ReplyDeleteHi all. N Justin thanks for inadvertent 60 minutes moment with the as ever secret school builders/destroyers. So now they have moved the pball courts up into and onto OUR center court. Slightly away from the hood people. The exit poll isn’t surprising. Have you been to a BOE meeting. There’s tons of things with zero explanation. But here is the confusion tennis players are not against pickleball we are just against lopping pickleball courts onto our only tennis facility WHEN THE HCSD HAS DO MANY MANY OTHER OPTIONS! People. Pickleball may seem like a mini tennis but it is not. Totally different sport. It’s sorta like putting a bio lab and equipment into a social studies room…..just because it is a room so just JAM IT IN, doesn’t matter, but the logic is moronic. It’s all just education. Or let’s ask golfers around the area and see if we can jam in several mini putt putt facilities on one of the greens or wholes. The logic could be, we see a lot of kids playing putt putt so all is good. Tennis never dies people. Tennis is on the rise and that other sport is declining. They will be covering the pickle lines in a few years. ANYWAY THEY ARE TWO SEPARATE SPORTS. Contacted USTennisAssociation. No sanctioned matches can now be played at the Hudson Five. Tennis players don’t just love the sport, they live it. Protect the courts. Protect what you love. That facility was the pride n joy of MC SMITH AND JLE AND DOC WHITBECK N MARY SCOVILL. N ROBERT EVANS AND ROGERSONS HARDWARE AND FDR AND ELEANOR ROOSEVELT. And for those who follow my things a bit, Janet and honoria Livingston and Reggie Livingston gave their family name to those courts in 1930 or so. They attended the courts opening. And every single family in Hudson has a grandfather or great uncle or relative who built those courts to help pull Hudson out of the depression. Thank goodness the president of USA was a Hudson fan. Big time. He was our state senator. So when foolishness trumps grand vision it stumps us. Justin keep the flag flying. Don’t quit us. Your voice n leadership n massive tennis knowledge will prevail. Keep us posted. Maybe go undercover next time!!!!
ReplyDelete…”the hood people”?
DeleteI can't speak for Ken, but I am quite certain he means the folks who live on the other side of Paddock Place, who will be most affected by the noise of pickleball.
DeleteI thought the same at first, but after rereading the context I came to the same conclusion as Carole.
DeleteIn other news, I have no dog in this fight (for lack of a better expression), but I did vote to leave the tennis lines alone on the exit poll. I haven’t played tennis in years and it seems messy and confusing to have conflicting foul lines. I always hated that when I played sports as a kids, soccer lines on football/baseball, etc.
Also funny that Justin usually dismisses Gossips in his many public diatribes, but comes running back when he wants more attention than he gets for his weather reports and Wordle scores.
Everybody calm down. I grew up in a fab hood around paddock n joslen n riverledge. I was too lazy to type out the PROPER word——neighborhood. Not sure how that jumped into something negative. So the word is out, don’t abbreviate. How ridiculous. Is every word in America now a double edged sword. Get over yourself.
ReplyDeletePlastic pickleball pollution.
ReplyDeletePlease never change, Union Jack. Part of living in a community is having opinions on all the goings-on. Carole had been posting about the tennis court saga and I had first-hand information to provide. Stick to what you know, " Union Jack" which you notoriously have proven is NOT City finance.
ReplyDeleteI’m sure it’s exciting being part of The Community™️ and all the drama that it entails. And I do respect your first-hand information relating to tennis, pickles, and any fish related shenanigans about town. You claim I do not know about city finances. But I do know about state finances. For instance, New York State unemployment benefits expire after 6 months.
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