Tennis Everyone?
Saturday’s Lowell Sun had an article by Michael LaFleur on the “tennis controversy.” In case you missed it, the City is renting out to a private group, 3 of the 8 tennis courts at Shedd Park for part of the day and evening throughout the summer. The City web site has the details.
LaFleur writes, “Robert Hatem, a tennis enthusiast and frequent local radio commentator who also was an applicant for the Lowell city manager’s job that Lynch won last summer, said the deal amounts to ‘using public facilities for private profit’.”
On Friday, Mr. Hatem called in the WCAP morning radio show to question Mayor Bill Martin, who was making his monthly Friday appearance, about the decision. During the conversation, Mr. Hatem encouraged all tennis players to attend Tuesday’s City Council meeting. At that moment, I pictured the City Council chambers filled with constituents dressed in their tennis whites, waving their rackets. 
In exchange for renting out the 3 courts for part of the day, the City will get financial compensation and more importantly, Lowell kids will have an opportunity to take lessons for free.
The majority of the City parks have tennis courts with Shedd Park having the largest number, I think. Some of the City courts are in better condition than others; and some are used more frequently than others. For example, the three tennis courts on Gorham Street at O’Donnell Park are empty most of the time. Those courts are in good condition with excellent night lights and plenty of parking. So I do not think the problem is a lack of tennis courts.
During last week’s meeting, in answer to a question from the City Council, City Manager Bernie Lynch explained what the program was about. Tomorrow night the City Council will take up the issue again; there is a motion on the agenda from City Councilor Bud Caufield, that requests the “Manager [to] provide complete explanation re: Lease of Tennis Courts at Shedd Park.”
I must be missing something because I do not understand what the controversy is about. I do not see it as disruptive to the life of the City; on the contrary I see it as adding to it. I am not a tennis player but if I were, I would make that small sacrifice and let 3 of the 8 Shedd Park courts be used part of the day for the good of the City. I hope the model works and next year we can expand the program to include other sports. If we do not want our taxes to go up or our services to be cut back, we need to come up with new revenue streams, and this is one of them.
April 30th, 2007 at 3:38 pm
Can you spell -Sour Grapes- ? If this is Bob Hatem’s worst worry I only have one comment. Hey Bob do you want to swap lives?
April 30th, 2007 at 5:02 pm
The tennis coach gets about 300 dollars for each kid per session. He will pack about 300 kids per day into those courts. That’s ninety thousand dollars per session. Twice. All Lynch can squeeze out of this guy is 8 grand? Point number two: Lowell kids have always had the opportunity to get free tennis lessons from the Lowell Rec. Five days a week not one. Point number three: when Freeman Ballard Shedd gave that land to the city he put certain stipulations in his will, for example funeral processions to the Lowell Cemetery are not allowed to enter the parks. Has anyone checked to see if leasing this property out to a private business is legal? Last, but not least, find out why he got the boot from Vesper.
April 30th, 2007 at 5:03 pm
Mimi points out that many of the tennis courts in the city are vacant most of the time. By giving lessons, either free or for-profit, doesn’t this create MORE tennis players thereby filling some of those empty courts in the future? I think it’s a great way to encourage more use of city resources. Let’s have more lessons using this model — why can’t we have acting lessons at the Auditorium/Repertory Theatre during Summer days when those venues would ordinarily be vacant? How about hockey or skating lessons at Tsongas? Or baseball clinics at LeLacheur? Why not basketball clinics at some of the courts in the city? By creating combined paid/free activities such as this we get to benefit twice by creating activities to keep kids off the streets as well as by creating interest in future use of the facilities that the city is paying for.
April 30th, 2007 at 5:14 pm
Paul: What a visionary idea! I like it!
April 30th, 2007 at 5:47 pm
Doesn’t it make more sense to convert them to playing surfaces the kids will actually use? Say, more basketball courts or skate parks? Both of which allow more than 4 people to play at a time? I’ve never understood why this city has so many tennis courts to begin with.
April 30th, 2007 at 7:02 pm
Prince:
Uh, are you serious. You are asking people on LiL about what happened at Vesper!
Also, $300/session? I should have been a tennis instructor.
I guess we will wait until tomorrow night for the details. But I still like the concept.
April 30th, 2007 at 8:40 pm
Trust me, Mimi. I’ve had kids in the program. He’s expensive. “Watch the ball, bend your knees, that’ll be fifty dollars please.”.
May 1st, 2007 at 2:59 pm
If the goal is to increase use of these courts, pricing the average kid out of the market is counter productive.
May 1st, 2007 at 3:37 pm
I totally agree with the Prince of Darkness. The parks are donated land and meant to be free to all of us all of the time. The free lessons are not worth giving up the parks to a profit making entity. The Rec department provides free lessons during the summer for any kids who want them. Bob Hatem is squeezing sour grapes for sure, but at least he got the subject front and center.
May 1st, 2007 at 8:40 pm
I am listening to the Council discussing this issue right now and the sentiment seems to be that the parks should be for the usage of city residents only and should be 100% free. If this is to become policy than shouldn’t Lowell residents get free admission to Spinner’s games since there are held at a city-owned park?
The Council just finished discussing the ice replacement at Tsongas Arena where not only an out-of-city team plays but it’s an out-of-STATE team as well! and not only that they are making a profit from the advertisements, the concessions and have the SOLE right of deciding whether to renew this contract or not!
What about the city-owned garages? This theory would seem to imply that city residents should be allowed to park free. After all the management company running the garages are making a profit and the city build and maintains them, right?
My brother (from Chelmsford!) pays a fee to play Over-40 baseball which is used to pay for the permit for usage of Lowell parks. Maybe we should disband all these sports leagues that are not exclusively for Lowell residents.
Where have all the complainers been for these charges? Why haven’t they complained that Tsongas Arena or LeLacheur Park is “monopolized” by the Devils and Spinners? I don’t see the Spinners offering free baseball lessons nor do I see the Devils offering free skating/hockey lessons. But Mr LeClair,the organizer of these tennis lessons, has offered free lessons to Lowell youth. Hey, I’ve got it! Why don’t we petition the city to force Lowell Memorial Auditorium and Lowell Repertory Theatre to offer free admission for all events held there! And while we are at it let’s force them to hire only Lowell residents as actors and theatre staff. We certainly wouldn’t want to see any of the revenue from these plays going out of the city!
May 2nd, 2007 at 4:38 pm
Hey Prince of Dorkness, I don’t know where you’re getting your information, but its wrong.
RE cost, On the tennis program website it states that the program is offered for 9 weeks. Each week is independent sign up. You can also sign up for 1, 2, or 3 days. Mondays are free. Beyond that, 1 day is $10, 3 is $18, 3 is $25. 5 hours of tennis lessons a week for $25 is a bargain.
Regarding number of enrollees, the brochure states that there’s a 40 players per class limit. Not 300.
Regarding the renumeration to the city, the city will be getting a percentage, not a fixed dollar amount.
Regarding Tennis lessons in Lowell. Where & when has there been free tennis lessons in lowell 5 days per week? We’ve been asking about lessons for a couple years and this is the first we’ve been made aware of. If there is a program, its not very well promoted.
Regarding the Shedd Park Deed. I’ve read it a few times. I have a copy. I also have a copy of E.W. Bowditch’s original park designs. Nowhere is there any limitation to an arrangement like this being offered at Shedd Park. Nor is there any rule about those funeral processions.
Regarding the program leaving Vesper, inside word (this is pure hearsay) is that Moe had a run in at Vesper with a certain self-important septuagenarian who was extremely displeased to be displaced from ‘his’ court by tennis lessons. Sounds familiar? 1 guess who that hater was.
What’s sad is that some personal vendetta is now being politicized and those that suffer will be the children of Lowell. Oh well, I guess if kids aren’t learning to play tennis then we can convert more courts into skate parks.
May 9th, 2007 at 5:19 pm
Happy to read all the interesting comments. accuracy is, however, important. yours truly is not speaking for the boys and girls club; not a director and ready to discuss all points raised in the blog discussions on Shedd tennis. call in tuesday 6 to 9 a.m; 978 458 0123 Clearly a concern regarding Lowell’s Plan E government; when did the city council know about the park’s policy change? Public lands for profit via permitting…no contract..no lease…no discussion…please make the discussion more enjoyable by providing a name..thanks, bob hatem (you’ll love’m)
May 9th, 2007 at 5:59 pm
correction….Hatem at 978 458 9123; tuesday six to nine a.m. WCAP