New AV courts in doubt again

Planners for the Town of Apple Valley have revised the number of courts that they will consider putting in the new park near Town Hall. The original plans called for two, but Apple Valley indicated that it could expand that to four courts, given enough financial help from the community. Now, the maximum number of courts is down to three. The smaller scale of the project makes it more difficult to raise funds, which probably means that there will be only two courts, and that they will be built years from now, instead of in the near future. In the meantime, of course, there are still no public tennis courts anywhere in Apple Valley, a town with a rich tennis history, an active tennis community, and a fair amount of success at the high school level.

Welcome Robin von Olshausen

Silverado High School's exchange student from Germany this year is Robin von Olshausen who, as you might have guessed, plays tennis. Robin is working hard on his tennis skills, and it's good to see him out at Doris Davies Park mixing it up with the regulars. Hope you enjoy your stay in the high desert, Robin.

Jess Ranch hosts tennis social

Jess Ranch residents Bob Hartman and Bill Taylor were on hand as Jess Ranch hosted members of the Spring Valley Lake Country Club at a tennis social today. From all accounts, a good time was had by all, and it was a great way to christen the two newly-constructed courts at Jess Ranch, which now boasts a total of four courts.

Local YMCA effort receives county funding

You may have seen the article in the Daily Press about the county committing $1.5 million toward getting a YMCA in the high desert. What the article did not say is that the YMCA project currently includes a substantial tennis program, complete with new courts, thanks in large part to the efforts of local tennis freak Matt Bullock. As the article states, it will be years before the YMCA is fully funded and ready to go, but in the meantime, look for smaller-scale "YMCA without walls" programs -- including tennis programs. The YMCA project is trying to raise $10 million, which is a lot of money, but between the county's commitment and a one million dollar donation by Dr. Prem Ready, it's already one-quarter of the way there.

Vandalism at Doris Davies Park

Vandals attacked a vehicle belonging to one of the regular morning tennis players at Doris Davies Park, scratching the paint and causing $11,000 in damage. We'd like to think that this is an isolated incident, but with all the other vandalism at Doris Davies Park (including the recent tearing down of the netting between courts), each of us should keep a watchful eye out for troublemakers.

Welcome Young

A warm welcome to new area tennis player Young Han Joo. Young was formerly a tae kwon do instructor (fourth generation), and now runs an import business. He's also an inventor, and a darned good tennis player.

Keep track of your lead tape

Lead tape is great for modifying and fine-tuning your racquet, but keep in mind that lead is toxic. This means you should wash your hands after working with it, but it also means that you must dispose of it properly. Do not throw your lead tape in the trash, or leave it on the ground. This allows the lead to get into the groundwater, from which it can be removed only at great expense.

New stringing machine for Greg's Racquet Service

Greg's Racquet Service has upgraded its stringing machine to the new Babolat Star 5. This machine, the newest in a long line of tournament-quality machines from the French manufacturer, replaces the Tecnifibre SP Pro Cord previously used by GRS. When first introduced, the Pro Cord was the official stringing machine of Roland Garros. While the Tecnifibre machine was accurate, the new Babolat Star 5 is even more so, with superior clamps, new features, and a proven racquet support system.