GREENWOOD TWP- America’s fastest-growing sport is causing a ruckus in Greenwood Township.
How to fairly split up reserved court time on the single tennis court in Greenwood between tennis players and pickleball players was on the agenda at the town board’s Tuesday meeting.
Pickleball, a combination of badminton, tennis, and ping pong, has a loyal and enthusiastic following of players, most of whom are in the senior citizen age bracket.
According to the USA Pickleball Association, Pickleball is fun, social, and friendly. The rules are simple, and the game is easy for beginners to learn, but can develop into a fast-paced, competitive game. Paddles are made from lightweight, composite materials and the plastic balls have holes (like a wiffleball). Pickleball has exploded in popularity in this area, and while it has generally been played on already existing tennis courts (which can accommodate two pickleball courts, one on each side of the tennis net), new courts have gone up in Ely and most recently in Kugler Township (at the town hall on the existing basketball court). Ely has a long-standing pickleball program, run through community education.
The township had previously posted times on their website and on a sign posted at the tennis court, stating the court was reserved for tennis on Mondays from 10 a.m. – noon, and for pickleball on Monday from 8 – 10 a.m., and Tuesdays through Fridays from 8 a.m. – noon. For other times, the court was open for whoever got there first.
“Everybody wants to play in the mornings,” said Supervisor Sue Drobac.
“Tennis is not nearly as popular as pickleball,” said Supervisor Barb Lofquist. “I don’t see many people playing tennis.”
Gere Thompson, a pickleball player, said they started surveying players at the court, and have tallied two groups of tennis players and at least 10 groups of pickleball players. There is a regular group that plays tennis Monday mornings.
On other mornings during the week, as many as two dozen pickleball players will show up to play. When playing doubles, the court can accommodate eight players at a time, four on each court.
The board passed a motion to post hours for tennis on Mondays from 9 a.m. – noon and Thursdays from 10 a.m. – noon. Pickleball hours will be from 8 – 10 a.m. on Tuesdays through Fridays. The vote was 4-1 with Drobac voting against.
If no one is on the court during those times, the court is open to either sport, as well as on the weekends.
The board also discussed whether or not to look into options for building additional courts at the town hall grounds. Supervisors noted that the township’s comprehensive plan had said there should be no more recreational development at the town hall. At last month’s meeting, the idea of privately raising funds for new courts was discussed.
“Physical activity is a good thing,” said Lofquist. “It would be neat to have a Greenwood league.”
The township grounds have been getting more popular in recent years, with the addition of a pavilion, playground, and bocce ball courts.
Chair John Bassing noted that additional courts would be more costly for the township to maintain.
Township resident Lee Peterson reminded the board that the initial plan was to build two tennis courts, with help from private fundraising. When the private funds did not materialize, the board decided to pay the cost of building the single court, which cost around $55,000.
“The last thing we need to do is create more ill feelings,” said Peterson. “People need to coexist and not be aggressive out there.”
No action was taken on the idea of constructing additional courts.
Other business
In other business, the board:
• Passed a motion to have Treasurer Jeff Maus close out the Isle of Pines Bridge Fund and mail the balance of a little over $39,000 to the Isle of Pines Property Owners Association. The fund consists of money assessed to property owners when the new bridge was constructed to pay for costs not covered by the grant received to rebuild the bridge. It was held in a fund by the township to pay any future repair costs. The money will now be used for maintenance costs for the private road on the Isle of Pines.
• Heard that the broadband project is moving ahead on schedule, with work on the Vermilion Reservation underway.
• Have not yet heard back from St. Louis County if they are willing to plow Twp. Rd. 4136, Birch Point Extension.
• Will look into applying for a LRIP grant which would pay most of the costs of paving Twp. Rd. 4136, as well as bringing the road up to county standard. The township put in an application to the program in 2021 but was not successful at that time.
• Is still looking for a part-time cleaner for the town hall. If none is found, will look into the cost of hiring a cleaning service.
• Awarded the quote for tree trimming work to Fenske Tree Service for a cost of $2,147. There was one other bid received, but the Fenske bid was significantly lower.
• Heard that Supervisor Rick Stoehr is working with St. Louis County to resolve some fire number issues, as well as how to formally name a small island in Smarts Bay.
• Heard the fire department had a busy month with 11 fire calls and 15 EMS calls. Repairs were done in-house on tender 3, saving the department about $800 from what it would have cost to replace the equipment, as well as having new batteries installed. Tender 2 also had some repair work done and has been outfitted to use as a brush truck to use for wildland fires. Repairs are also being done on the bilge-pumping system of the smaller fire boat housed at Birch Point Marine.