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March 2024 Newsletter
Spring 2024 is just around the corner, and many activities are underway to prepare for the club's opening in May. Oval Tennis of Brewster, NY, has been selected again to lay down the red clay top-dressing and nail down the court lines. A quiz question: How much red clay is spread, and how many nails are needed to secure the lines for each court (answers below)? Here are some updates on ATC operations for this season: Larry is Back Larry Yakubowski will be returning as our manager for the 2024 season. He is currently busy putting together his staff to meet the daily maintenance needs necessary to keep our courts in great shape, to provide tennis instruction for those members seeking it, and to keep club operations purring along as smoothly as ever. He also plans on adding more social events and competition opportunities to the ATC calendar. All these objectives will help Larry pursue one of his biggest priorities, which is increasing the membership of our tennis community. Membership Dues and Sales Tax for 2024 Although membership fees will remain the same based on last year’s schedule, this season, we will need to assess the Albany area sales tax of 8 percent. Based on our IRS tax status of (501 (c) (7)), membership fees are subject to sales tax, and for many years, the club has absorbed this expense. As costs increase, we can no longer take on this expenditure. We appreciate your understanding on this matter. Our website is being prepared to accept 2024 registrations by mid-March. We hope everyone has been able to get at least some tennis in over what now seems like the loooong off-season. We look forward to seeing everyone outside on the red clay very soon! I
ATC Newsletter for September/October 2023
Despite some rainy days, we have had some great late summer/early fall weather that has been perfect for tennis. However, all good things must come to an end and the end of our 2023 red clay tennis season is almost upon us. Our annual “closing of the courts” work party will take place this year on Saturday, October 21 (October 22 rain date). Volunteers are needed to pull up the lines and push out the nails from 9:30 am to 11:00 am. Please contact Larry (larry@albanytennis.com) if you are interested in helping out. Come join the other ATCers as we get together one last time at the club in 2023. No need to stop at Stewart’s or Dunkin beforehand, as coffee and donuts will be served! 15-Love We had a great response for the 15-Love Fundraiser, held on Sunday, October 1 (we were rained out on the originally-scheduled date of September 30) . Over 40 players participated; approximately $2,000 was raised. Herb Schultz, who is a founder of 15-Love in Albany and also a long-time member of ATC, gave opening remarks about the organization and acknowledged the dedication of 15-Love staff and various founders including Arthur Ashe and our own Dr. Manuel Alguero, another long-time member of ATC, who was also in attendance. The organization's goals are focused to reach out to inner-city youth through tennis.
Honored during the 15-Love event was Dr. Manuel Alguero (seated). Rear, from left to right, Marc Gerstman, Bruce McBride, and Larry Yakubowski.
Club Tournament The Club Tournament is almost concluded in both Open (open to members and non-members) and Closed competitions (members only). Larry will report on the final results, but we want to acknowledge his time and efforts on this massive undertaking, as well as those of Chris Bradt, Assistant Tournament Director. Approximately 60 matches in the open and closed divisions were successfully scheduled. Kudos to both Larry and Chris Bradt for a job well done. Infrastructure August brought on many challenges. A break in our irrigation system occurred on August 27 (Sunday) and was repaired by September 1 (Friday). Thanks go to those who responded to the situation so quickly, particularly our Engineering Department (Steve Beditz and Steve Angle) and H2Mow, our contractors that surveyed the damage that Sunday afternoon. During this time the irrigation control software was replaced, and a water pressure reduction device was installed. Another important development was the staining of the new maintenance shed, which provides shelter for our court equipment and materials. Thank you, Steve Beditz and Dave Motta, for your efforts in getting this done despite the weather. Also, a note of thanks goes to Gary Cimorelli for designing and installing the ramp to the shed.
Annual Meeting and Elections The annual meeting for the Albany Tennis Club will be held via Zoom in November (date to be announced). During the meeting, we will report on the state of the club, various issues and undertakings for 2023 and 2024, and address any member concerns. Elections are also right around the corner for the 13 seats of the ATC Board. With the exception of our manager and several part-time maintenance staff, the ATC is a volunteer organization that is dedicated to promoting tennis and maintaining our facilities. If you are interested in becoming a Board member, please contact President Bruce McBride or any Board member to discuss what this position entails. The other Board members are Steve Angle, Theresa Cary (Secretary), Ned Foss (Treasurer), Gary Henning (Vice President), Jay Martin, Dave Motta, Betsy MacMaster, Marc Gerstman, and Pete Reed. We can be reached via our email address at albanytennisclub@gmail.com.
In Memoriam We are saddened to report the passing of Kevin O’Hearn, who passed away after a long illness. Kevin was a long-standing member of the “Bierman Group” for doubles on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. Co-players recall that he was a competitive player but always a gentleman both on and off the courts. October marks the first anniversary of the passing of Terry Moskowitz. Terry was also an avid doubles player and a constant presence at the club for the morning women’s competition. As recounted by a close friend, she first met Ivor at a doubles match in Albany. |
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"Albany Tennis Club" is a 501(c)7 non-profit organization. Po Box 3052, Albany, NY 12203