Government

‘I Am Very Frustrated’: Parks Officials Address Court-Booking Problem Caused by Discourteous Platform Tennis Players

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Parks officials say they’re addressing a problem where permit-holders for New Canaan’s platform tennis courts at Waveny are placing reservations online and then fail to show up or else cancel at the last minute, leaving them vacant and preventing others from playing. A municipal recreation program manager has contacted all permit-holders about the problem and some are responding that they didn’t understand the consequences of their actions, members of the Parks & Recreation Commission said at their most recent meeting. “I am very frustrated by it because it’s hard to get matches,” commissioner Jason Milligan said at the Feb. 14 meeting, held at Lapham Community Center. “You have basically a two-week period to schedule each one and it gets busy and you have to basically wake up early as the thing opens and book it for the busy slots and if you do not do that, you can’t get a slot.

Government

Fifth Platform Tennis Court at Waveny Possible in 2015

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Though a request for town funding for a fifth platform tennis court at Waveny didn’t survive this budget season, officials say that with some leg work on private fundraising to offset the approximately $70,000 cost, the project could get underway next summer. At least some of the money for that project—say, $30,000—would need to be raised privately (there are established men’s and women’s paddle leagues who use the courts), according to Recreation Director Steve Benko. “There’s a need for the extra court, especially in the evening, guys want to play and they can’t get the extra court so they don’t try, that fifth court would give us some flexibility,” Benko told NewCanaanite.com. Between individual and family permit-holders, there are about 300 players in New Canaan for this 2013-14 season, Benko said. Permit-holders must be residents, though they can bring guests.