Angry at the prospect of a compromised fall season, a group of tennis boosters is asking city council members to reconsider the use of the Channel View tennis courts for the new skate park.

Wednesday, May 23, 2001

Angry at the prospect of a compromised fall season, a group of tennis boosters is asking city council members to reconsider the use of the Channel View tennis courts for the new skate park.

Tennis Booster Club President Sue Blenka said the issue is not the value of a new skate park, but the timing and location. She said the resurfacing of the Channel View courts will take too long, forcing the Junior Varsity girls tennis team to forfeit or juggle four or more matches.

&uot;I know the council did not know how long it would take to resurface the courts when they made their decision, but our girls are in a very tough spot right now,&uot; Blenka said. &uot;The JV team, the future of our program, is probably going to miss matches.&uot;

Tennis backers first voiced their opposition to the Channel View skate park location two months ago, saying the city doesn’t have enough tennis courts to sacrifice any to another activity. They urged the council to find a way to support the skate park without taking anything away from the tennis program.

The city thought it solved the problem by limiting the skate park to a two-month time period, and the skate park organizers agreed to vacate the courts by Aug. 1. The council then promised to resurface the Channel View courts so they would be ready for competition when the tennis season began.

&uot;We were satisfied with that promise,&uot; Blenka said.

But now, because the resurfacing process takes longer than previously thought – about six weeks for curing and painting – the earliest the tennis team can play on the courts is mid-September.

&uot;That’s basically half the season for us,&uot; Blenka said. &uot;The city didn’t intentionally go back on their promise, but we still need to find a solution.&uot;

Albert Lea School District Athletic Director Ross Williams said the resurfacing delays are no one’s fault, but he agrees the problem is a blow to the tennis program.

&uot;We’re going to try and figure something out,&uot; he said. &uot;Maybe we can play with the schedule a bit.&uot; The team could play early matches at the Southwest Middle School courts, but they would have to be during the school day because the varsity team also uses the courts.

Williams said the city and school district have always worked well together, and he wants that relationship to continue.

&uot;Unfortunately, we don’t have the budget to resurface any school courts or send the girls on the road,&uot; Williams said. &uot;We’re going to have to work this out somehow.&uot;

At a meeting of the tennis boosters Monday, Blenka urged the group to take their case to the city council, but is worried that it’s already too late. Skate park organizers began installing ramps and skate equipment on the courts Tuesday. Blenka is also worried the skaters will spill over into the other Channel View courts this summer, making them unusable as well.

Blenka said the only solution short of resurfacing courts in another location, such as Brookside School, is to ask the skaters to move a month earlier, giving the city an extra month to resurface the courts.

&uot;It’s not a win-win situation, but we have to look out for our program,&uot; Blenka said.

Robin Helgerson, whose daughter plays tennis, thinks the school district needs to step in and back the team.

&uot;This is a school-sponsored team in a sanctioned Minnesota high school sport. Where is the district in all of this? We need some help here,&uot; she said. &uot;This shouldn’t be our problem.&uot;

Meanwhile, the skate park open Saturday with a dedication ceremony scheduled for 1 p.m. The search for a permanent skate park location will continue over the summer.