{"id":4260,"date":"2019-08-08T11:13:27","date_gmt":"2019-08-08T18:13:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/seattlemetropickleball.com\/index.php\/2019\/08\/08\/august-2019-newsletter\/"},"modified":"2023-07-15T20:45:21","modified_gmt":"2023-07-15T20:45:21","slug":"august-2019-newsletter","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/seattlemetropickleball.com\/august-2019-newsletter\/","title":{"rendered":"August 2019 Newsletter"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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That’s a Wrap<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

While the tournament committee members for the Seattle Metro Pickleball Classic <\/strong>recover, the Seattle Metro Pickleball Association (SMPA)<\/strong> shares in the sense of accomplishment and pride for a tournament well done. Despite a two and a half hour rain delay on Saturday, the event otherwise went off without a hitch. Players were called to their courts with minimal delays, and the three-day tournament set a record as the largest outdoor pickleball tournament in the area with the final 305 participants out of 312 registered players. You can read more in the President’s message. If you played, we hope you’ll complete the survey from the Tournament Director, Mike Hoxie, to give the Tournament Committee and SMPA valuable feedback on how to improve the experience for players and fans. Photos? We’ve got a few, so peruse them on the SMPA website<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Walt Hundley Park? Where (in Seattle) is that?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

During a recent meeting with SPR representatives, we learned that as part of its ongoing park maintenance program, SPR has scheduled resurfacing two West Seattle tennis courts. They are using this opportunity to add pickleball lines to the courts as part of a restoration project at Walt Hundley Playfield<\/a><\/strong>. While this project was on none of the lists SMPA submitted, this is a boon for players in the High Point area of West Seattle. Several SMPA directors met with SPR representatives, including an SPR landscape architect, to discuss court orientation and layouts that would best serve the pickleball community. That resurfacing work will begin this month, August. We understand consideration is being given to lining 6 to 8 pickleball courts on the existing Walt Hundley tennis courts that are, like too many in our city, badly in need of restoration. Stay tuned.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Pickleball protests at Parks Board<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Many SMPA members attended two separate public Parks Board meetings to protest the announced SPR policy to close Seattle community centers during what had previously been described by SPR as \u201cnon-public hours,” effective January 1, 2020, and which we reported in last month\u2019s newsletter. While we were left believing that the arguments made by our pickleball activists were effective, the Fall schedules appear to show that non-public hours will experience morning closures. From those presentations one SPR official acknowledged that its decision process was flawed, and that ranking SPR officials would separately meet with us regarding this and other pickleball issues in August. You can always follow along and view the videos of the Parks Board meetings<\/a>, or attend one and ask to speak during the 10 minutes allowed for public comments.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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