Editor’s note: Kathy Schmidt submitted the photographs.
Resident Kathy Schmidt was dismayed in early June 2019, when she saw unused tennis courts atop the hill in Kelly Park, on High Street, Morrison, IL. “That’s such a mess!” she thought. She took her disgust and a plan to correct the “mess” to City Administrator Barry Dykhuizen. Schmidt envisioned transforming derelict tennis courts into four, smaller, Pickleball courts.
“I asked him, ‘If I weed wack and clean up, will [the City] make it a Pickleball court?'”
Dykhuizen agreed to purchase paint and tennis court nets (to divide the Pickleball courts), to transform the venue. He and Schmidt agreed volunteers would paint the court lines; maintain the courts; erect a “Morrison Pickleball Courts” sign, if desired. This will become a three-season, daylight venue, offering four courts for up to 16 players.
This new sport venue bounced several steps toward completion in six days, from June 8 through June 13. Schmidt had requested volunteers to help her on Saturday, June 8. The first step was to eliminate the “mess.” It took “three-to-four hours,” she estimated afterwards. Roger and Jan Stuart had arrived way before the 10:30 a.m. start time. Chris Osborn, left, and Jan used shovels on the west and east fence lines, respectively.
Moving wet, muddy leaves, limbs, and Maple tree “helicopter” seeds required brooms, leaf blowers, rakes, and shovels. Osborn used a string trimmer to clean the grooves. His home abuts the courts, so he supplied electrical power. Below, left-to-right, Jean Eggemeyer rakes mounds of leaves; Jan herds maple seeds; Steve Eggemeyer transports limbs and leaves to be deposited into paper refuse bags.
Stephanie Vavra, left, joined the Eggemeyers. Most of the collected “mess” was trucked to an area behind the City quarry by Roger Stuart.
Clean views are shown, looking east and west, respectively.
On Tuesday, June 11, Schmidt and the Stuarts returned to gather and transport the final leaves, both inside and the outside the fence. On Wednesday, June 12, she met with Mike Shears of Sterling, IL, at left, and Tim Vanzuiden of Morrison.
Shears is a member of the Midwest Association of Pickleball. He enjoys the sport, teaches others to play, and participates in tournaments. They discussed holding a clinic. He will donate wiffle balls.
She discussed with Tim Vanzuiden what to do next:
- powerwash the courts
- discuss repair costs and patch the surface
- paint new Pickleball court lines atop the old surface
- purchase nets, wiffle balls, and paddles
- possibly install a locked equipment cabinet.
Gene Ryan, Sterling, owner of Ryan’s Tree Service, will trim an overhanging tree on the north end for no cost. He mentioned how Morrison has been good to him, and he wanted to give back.
On Thursday, June 13, Schmidt scraped peeling surface patches. Shears taped lines to lay out the courts. Roger Stuart will fill a hole. Equipment will be purchased next. One citizen offered to plant hostas outside the fence; another stated the one bench could be sanded and repainted; another citizen volunteered to purchase a Pickleball net.
No longer “a mess,” four Morrison Pickleball courts will soon be ready for public use in Kelly Park.
Currently there is one Pickleball court at Waterworks Park. It needs to be weed trimmed and swept. The City also will buy a new tennis court net for this venue.
Contact Kathy Schmidt at keschmidt77@gmail to volunteer or make a donation toward the purchase of nets, paddles, and wiffle balls.