Wednesday, July 11, 2018

July 2018

Hope you all are enjoying your summer. 

If this is your first issue of our newsletter, and you have kids in summer camp, please be sure to check out the last item below about fall classes and registration.

Don't forget to enter the seasonal lottery! It closes this Friday, July 13, at noon.

Lisa West
Tennis Coordinator
lwest@ci.oswego.or.us
503-635-5550

Lottery Closes Friday, July 13
We're down to the wire for the 2018 seasonal lottery! If you forgot to enter, you have until noon on Friday. 

If you're not sure what the lottery is all about or if you want to enter, check out the details here


Barb will begin the lottery calls on Wednesday, July 18, so please try to make a point to be available. Lottery courts begin September 1.
Speaking of Answering the Phone...
We'd love to update your customer information to include your cell number. We have a lot of home numbers in our computer system, and we don't have a high success rate for reaching people at their home numbers anymore. 

We promise not to spam your phone, but we would like to be able to reach you to let you know a class is cancelled, or to notify you if you have a reservation and the courts are unplayable for some reason. It doesn't happen often, but if we have a maintenance issue or a power outage or something, we would love to actually be able to reach you and save you the trouble of coming down here. We also can text you when these things happen, but only if we know know who your phone carrier is. So if you don't mind sharing that, it will help a lot. I've been testing text notifications, and so far they work great.

Please stop by the front desk, give us a call at 503-635-5550, or email me and let us know your cell number and cell carrier. Again, we're not trying to get your information just to have it--this is a way you can help us help you, and make communication more efficient. 


Summer Camps
This is our first year of running youth camps all summer long, and everyone has been having a lot of fun!The Racqueteers Camp, for ages 7-12, meets Mon-Thu from 9a-noon. Smash Camp is for ages 13-18 and meets Mon-Thu from 1-4:30p. The last week of these weekly camps will be August 13-16. If you'd like to sign up, give us a call. Many of the camps are full, but don't let that stop you from getting on the waiting list. Summer is a little unpredictable for people, so we've been able to register a lot of kids who were waiting. 


Maintenance Closure
We'll be doing our annual maintenance closure from August 17-31. One of our projects this summer will be installing heaters!

Upcoming USTA Seasons
If you want to captain a team for the upcoming 18+ Mixed or 55+ seasons, the deadline is August 1. If you aren't sure what you need to do, please contact me. We have a limited number of openings for teams. 

If you'd like to play and don't have a team, call us at 503-635-5550 or email me with your information: name, rating, league, and level you want to play. I can't guarantee we'll get you on a team, but we do pass the information to captains who may be looking for players. 

Fall Registration and Class Changes
Registration for fall opens for Lake Oswego residents on Monday, August 6 at 10am, and opens to all on Monday, August 13.  If summer camp has been your introduction to the Tennis Center, we offer youth classes after school and on Saturdays from September-May. You can search for tennis on our website, or call the front desk for more information. The fall catalog will be out a few days before August 6.

We have changed all of our classes for fall. This includes adult and youth classes. I'll release a newsletter explaining the changes on July 30. For adults, we have changed the class names to make them a little easier to understand. For juniors, we have restructured the classes to help kids be successful more quickly (more success=more fun!), and so that we can offer all of our classes every session. We haven't been able to do that in the past, because of our limited court space. Stay tuned for more information about this. 

Monday, May 14, 2018

May 2018


Hello. We've got a lot of information this month!

Lisa West
Tennis Coordinator
lwest@ci.oswego.or.us
503-635-5550

Be a Good Neighbor!
First, and most important: I've had the opportunity to talk with and hear from several of our neighbors recently. Many of them have let me know that as a group, we haven't been ideal neighbors. There are a LOT of us, and as we all know, we're in a residential area with one way in and out. 


Please keep in mind that people do live here, and think about how you'd feel if your neighborhood had the amount of steady traffic that this one does. Observe the speed limit (maybe even go a little slower), give pedestrians a lot of room, and please STOP AT THE STOP SIGNS. We're asking you to slow down and consider the neighbors, even if it means you'll be a couple of minutes late for your class or court time.



The Heat is (Almost) On 

A pretty consistent comment that we've received during the public outreach from you, the LOTC community, is that you would like heat in the facility. I wanted to make sure you all know that this is definitely going to happen. I wrote about it in at least one previous newsletter. Because installing heaters will require shutting down the courts and will be noisy and inconvenient, we will do this in August during our annual maintenance shutdown. Next winter will be much more pleasant for everyone!



Addition Project Updates 

Based on the feedback we received from public meetings, other written communication, survey results, and additional information from the City’s Planning Department and City Attorney, we believe that the Original 2003 concept design is a feasible design concept. Any design concept that is acted upon must meet the guidelines of the City Charter, Chapter X, City Code, the City’s planning process, and Sensitive Lands requirements.   


The next step is to present the information we’ve received through the public outreach process to the Parks Board.


The Parks Board meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, May 16, 4:00 p.m. at the Lake Oswego Maintenance Center, 17601 Pilkington Rd, Lake Oswego, OR 97035. If you would like to address the Board, please see the guidelines.


The Tennis Center Addition Project information packet for the May 16 meeting is available here.


Thank you again for your interest in this project.  


Also, please check out the Addition Project website. This is where you can get the latest information about the potential addition. 


Lottery Information

At this time of year, people always want to know when their lottery courts end, and when they can sign up again for the lottery.


The last day of lottery courts is Thursday, May 31. If you have a Thursday court, May 31 is your last day. Lottery signups will open again on June 1, and close July 14. I'll send out the link when signups are open. 

Memorial Day
Our office will be closed on Monday, May 28, for Memorial Day. The courts will be open, and you'll need a  card key to access your reserved court. You can get a card key at the front desk, or call us at 503-635-5550 for more information. 

Speaking of Card Keys...
Just a reminder about card keys: your card key is for you to access your reserved court. Now that we have online reservations, it's easy to book a court, even last-minute, before you come in to play. Please make certain you have a reservation before you use our courts. If we notice card key activity that doesn't correspond with court reservations, you may lose your card key privileges. 

City League
Our women's City League teams are now forming for Fall 2018. Have fun, make new friends, and play teams from all around the metro area. For more information, visit or call the front desk at 503-635-5550, or check out their website at http://www.lotccityleague.org/




Friday, March 2, 2018

March 2018

We've got a lot of exciting things going on. Please note the information about the public meetings on March 19, and please make time to join us!

Please feel free to contact me about anything.

Lisa West
Tennis Center Coordinator
503-635-5550 front desk
503-697-2832 direct
lwest@ci.oswego.or.us


Public Meetings on March 19
Below is the official announcement about upcoming public meetings regarding the Tennis Center Addition Project. We hope everyone comes to a meeting on March 19! 

The Tennis Center Addition Process has begun!
Join us on Monday, March 19 to make your voice heard,
be part of the tennis community’s vision for its future.

The Lake Oswego Parks & Recreation Department invites the public to attend one of two public outreach opportunities as it begins planning for an addition to the Tennis Center.

Come meet the project team, view concept drawings, and learn what efforts are underway, what the plans are for the future, and how you can help make the addition a reality.

We will have opportunities during the public meetings to get your feedback, input, thoughts and ideas on the information presented.

Date: March 19, 2018
Location: Palisades Gym, 1500 Greentree Road, Lake Oswego, OR 97034
Time: 1:30 p.m. and 7 p.m.


We want the Tennis Center addition to meet the needs of the tennis community. Make sure your voice is heard!

Light snacks and beverages will be served.


We will make every effort to update information as the planning process progresses; please check back often.


Online Court Reservations
We've had a lot of positive feedback about our new online court reservation system. If you haven't used it yet, make a reservation and let us know what you think! It takes about 10 seconds to book your court once you've found the one you want. 

Card Keys
Just a quick note about card keys this month: if you're booking a court outside of our office hours, please remember that you need a card key. There's a reminder on your receipt when you book a court online, but we know not everyone reads those. If you have any doubt, please call the front desk at 503-635-5550 and ask if you will need a card key. We'll do everything we can to make it easy for you to get one.

Men's Night Saturday, March 3, 6-8p
Our next Men's Night is tomorrow, Saturday, March 3 from 6-8 p.m. This is a chance to meet new people, sharpen your skills, practice with your teammates, and just have fun! The cost is $15. To register, call the front desk at 503-635-5550, or sign up at loparks.org using activity number 17287.


One-Night Clinics
Join John Auer on Tuesday and/or Thursday nights from 8:30-10 for a fast-paced clinic for players 4.0 and above. Each 90-minute clinic costs $20, and pre-registration is optional, but greatly appreciated.  Call us at 503-635-5550 to register.

Sponsorship Opportunities
We have some new and exciting ways you can be involved at the Tennis Center as a sponsor! If you own or work for a company that might be interested in sponsorship, please send me an email and I can connect you with the person who can make it happen!

Upcoming USTA Deadlines
There are so many different USTA leagues. We know it's hard to keep track of them all. or to know when a new league might be starting. We know this because it's hard for us to keep track, too! We usually have an idea of what's coming up next, but not necessarily when the USTA will send out information to players regarding due dates and etc. The USTA Pacific Northwest (Northern Oregon is our section) publishes their league schedule online and that's really the best way for you to keep up with what's happening and when. 
  
Thanks for reading this issue of LOve the Game, and thank you for your continued support of LOTC! We really hope to see you on March 19!

Thursday, February 8, 2018

February 2018

Some exciting announcements in this edition!

Please feel free to contact me about anything.

Lisa West
Tennis Center Coordinator
503-635-5550 front desk
503-697-2832 direct
lwest@ci.oswego.or.us


Online Court Reservations – Coming Soon!
Lake Oswego Parks & Recreation is happy to announce that we are working with Playven Inc. to provide you with an online court booking system. Soon, you will be able to check availability, reserve and pay online. Look for more details in the next few days.
 
The Heat is On
We’ve discovered that our new energy-efficient lights have not only lowered our energy bill, but also lowered our on-court temperatures.  To help warm things back up, we will be installing heaters. Heater installation requires us to close the courts, so to avoid addition disruption in play, they will be installed during our regular August shutdown. Thanks for your patience!

Tennis Center Addition Project
We’ve begun some preliminary planning on a potential addition to the Tennis Center building. We are gathering information, and we’re on target to have concept drawings complete this spring. Look for announcements and more information about the Tennis Center Addition Project in future editions of our newsletter. Meanwhile, if you have any questions or comments about this project, contact Lisa West at 503-697-2832 or Carol Hartley, Tennis Center Manager at 503-675-2547.

 Welcome, Jelena Lazarevic! 
We're really excited to welcome Jelena Lazarevic to the teaching staff. Jelena is from Serbia, and she recently graduated from the University of Portland, where she played tennis for four years.  Prior to that, she played on the WTA tour and achieved a ranking of 1,016, and taught tennis in Serbia with an ITF certification.
 
Men's Night!
We introduced Men's Night in November, and the feedback was so good that we decided to make it a monthly event! This is a chance to meet new people, practice, and just have fun! We will have Men's Night on the first Saturday of the month, from 6-8pm. The cost is $15. The next one will be Saturday, March 3. To register, call the front desk at 503-635-5550, or sign up at loparks.org.


One-Night ClinicsJoin John Auer on Tuesday and/or Thursday nights from 8:30-10 for a fast-paced clinic for players 4.0 and above. Each 90-minute clinic costs $20, and pre-registration is optional, but greatly appreciated.  Call us at 503-635-5550 for more information.

Card Keys
Card keys seem to be a permanent topic in this newsletter. If you reserve courts at the Tennis Center, you (or someone in your group) should have a card key. Even if we are normally staffed during your reservation time, something may come up and the door may be locked. For a stress-free experience, make sure someone has a card key so you can access your reserved court when the door is locked.

Speaking of the Locked Door...
There obviously has been a long history of people propping the door open for their group members who may not have card keys. We see this most often when someone puts a brochure (those cost money, by the way) in the door to keep it from latching, but we've also seen perfectly folded pieces of paper in the latch and, occasionally, the door just left wide open. We understand that not everyone is willing to buy a card key (what we don't understand is why), but we ask again that you either pressure your group members to get their own, or wait for them and let them in. An unlocked door with no staff on duty is a security concern for everyone, but especially for our staff. Please help us by making sure the door locks behind you.

Reminders
This is the time of the year when the courts are packed. You can book courts up to a week in advance, and it's a good idea to plan ahead. Also, especially since there are so many people here, please remember to be considerate of other players. That means waiting until your scheduled time to enter, not talking if you decide to wait behind the courts, and exiting the court when your reservation is done.
  
Thanks for reading this issue of LOve the Game, and thank you for your continued support of LOTC!