Hinsdale IL
Prepares To Open New Paddle Facility |
9-03-2004 |
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Hinsdale
IL ,
Four new public courts are very close to being completed in Hinsdale
IL, financed in part by local area paddle fanatics. The country's
top paddle players will be in Hinsdale to help us celebrate the
grand opening of our new 4-court facility at Katherine Legge Memorial
Park. September 23rd 24th and 25th. view
details of the KLM Grand Opening
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Submitted by Paul
Wiggin: see http://hinsdalepaddle.blogspot.com/
for updates
Village of Hinsdale Municipal Paddle
Hinsdale
built its first two paddle courts in 1988 at a neighborhood park
called Burns Field. A local family donated the courts and over the
next decade hundreds of residents became hooked on the game. The
women’s national champion for 2003 and 2004, Mary Doten, learned
to play paddle on the Burns Field courts.
Private
/ Public Cooperation
One of the success stories of the project is how we raised enough
money to build an appropriate facility. The Village of Hinsdale’s
budget at $347,000 turned out to be quite short of what was needed.
90 local families and businesses made up the shortfall, contributing
a total of $170,000 or one-third of the project cost. The architects,
working pro bono (and neither of them are paddle players), got the
project off the ground rapidly and before the village committed
to spending any money.
Growing
the Sport
For
paddle enthusiasts, having 6 public courts in a village of fewer
than 18,000 people will be a huge impetus for growth. In going from
2 to 6 courts, Hinsdale knows that it needs time and lots of effort
to create appropriate programs. Upon opening the new facility, Hinsdale
will host the Viking Academy
for three days. Three local pros, including Mary Doten, will be
offering group lessons. The number of teams entered in the Chicago
League will grow from 8 to 10. All in all, the new season looks
like it's shaping up to be an even more exciting year of campaigning,
fundraising, and construction.
The
Setting at Katherine Legge Memorial Park
The
new facility is located in Katherine Legge Memorial Park, a 52 acre
woodland setting that Hinsdale residents frequent for picnics, weddings,
cross-country skiing, and just to walk the dog. Alexander Legge
was President of International Harvester. He and his wife, Katherine,
originally developed the property as a weekend escape. Their ultimate
plan included the construction of a home on the site. Upon the death
of Katherine in 1924, Alexander established KLM as a retreat devoted
to rest, recreation and welfare for women employed at International
Harvester. The land and facilities were donated to the Village of
Hinsdale in 1973.
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