D.A.R.A. TENNIS CLUB NEWSLETTER 2014
Telephone 613-230-1133
e-mail: [email protected]
WELCOME TO THE 2014 TENNIS SEASON
Enclosed is your Membership Application Form. Please complete and return it as soon as possible to:
DARA Tennis Club, c/o 906-20 Driveway, Ottawa ON K2P 1C8, or drop in the mail slot on the
west door of the Clubhouse.
MEMBERSHIPS come into effect May 1. All members should be wearing their new tags by that date.
E-MAIL ADDRESS: If you would like to be contacted by e-mail, please include your e-mail address
on the enclosed application form (please print clearly!). This will considerably reduce our mailing
costs which have been escalating each year.
CLUB EXECUTIVE:
President: Michael Darwood
Vice-President: Vacant
Treasurer: Dan Scholtz
Secretary/Membership: Marian Cumming
Past President:John Hanson
President Emeritus: Bob Shoemaker
613-729-9563
613-731-6692
613-235-9259
613-297-1000
613-828-8141
Other important contacts:
Farm Liaison: Adriana Zeleney 613-237-5871 [email protected].
Social Convenor: Sylvia Darwood 613-729-9563 [email protected]
Ladies League: Dolce Little 613-523-1815 [email protected]
Super Seniors League: Michael Darwood 613-729-9563 [email protected]
Mixed Singles Ladder: Adriana Zeleney 613-237-5871 [email protected]. and Cesarea
Novielli 613-957-3218 [email protected]
Club Tournament: John Hanson 613-297-1000 [email protected]
Lessons: James Ferguson 613-722-5429 [email protected]
MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT
Dear Members,
WELCOME BACK. I hope that, by the time you read this, the snow will be gone and some nets will be
put up on the courts.
Those of you who didn’t play late last season will notice the new patio has been installed, giving us a
little more space and a much smoother surface. We ordered a shed last fall, to be installed on the east
side of the clubhouse. This came to our supplier too late to be installed, so we will have to wait until
the soil conditions are right to place it this spring. We intend to cull the junk in the clubhouse,
especially the kitchen, and keep the good stuff in the new shed. The court rollers and other maintenance
equipment will be kept in the shed so as to minimize the dirt brought into the clubhouse.
I am looking forward to the 2014 season and hope you will all be returning for another summer of
recreational and competitive tennis. Our membership last season was about right for filling the courts,
given that our play times are distributed over mornings, and evenings and weekends.
LEAGUES AND TOURNAMENTS
Our club’s participation in the National Capital Senior Men’s Tennis League (NCSMTL) has
diminished of late. I attribute this to the ageing of our club membership. We have a healthy younger
population but seem to lack members in their early sixties, who would be eligible to play in the Senior
division. I would be pleased to be proven wrong on this; if there are interested members, please contact
me early on so that I could approach the League with a view to again fielding a team in the Senior
division.
Our Supersenior team could also benefit from some new blood; anybody who admits to being over
seventy can apply.
The Mixed Singles Ladder will again be played this year, ably organized by Adriana Zeleney and
Cesarea Novielli.
SOCIAL
As social convenor this year, Sylvia Darwood is looking forward to forming a committee to work on
the parties. As in the past, we plan to have one party per month. Anyone with an idea for a theme
please contact Sylvia and, together with the committee, she will help to implement it. The season
opener will be the proverbial Round Robin and pizza lunch early on Saturday, May 10th. We are
hoping that some of the younger members of the Club will get involved.
CONSTRUCTION
Our court contractor has agreed to make another attempt to repair some of the worst cracks in the
courts. I am sure you will have noticed that this project has been slow and frustrating. A trial section of
crack was repaired late last year with indifferent results. We will evaluate this with our supplier and see
if we can plan for better results. Any further repairs will likely require court closings for a few days.
HOUSEKEEPING
Please remember that, other than bi-weekly cleaning, our club is run entirely by volunteers. Your
cooperation in keeping facilities clean and tidy is essential. Leaving old balls and can lids on the courts
and practice areas is one habit which causes eyesores.
Enjoy the rest of the winter and we look forward to seeing you back on the courts soon..
Mike Darwood
APRIL OPEN COURTS:
To encourage new members to join, we will once again waive membership and guest fees for the
month of (weather permitting!!) April, so please feel free to invite your friends for some spring tennis.
Court and clubhouse lock combinations remain the same as last year until May 1st.
SEASON OPENER – Saturday MAY 10TH
New and returning members, please join us on Saturday morning, May 10th - 9:00AM – 12:00 noon
for our first round robin of the year, followed by a pizza lunch. This is a perfect opportunity to meet
other members.
WEEKLY EVENTS
Weekday mornings – 8:00 a.m. – Noon - Mixed doubles (open to all)
Monday afternoons – 1:00 p.m. - 3:00 – Men’s doubles (open to all) and Team practice
Tuesday afternoons – 1:00 p.m. – 3:00 - Ladies doubles (open to all) and Team practice
*Some Wednesday mornings – 10:00 a.m. – Noon – Men’s Super Seniors League play
*Some Thursday mornings – 9:00 a.m. - Noon - Ladies doubles League play
Friday evening – 7:00 p.m.-10:00 p.m. - Mixed doubles, Court 1 only (open to all)
Week-ends – 8.00 a.m. - Noon – Mixed doubles (open to all)
* Specific dates for these events will be posted in the clubhouse
CLUB TOURNAMENT
Congratulations to the 2013 winners and runners-up:
 Mens singles – James Ferguson runner-up Arun Tosing
 Womens singles – Tatiana Klorotzky runner-up Solanges Cote
 Mens doubles – James Ferguson and Bob Ferguson runners-up John Hanson and Sheldon Dattenberger
 Womens doubles – Cesaria Novielli and Tatiana Klorotzky runners-up Rosemary Addison and Solanges Cote
 Mixed doubles – Jonathan Suen and Tatiana Klorotzky runners-up Wilfrid and Solanges Cote
A big thank you goes to Barbara Stokes and everyone else who contributed sandwiches and other goodies on both days. Thanks to Brian Wilkin for his support at registration, scorekeeping, etc. And a very
big thanks to our prize sponsors, Tommy & Lefebvre and Kunstadt Sports. Couldn't have done it
without you.
Please note, this year’s tournament will again be spread over 2 days in order to allow members to
watch the high calibre of play in the final matches. We will advise of the 2014 dates as early as possible so that you can mark the dates on your calendars. If you would like to volunteer to assist with the
tournament please contact John Hanson at 613-297-1000 or [email protected]
LEAGUES: The Club will continue with the Ladies Doubles League on Thursday mornings. For information call Dolce Little 613-523-1815, [email protected]. There will again be a Super Senior
Men’s League. For information call Michael Darwood 613-729-9563, [email protected]
MIXED SINGLES LADDER:
Congratulations to Tim Birch-Jones and Pam Shaw, the 2013 Ladder winners.
For those interested in playing some fun singles matches, the tennis ladder is for you. Ladder participants are matched against those of similar ability level. Participants schedule approximately four
matches per month. There is a $5 fee to cover the cost of trophies, prizes, food, and beverage, etc.
Please contact Adriana Zeleney at 613-237-5871 [email protected]. OR Cesarea Novielli at
613-957-3218 [email protected]
LESSONS: Individual tennis lessons are available at a nominal charge of $10.00 for 30 minutes or
$20.00 per hour. Please contact James Ferguson (Tennis Canada/OTA Certified Instructor) by telephone 613-722-5429 or e-mail: [email protected]
GUEST POLICY:
Guest fees: $5.00 for adults and $2.50 for juniors (15 and under), per day, per person.
Members will be expected to pay a member of the Executive or deposit the fee in the Guest Fee Box in
the clubhouse. No one will be allowed to play as a guest unless accompanied by a club member. Each
guest is limited to three playing visits, however, should the guest decide to join the club during the year in which
he/she played as a guest, guest fees may be applied to the membership fee for the balance of the year in question.
NOTICE TO EVENING PLAYERS:
You have a special responsibility, under the honour system of unsupervised play, if you are the last person to leave the Club, to ensure that:
1) the court lights are turned off;
2) the gates and clubhouse are locked, and
3) the $5.00 guest fee is paid by you or your guest (box on desk by kitchen door)
MEMBER DISCOUNT: We are grateful to Tommy & Lefebvre and to Kundstadt Sports who have
agreed to give DARA members 10% to 15% off regularly-priced merchandise and stringing.
SEASON OPENING: Weather permitting, the nets will be in place and the club will be open for the
season sometime in April .
LOCK COMBINATION ON GATES & CLUBHOUSE: You will be advised of the new lock combinations when you receive your shoe tag.
WEBSITE: We hope to have a new website up and running soon. Stay tuned!