Winter 2017
Summary of Fall 2016 News.
The Round-Robin Tennis Play on Sundays
The Park Hill Racquet Club (PHRC) as usual staged weekly informal round-robin tennis tournaments on Sunday afternoons during the warm season. These round-robin events are open to players of all ability levels and all ages. In 2016 they went on all summer and for much of the fall. The club thanks the many organizers of those enjoyable Sunday competitions in the afternoons. Participants and observers typically bring their own food to the club, and often bring extra provisions to share with others, pot luck-style. Members and guests like to sit outside to eat and to bask with their drinks in the warm summer weather while watching the play on the courts. The round-robin Sunday afternoon tennis competition is a prime feature of the club’s social schedule, from spring to fall. It is a wonderful opportunity for those who consider themselves not very experienced to have fun without worrying about their skill levels. Organizers do their best to create balance on the teams, with everyone just having a good time competing against everyone else.
Finals of the Mixed-Doubles Tennis Tournament
In the fall, the club staged its mixed-doubles tennis tournament. The much-anticipated finale in early October saw Angela Lee Chen and Adam Wardell prevail over Patty Gamba and Tom Westmoreland in three exciting sets.
Italian Take-Out Party. In mid-October, Annemarie Ennis hosted an Italian take-out party on a Friday evening at the club, with the delicious food catered from A and V Restaurant. It was golf day at the club, when a dozen PHRC members first played golf at Van Cortlandt Park and then went to the club to have supper. Annemarie says around 45-50 members and guests enjoyed the day very much, and she hopes next fall to organize another golf day and cater supper from A and V.
Fall Fun Bowling League
In mid-November, the six-week fall fun bowling league, held on Thursday evenings, came to an end. Thanks to organizer Paul Resnik for running the fall fun bowling league, following his stewardship of the summer fun bowling league as well.
Holiday Decoration of the Club
On Sunday, December 4th, volunteers gathered in the club to begin decorating the beautiful tree, the club ballroom and the club’s lounge area for the holiday season and for the annual dinner-dance night on Saturday, December 17th. The club thanks the following volunteers for helping with those decorations: Rosemary Beirne, Kathryn Buckley, Patty Gamba, the Ardi Gashi/Asaria Venturi family, Todd Geremia, Tom Harrington, Justine Henry, Shantell James and family, Mary Liberatore, Claire Miko, Belkis and Doug Tappan and family, Diana Spiegler, and John and Lynne Twomey.
The Holiday Cocktail Party
On Saturday, December 17th, the club held its annual holiday cocktail dinner and dance party in the beautifully decorated great hall. Members and their guests brought delicious foods, pot luck-style. Cliff Hackford and his combo entertained the party-goers with their catchy music, first to listen to during the meal and later to dance by.
The club gives special thanks to Steve Savard for organizing this party. Steve estimates that around 50 members and guests took part. He thanks Kathryn Buckley for contributing additional decoration to the ballroom to beautify it further. He also thanks Chris Gamba for helping Steve clean up in the hall and in the kitchen after the big party.
Holiday Gifts to Kids at Yonkers YWCA. Rosemary Beirne reports that the YWCA in Yonkers expressed its appreciation to PHRC members who kindly donated toys and other holiday gifts for children. The YWCA was most grateful that at least ten children were able to be recipients of the donated gifts.
Enjoyment of the Lounge on Sports Week Ends
Members again enjoyed visiting the club on fall week ends to watch pro and amateur sports contests on TV in the bar-lounge area, especially the baseball playoffs and World Series; NFL and NCAA games and playoffs; and NBA and NHL games. NFL and NCAA playoff and championship games this month have been especially exciting as the football season winds down. Again, many members bring food, pot luck-style, and enjoy sharing with one another on week ends in the bar-lounge area. Many club members will again be in the lounge on February 5th, 2017, enjoying the NFL championship game on Super Bowl Sunday.
Winter News
Winter Bowling League
The club’s six-month Winter Bowling League, which bowls on Tuesday nights and typically extends from late October until mid-April, got under way on October 18th with a practice session. The following week, on Tuesday, October 25th, the formal competition began. The league is now, in mid-January 2017, in the 12th week of competition, which is roughly at the halfway point in the schedule. The Expendables and R&B are tied for the top position in the five-team league with 35 points each. Following closely behind are 10 Pin Jihad at 32 points and CSI at 30 points, with the Brownies standing at 22 points. Thanks to Steve Savard for calculating player averages, compiling the weekly bowling results, posting results in the bowling alley and sending the results to the team captains. The following bowlers have distinguished themselves by throwing these personal high game scores: Jon Wallen: 233; Steve Savard: 200; Bill Dennison: 193; Jose Alvarado: 184; Pat O’Hanlon: 182; Paul Cecere: 180; Jennifer Ringstad: 179; Bill Coffey: 178; Fred Feldman: 177; Robert Klein: 176; and Ed Schmid: 173. Personal high series were: Jon Wallen: 568; Jose Alvarado: 492; Robert Klein: 488; Paul Cecere: 481; Bill Dennison: 478; Fred Feldman: 465; Paul Meissner: 461; Ed Schmid: 458; Jennifer Ringstad: 456; and Bob Dominicus: 439.
Volunteers Taking Down the Holiday Decorations
On Sunday, January 15th, volunteers assembled to take down the holiday tree in the ballroom and to take down decorations around the hall and elsewhere in the club. Decorations then had to be packed neatly in boxes and the boxes, many of them heavy and bulky, had to be lifted into the loft area of the hall. Appreciation goes to the following participants in “the un-decorating party”: Chris Canty, Geraldine Canty, Patty Cecere, Patty Gamba, Joe Harbeson, Tom Harrington, Lyrica Leon, Vic Mason, Claire Miko, James Resnik, Jennifer Ringstad, Lynne Twomey and John Twomey.
Pickleball
Last winter saw the introduction of pickleball to the club in the big hall as a terrific calorie-burning off-season activity. A solid core of regular players came to the club all winter long last year to play a vigorous and skilled game of pickleball. Many of the best tennis players turned out also to be very good pickleball players. Pickleball coordinator Lyrica Leon is currently discussing resumption of play this winter, now that the club has taken down the holiday decorations in the ballroom.
The Park Hill Players
The theater tradition at the club has been revived, after three decades, thanks to Jim Beirne, who has been leading rehearsals for the Ken Ludwig farce, “Lend Me a Tenor.” Jim expects performances to be held in the near future.
The Book Club
The long-established PHRC book club meets around every six weeks for good literary conversation. Anyone interested in taking part can contact either Rosemary Beirne (at mcmanusnyu@aol.com) or Claire Miko (at clarabell711@aol.com).
Upcoming Events
Members should put the following upcoming PHRC events on their social calendars:
• Sunday, February 5th: Super Bowl Sunday: always an occasion for a PHRC gathering and party in the club lounge
• Saturday, February 11th: return of the hoedown dance party: Grab your cowboy/cowgirl duds (hats, shirts, boots, etc.) and kick on over to the PHRC Hoedown – a kind of informal country party where people do square dances, circle dances, reels and lines. Harry Chapin and his music-makers will be back again for some fun! It will be $20 per person for participants 15 and up. Please RSVP to Geraldine and Chris Canty at cgcanty@optonline.net. Bring your friends!
• Wednesday, February 15th: the club’s annual general meeting (AGM) in the big hall (agenda and meeting materials forthcoming)
• End-February (date to be decided): karaoke party
• Saturday, April 8th: the Governors’ Ball (prospective theme so far: “masquerade”; formal invitation coming soon)
