King’s Lynne comes to rescue for Classical tennis

LYNN ? The Classical boys and girls tennis teams will be scrambling for court time this spring with the reconstruction of the Breed tennis courts ready to get underway if the winter that never ends ever ends.The city project also includes resurfacing of the Breed basketball courts. Some preparation work has already been done including the removal of most of the fencing and the posts that hold the tennis nets.”They (the tennis courts) have been in rough shape for a long time,” Classical athletic director Bill Devin said.Devin said the Department of Public Works has been patching the courts up to keep them playable, but it’s been a challenge. Devin said first and second singles were already playing at the King’s Lynne courts across the street and with none of the Breed courts available this spring, the apartment complex is allowing two more of its courts, located further back on the property, to be used by the school.”Devin said King’s Lynne property manager Susan Vacchio and recreation director Anita Ward “have been our saviors.”Community Development Facilities Manager John Moberger said the existing pavements will be taken up, crushed, put back, compacted and paved over. The surface will then be sealed and striped. Moberger said the sealing and striping can’t be done until the night time temperature stays about 50 degrees. The project also includes the installation of new posts and fencing.Devin said Breed has always been a tough place to play tennis because the Classical junior varsity baseball team is playing next to the courts and the foul balls have the tennis player ducking for cover. Devin said the atrocious language used by the basketball players also makes for a less than ideal situation.”There’s a lot of etiquette with tennis,” Devin said.Several year’s back, the city put in tennis courts behind English High School. Devin said those can be locked up, which helps keep the surface from being ruined by skate boarders.Devin said what he would love to see some day is to have the tennis courts moved to Hood Park and the basketball courts that would be displaced moved to Breed where the existing tennis courts are now.Moberger said the Breed project should be completed by late spring.A number of other projects, including work at McManus Field adjacent to Lynn Tech, are also being undertaken around the city this year.