Cornel West, Vice President and Tournament Chairman, is stepping down after Sunday’s tournament. During his tenure he managed a very active tournament schedule even in the face of pandemic restrictions. He instituted tournament match schedule handouts that make it easy for every player to see who they play next and on which table. No longer does every match in a round need to be completed before anyone can start the next round. When you see Cornel please say thank you.
Mike Rusaw has agreed to assume the position as acting Vice President until the the election at our next meeting. Right now we are guessing that will be able to hold our Pizza Party in September.
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April 6 is World Table Tennis Day. Sadly COVID prevents us from staging a major event but it does not stop us from enjoying the game. Attached are a few documents you might find interesting.
The recreation department is opening things back up. "Effective April 1, 2021, the next round of phasing in Recreation and Parks services will begin.” What does that mean for table tennis? “All indoor Resident Lifestyle Events remain at 50% capacity with social distance guidelines in place…For Billiards and Table Tennis the participation level is set at 50% of the posted capacity.” The way I read it there is no change at all for us. You can download the full recreation department statements below.
On Saturday, January 2 Jane Nelson lost her husband Gary. Jane is a longtime member of the club and has worked tirelessly for years to make our social events successful. If you wish to express your condolences just add a comment to this story by clicking on Comments above.
It is November. In a normal year sometime this month we would begin reminding all of you to pay your dues for upcoming year. But not this year. Anyone who was paid up for 2020 is paid up for 2021. However, we will accept gifts toward future expenses, just contact Mike Schrock at [email protected].
Open play is returning to the Villages starting Monday, October 5. The rec center rules require masks for everyone inside of 6 feet of other players, i.e. anyone playing doubles. So far there is one change in the schedule. Laurel Manor has discontinued separate men’s and women’s playtime on Mondays instead open play for all will begin at 1:30 pm. Is it safe to play?
That is a question every player must answer for themselves. The number of new COVID-19 cases in the Villages was dropping from Late August to mid September. But in the last few days the number of new cases is trending upward, the seven day average is 6.7 with the total cases in the Villages at 667. Laurel Manor is closed for maintenance starting Saturday September 19. They expect the repairs to take about a week. Stay tuned for further updates.
The Villages Recreation Department has decided to postpone the resumption of club activities. We will not resume our usual Sunday 12:00 pm hours at Laurel Manor this Sunday July 12 as previously scheduled. No new date has been set.
While masks are required for anyone playing doubles it is not our job to enforce the rules. By now everyone is aware of the potential danger. Confronting those who choose to ignore the rules will not change their minds.
For those of you who think this is all a hoax remember that whether you believe it is justified or not the fear and concern others feel is real. Confronting those who will only play with an abundance of caution will not change their minds. Playing table tennis is not the time or place to proselytize for your chosen conspiracy theory. Anger solves nothing, treat everyone with respect. Is it safe to play? That is a question each person must answer for themselves. In April the worst day was 1,413 new cases in Florida. Today we regularly see 10,000 new cases per day. Compared to the rest of the state the Villages has done well but now that is changing. On June 19 there were 72 cases in the Villages (Sumter). That number is now growing sharply, with 255 cases as of July 12. Open play time returns to its usual schedule beginning Monday July 6. Club hours return at noon Sunday July 12.
General conditions of play
In the meantime most of the rec centers have moved their tables to the big uncarpeted rooms. Is it safe to play? That is a question every player must answer for themselves. We are all tired of the restrictions, we want our old lives back. But the data suggests that continued caution is still be warranted. The number of new cases in Florida is getting worse not better. 2,581 new cases were confirmed Saturday. There was an increased number of tests but also the percentage of positive tests is also rising. Be careful, be safe. I hear rumors that some of our members are not receiving our emails. We send out emails to our members at least every other week. Our most recent email concerned Everglades Recreation Center. Preliminary schedule for table tennis at Everglades Recreation Center. Mondays 6:00 pm except the 4th Monday of every month Wednesdays 7:00 pm Saturdays 9:00 am The phone number for Everglades is 674-8434 Please help me find out where we have problems by completing the survey below. |
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