Improvements at Bridgewater's Harry Ally Park

On a steamy July 16, a lone player practices his serve
 at Harry Ally Park

Thursday evening, September 2 at its 7:00 pm regular meeting, the Bridgewater Township Council will consider and may approve a $150,000 proposal to resurface the tennis and basketball courts at Harry Ally Park in the Finderne section of Bridgewater.

The total cost, however, will exceed $150,000 because, if the ordinance goes through, it will be funded by a bond issue – think of it as borrowing money to improve your home with repayments over time at a certain rate of interest.

An overview of the three tennis courts at Harry Ally Park
on August 20, another steamy day

At least with current interest rates being so low, the Township won’t be borrowing at a high cost of capital – hopefully. Normally, though, the cost of funding such a project should come, at least in my opinion, from annual operating expenses to avoid the added burden of interest costs.

One of the many cracks in the tennis courts
at Harry Ally Park

Both facilities have sinews of extensive cracks running through them. The first photo shows a tennis player practicing his serve on July 16, on one of the very hot days of summer. He was the only person to be seen anywhere at the park on that day. You can tell from the photo that the nets need fixing.

The second photo, taken about a month later on August 20, another hot summer day where no one was at the park, shows that the three tennis courts have well-painted lines, and that the nets are in very good condition and appear to be new.

An example of other fissures which have plagued
the two basketball courts at Harry Ally park

What you can’t see though is the entire network of cracks that prevent good playing and could even cause injury. The last two photos, both taken on August 20, show an example of the deterioration of the playing surface on a) the tennis courts and b) the basketball courts. Those two photos are just samples of the conditions at Harry Ally Park which the council will deliberate.

For a better view of any photo, just single-click on any one and you will be able to see a larger image.

Thank goodness the Township Council is finally addressing this problem tonight.