On a brisk, sunny Monday, the new pickleball courts at Ed Hayes Park in Bourbonnais were open.
It didn’t matter that there was a stern wind whipping through the four courts and the new pavilion.
These are the first pickleball courts built by the village
There are existing ones on the tennis court at Keno Park, which the village teams up with the Bourbonnais Township Park District.
There were about 20 pickleball enthusiasts on hand with the village of Bourbonnais officials for the ceremonial ribbon-cutting.
Many of those are members of the Paddle Together Kankakee County Pickleball Club.
Co-founder and president Jeff Dexter came prepared with extra paddles and pickleballs.
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Bourbonnais Public Works Superintendent Terry Memenga said he had contacted Dexter about the ceremony.
Memenga is a pickleball player and was dressed to take the court after the ribbon cutting, which followed remarks from Mayor Jeff Keast, Dexter and Memenga.
“I’m going to watch,” Keast said when asked if he would be taking the court.
“Not today, because I’ll skin up my knees before I leave.”
Keast said after the ribbon-cutting, he played badminton in PE class at Herscher High School.
Trustees Randy King, Jack Littrell and Craig Toepfer took the challenge to get on the court and play.
They didn’t embarrass themselves.
Littrell is one not to pass up an opportunity to learn and got fired up when he made a sweet cross-court shot, jumping into the air with his arms raised above his head.
Dexter was impressed with what the village accomplished.
“I want to thank you guys for working with Terry, for sitting down with us,” Dexter said. “You’ve done a top-notch job, and we’re so happy.”
Originally set to open in the spring, officials had to call for help after the original company and village decided the playing surface the company had was incompatible with the concrete base poured by the village.
The village did the work on the courts, pavilion and sidewalks.
R&R Construction of Bradley picked up the court project and Tholen’s was charged with landscaping.
“This partnership, while it took a few bumps in the road to get to it, we did get to it,” Memenga said.
“Certainly, at the behest of the mayor, he certainly wanted us to pump the brakes. It may take an extra bit of time, but get it right. I think that’s what we’ve achieved in the end. We’ve gotten it right.”