THIS IS THE UPDATED ARTICLE (8/7/01)

PINE MOUNTAIN LAKE RACQUET CLUB

 With the failure of the recent vote for the new recreation and fitness facility, it has been suggested we look into the history of our PML Racquet Club. We went to the first president of our Club, Leo Hornback. The following is a brief overview that Leo was able to give us as to some of the things that transpired over the years with regard to our tennis courts and some of our other amenities.

Leo's first visit to Pine Mountain Lake occurred about 1974 to play golf.  Since he and his wife Thelma, were avid golfers, they started coming to PML about five or six times a year for a week of golf. 

Along about this time Boise Cascade turned everything over to the PML Board of Directors (all property, golf course, lake, repossessed lots and vacant lots that were not sold.)  There were many repossessions for non-payment of dues and for defaulting on bank loans.  There was a lot of uncertainty about PML's survival.

Leo and Thelma built their home in the spring of 1979, retired and moved here in 1981.  Leo joined the Lake-Marina-Recreation Committee in 1982 and served six years as chairman with one six-month break after three years. That committee made many useful recommendations to the PML Directors over the years, but none ever became a reality.

The committee was successful in getting the California Fish and Game Department to kill all the diseased trout in the lake when we had a serious problem. Fish and Game monitored the lake for five years after that and restocked the lake with all kinds of fish, including trout, after they were sure the disease was stopped.  They did this at no cost to PML because they were afraid some diseased fish would go over the dam when the lake was spilling and get into Lake Don Pedro.

About this time, the PML Board split the Recreation Committee from the Lake and Marina Committee and made two committees.  Leo served on both for a while. PML acquired the ten acres on Rock Canyon Way from the Federal Bureau of Land Management by trading a ten-acre parcel now located near the high school. Believe it or not, the committee recommended a similar project for the Rock Canyon property that just failed in the recent vote.  They recommended building tennis courts, two at a time as needed, a new swimming pool, baseball diamond, arts and craft workshops and eventually a large meeting hall.

About this time, the Pine Mountain Lake Racquet Club was organized, with Gloria Giorgi calling the first meeting.  Leo was elected our first president.  Leo is the only remaining original PML Racquet Club Board member with us now.  The Racquet Club was instrumental in getting courts three and four built on part of the Rock Canyon property.

 The plan at that time was to build two courts (3 and 4) with room for three more courts in the same area.  They would eventually do away with courts one and two because they were not built properly. There was not enough room between the two courts and between the courts and the fence, and water seeped out of the grade around the courts up through the surface of the court and froze in winter.  The courts needed major repairs.

The Racquet Club was able to get the PML Board to appropriate money to build two more courts that would join courts three and four on Rock Canyon, and do away with courts one and two.  The plan was to build parking for the golf course where courts one and two are located.  This created a problem with some condo owners who objected to building a parking lot in place of tennis courts.

The PML Board then made an arrangement with the condo association to rebuild courts one and two if the condo owners would allow additional golf parking to be built on part of their property.  So the money that had been appropriated for two more courts at Rock Canyon (3 and 4) was spent to rebuild courts one and two and build additional parking for golf.

Since Leo has so much knowledge of the history of our club and the PML facilities, we asked him how he would suggest we now move forward with the still undecided pool project.  Following are his suggestions:

"I do not think the present PML Board knows we had plans and money to add two additional tennis courts at three and four.  If the Racquet Club had it's way, courts one and two would never have been rebuilt and we would have all the courts together at Rock Canyon now.  There needs to be a method of keeping present PML Boards informed of prior Board decisions and long range plans.  I know there was a long-range plan at one time.  That is what we need.

At the present time, we need a new pool and we should not hesitate building one. It would be good to renegotiate with the condo owners who have objected to building a new pool away from the Country Club, and build the pool complex where courts one and two are now located.  This would be ideal since there is already adequate parking in the area.  The pool area could be enclosed for wind protection and landscape the area around it.  This would be a nice asset to the condo owners.

For less then $200,000, two more courts could be built joining courts three and four and a pad prepared for a fifth court.  For a few dollars more, we could build the fifth court at the same time.  This would adequately serve the tennis players and the swimmers from now on.  These two projects should be done immediately and could be done without assessing the property owners.

As a future project, we should offer the campgrounds and unit 14 and 16 for sale.  Let's sell this property and eliminate the taxes and insurance.  We can take the money we get out of this property and invest it in a new lake lodge.  This will benefit all the property owners.  The Lake Lodge was an old barn that was moved from the bottom of the lake to its present location. The money we get from selling unit 14 and 16 could be used to build a nice lake lodge building and meeting hall.  We already have parking there which may have to be enlarged.  The lodge building could be cantilevered out over the lake with a peer and docks where people that have boats on the lake could arrive by boat.

If this plan is followed to completion, we will satisfy the swimmers, the tennis players and the social clubs that use the lake lodge.  Adding an exercise room to the lake lodge will satisfy the people who wish to exercise."

Thank you so much for your time and your suggestions Leo.