Editor's note:  Below is a letter to Mayor Mary Marvin sent to MyhometownBronville by its author, Erica Curtis.

Dear Mayor Marvin:

I write this letter as the winter paddle season draws to a close and the courts are largely quiet. I grew up in Bronxville and returned there to live as an adult. While the paddle courts were in the background for all of my youth, I only "discovered" them five years ago when in need of an after-work winter sport that didn't require a long drive. 

What a terrific revelation! I joined the women's evening league after contacting organizer Barbara McGraw off the village website and played in events that drew permit-holding players from Bronxville, plus Yonkers, Chappaqua, Pelham, and even Manhattan. I found a common interest with my dad, a longtime player; I even met my partner, a paddle player and resident of upper Westchester County. 

I was honored to join the paddle committee, which, during my two-year tenure, consisted of six other dedicated volunteers from Bronxville and beyond who organized events like the Super Scrambles (a tournament designed to entice newcomers to the sport), monitored the online reservation system and day-to-day maintenance of the facility, vacuumed the hut, checked permits, and fielded queries--the courts have not had a paid professional to do this work as the tennis courts have. 

This activity was generated by a love of the sport and a belief that community is worthy of one's time, energy, and spirit. 

In 2013, when the village trustees challenged the committee's efforts, it resigned en bloc and the courts consequently lost some of their momentum and permit holders. To appreciate the courts' enduring value and the community that continues to rally at them despite that loss of leadership, check out a match on a 30-degree January morning when little else could lure you outside, visit the hut on a league night when it's packed with players from around the county, witness the lively summer paddle program, and please consider all of the letters written to you on their behalf. 

There are certain features that we all consider necessary for a safe and vibrant community, yet they generate no income, like our police and fire departments. So, how do we gauge a public park's value on the village balance sheet? What is the actual worth of Scout Field, the running track, sidewalk benches around town, the Sagamore playground, all of which are robustly used by nonresidents and residents and contribute to our common health and wellness, as well as to the village's aesthetic appeal? 

I think that these assets make Bronxville a distinctive, lovely place. I know that local restaurants and businesses can count on paddle players to eat and shop in their establishments, order food and flowers for related events, and generally enliven the town in the coldest part of the year. 

Some background on paddle tennis and why Bronxville is fortunate to have these public courts: 

Paddle tennis is native to Westchester, having originated in a tennis player's backyard in Scarsdale. Bronxville proudly upholds the sport's local roots. 

It is a co-ed, multi-generational activity. I play matches with my septuagenarian father and his gang, as well as with my peers, and knock a ball around with my six-year-old niece. Young legs move faster on the court, but paddle is a game that rewards the patience and wisdom of age. As in the past, the village should capitalize on this wide demographic appeal in its outreach to new players via the adult school, youth clinics, school gym classes, and Realtors. 

Paddle is a fun, healthful way to beat the winter doldrums--put four people in a pen half the size of a tennis court, give them use of the chicken coop wire screens, and you'll see shots that will make you gasp or double over with giggles. 

As I have experienced time and again at tournaments around the Northeast, paddle people are playful, generous with their knowledge and involvement, and welcoming of newcomers. Such is the culture of the game at large and of the community at Bronxville's courts. 

As custodians of the village's character, legacy, and finances, its trustees should consider the courts value beyond their fiscal worth. You are correct in warning that once they are gone, these courts will not return to the public sphere for lack of available land and increased cost. 

If you have never participated in an event at the facility, I encourage you to come and get a sense of the spirit and community those four courts and humble hut foster. I think you would be impressed. 

Suggestions for supporting the paddle courts: 

Paddle Committee:  Empower the leadership--they could be resident or nonresident but must be committed players--to administer the courts' upkeep, calendar of events, and enforcement of permits and to initiate public relations. Post their names on the village website, support their efforts as required, and listen to their advice. 

Paddle Pro:  Hire a pro to give lessons, conduct clinics, and further link the local paddle community to clubs and facilities around the area.

Financial partnerships:  Form an arrangement with tax-exempt Lawrence Hospital to contribute to the village's recreational facilities to promote public health/wellness. 

Ask Eastchester to contribute to their maintenance:  Eastchester tore down its public courts a few years ago and their players have since come to the Bronxville courts. 

Heat and Light:  In a pinch, install coin/credit card-operated light and heating boxes at the courts. This is done in New Rochelle. 

Respectfully, 

Erica Curtis
Bronxville, New York
April 15, 2015

Editor's note:  MyhometownBronxville does not fact-check statements in letters to the editor or other letters it publishes, and the opinions do not necessarily reflect the thinking of its staff. Its objective in publishing letters is to give air to diverse thoughts and opinions of residents in the community.