Dear Editor:In reply to the article in December 9, 2021 on Livingston Pickleball:I appreciate the efforts of the town and Ron Barbella to try to improve the pickleball experience in Livingston. However, the article in the West Essex Tribune left out many relevant facts that should be considered.The pickleball program has been extremely successful in Livingston and has brought many benefits to the residents of Livingston that enjoy this sport. It has brought many players outside of Livingston because of the popularity of these courts. This has enhanced the reputation of Livingston in the surrounding communities. Livingston Pickleball has donated to making the school experience successful (racquets) and has donated to several Livingston charities.It should be noted that these courts are not used during school hours, severely limiting access to these courts to players from Livingston. This is partially related to the COVID restrictions and partly to school use or non-use. This forces some of the overcrowding on the weekends. Players are not allowed to start prior to 8 a.m. on the weekends, and this should be enforced. Players have utilized Northland without many of the problems (neighbors, restrictive school hours) enumerated in the Tribune article. Note that tournaments on the courts occurred only three times in 2021 and were not a factor in overcrowding in any way. Many were completed in less than a full day and left some courts open during play. Note that having courts reserved on the weekend for private play by groups should not be done during prime hours, given the crush of open play on the courts at these times.I believe that careful consideration should be given to the cost benefit of badges, fees, and restrictions on out of town players. Is it worth it to pay someone to supervise this system or does a better system need to be put into place? Badges and supervision were abandoned for Livingston tennis courts presumably because the situation resolved itself. Long term, it would be helpful if new courts were constructed outside of the school environment (Northland?). This would allow for continuous use of the courts and would not impact on the school schedule. I believe many inputs should be sought from current players to see what would satisfy the needs of the town as well as the current players.Andrew Auerbach23 Orchard Lane ...
