Effort nets new courts at Agoura High
By Stephanie Bertholdo bertholdo@theacorn.com

JANN HENDRY/Acorn Newspapers SHOT IN THE ARM- Tyler Smith hits a forehand to her opponent on the newly renovated Agoura High School tennis courts.

The tennis courts at Agoura High School are near completion thanks to a collaboration between the city of Agoura Hills, the school district and local residents.

The refurbished tennis courts with new lighting, fencing and entryway cost the city $336,000, said Nick Newkirk, Agoura Hills community services coordinator. Malibu Pacific Tennis Courts, Inc. handled the project.

Newkirk said all nine courts at Agoura High received the upgrades and one court was repaved with concrete.

Residents will no longer be required to pay for nighttime lighting, Newkirk said. New lighting timers allow residents to just turn a knob for illumination.

Two of the courts that previously operated without lights now have a new lighting system, Newkirk said. One court remains without lights because it lacked the necessary electrical circuitry.

The tennis court project was brought to life by several determined residents who convinced the city to stretch its dollars and provide a helping hand to the budget-conscious high school.

In 2006, Amy Brink-Jones, director of community services for the city's recreation department, was ready to move ahead with plans to improve Morrison Park, the last of six city parks scheduled upgrades. But some residents living near the park didn't want tennis courts. Instead, they wanted to maintain the park as a gathering place where young families could have picnics, and children could simply romp.

To meet the need for additional courts, a plan was hatched to refurbish the ones at Agoura High School under the condition that two of the courts would be open to the public during the school day.

The city already had a partnership in place with the Las Virgenes Unified School District and had been paying for Agoura High School's tennis court lighting for many years. Residents who had been entitled to use the courts after school, in the evening and on weekends are now allowed to use the two courts during the school day.

Morrison Park still got its face lift. A full-size basketball court was installed a year ago, and new restrooms were constructed. Newkirk said the city conducts basketball classes for kids at the park.

"It was a great collaborative effort between the city of Agoura Hills and the Las Virgenes Unified School District," Newkirk said. "The ultimate result is a tennis center we can be really proud of."