Below: Superintendent Art Ebert leads the unveiling ceremony. Dennis Volkert/Sentinel
By Dennis Volkert
A ribbon-cutting was held Tuesday for the newly resurfaced tennis courts at Sturgis Middle School.
The unveiling was followed by a day of matches involving Bethel University, Spring Arbor University, and Trine University, at both SMS and Augspurger.
Superintendent Art Ebert led the ceremony, and members of Sturgis Area Chamber of Commerce were present for the ribbon-cut.
Owen-Ames Kimball built the courts.
Subcontractors for the project include: Burgess Concrete, Justice Fence, Lounsbury Excavation, Oswalt Electric, Racquet Sports, Slager Caulking, Southern Bleacher and We Build Fun — Pergola.
Ebert thanked subcontractors and made special mention of two from Owens-Ames Kimball, Bill Cox and Dan Eaton, who also attended the ceremony.
“Dan was on-site every day, directly overseeing the project,” Ebert said. “Bill bailed us out (Monday). When he learned that we had snapped a net cord, he picked up a new net from Grand Rapids and delivered it to us, to ensure we were all set for the event.”
Two alumni of Sturgis High School participated in the tennis matches Tuesday: Walter Ebert (class of 2023), for Spring Arbor, and Christian Perry (class of 2024), for Trine.
Sturgis Public Schools Board of Education approved the resurfacing project in October 2023.
The previous courts were built in 2004, with funding that was part of a 2000 bond. In recent years, there was an increase in foundational and drainage issues. It had become unsafe for use, with large cracks in multiple areas.
The process toward reconstruction began in 2016, when TowerPinkster recommended removal and replacement of the courts within 10 years.
In early 2020, the district explored options and placed the project on a 10-year capital improvement plan, with a public improvement fund set-aside. Additional analysis followed in spring 2021.
