As property owners in the town of Potsdam and passionate pickleball players, we’ve faced significant frustrations with the management of the Sandstoner Courts, currently overseen by the North Country Pickleball Club (NCPC). Our concerns revolve around the lack of transparency, arbitrary treatment of members, and the inappropriate conduct of a village official. This taxpayer-funded facility is being managed like a private club, excluding many players, including ourselves.

Our membership, granted by Trey Smutz, Director of the Potsdam Recreation Department (who has no authority over the courts), was revoked by NCPC leaders. They claimed the club had too many members, despite allowing others to join during the same period. The NCPC offers lifetime memberships to Potsdam residents for $60 and charges non-residents $125 annually. However, they have granted lifetime memberships to non-residents who are friends of the board, demonstrating clear favoritism.

Five of the nine NCPC board members don’t pay Potsdam taxes, despite controlling a taxpayer-funded facility. We suspect our membership was denied due to our association with a friend who was banned from the courts over a minor tournament dispute. Her one-month ban was extended indefinitely, and there are ongoing rumors of further scrutiny if she’s allowed to return. This has fostered a toxic environment where members distance themselves from her to avoid jeopardizing their own memberships.

The club’s membership policies are inconsistent, and court time is often left unused because it’s controlled by lifetime members. This prevents many eager players from accessing the courts, which goes against the very purpose of public facilities.

Fortunately, Mayor Alexandra Wilke and Town Supervisor Marty Miller have acknowledged our concerns and are working to address these issues. The village is revising its policies to ensure fair and transparent management of the courts, and plans to hire an assistant recreation director to oversee court access.

We urge the community to support these efforts to ensure Sandstoner Courts are managed fairly and transparently. Public facilities should serve all residents, not just a select few. We remain hopeful that these issues will be resolved, and the courts will become a welcoming space for all.

John and Kimberly LaShomb
Norfolk