This Week
Staff ohohos by Krista Husa
Clockwise
from top left:
Jewish Community
Center Executive
Director David
Sorkin discusses
details of the
health and
fitness complex
renovations to
begin this summer.
Max Kreitman
of West Bloomfield
and Dr. Alan
Reinstein
finish another
twice-weekly
_ game together,
started more than
15 years ago.
Marc Gloverman
of Farmington
Hills, Lloyd Snider
of West Bloomfield
and Dr. Alan
Reinstein of
Farmington
Hills chat after
racquetball.
Racket At The JCC
Planned closing of racquetball, squash courts has players up in arms, but JCC may reconsider.
SHARON LUCKERMAN
Steil Writer
A
5/31
2002
14
t least twice a week, Dr. Alan
Reinstein, 53, of Farmington
Hills plays racquetball at the
Jewish Community Center
in West Bloomfield. Over the past 25
years, he and the other players have
developed a close-knit community that
shares not only competitive exercise, but
also life's joys and sorrows.
That community's routine is now
threatened with the announcement
that the JCC will do away with the 16
racquetball and squash courts during
its final phase of major renovation,
which includes creating a state-of-the-
art health club and fitness complex.
"I can't imagine a business that throws
away loyal customers for new ones you
can't count on," Dr. Reinstein said. Its
the camaraderie I'll miss most."
Renovation to the JCC sports and
fitness wing is budgeted at $7 million.
An extra $4 million is needed to pre-
serve even half the courts, said David
Sorkin, JCC executive director.
In response to protests by the nearly
200 racquetball, handball and squash
and double squash players, the JCC
board may consider raising money for
the two-story renovation of eight courts.
Within a week of the players learn-
ing last week about the courts' closing,
the JCC held two meetings. The sec-
ond was a two-hour discussion with
23 racquetball players.
"After much yelling and screaming,
it was time to ask, 'What can we do
together?' " Sorkin said.
The result was a meeting open to
those interested in exploring ways to
raise the needed $4 million. It was led
by Sharon Hart, JCC president; Hugh
Greenberg, chairman of the JCC capi-
tal campaign; and Mort Plotnick, JCC
fund-raising consultant.
"We will schedule a board meeting
in the very near future to have a full
discussion on the whole issue of the
racquetball courts, and what we
should or shouldn't do to rectify the
concerns the people have," Hart said.
"Until we have this meeting, we're
not in a position to really disclose
what we're going to do — whether we
can raise the sufficient funds to main-
tain the racquetball courts or whether
we're not able to do that at all. At this
point, it's open-ended."
But Dr. Reinstein holds out little hope.
"Looking at this as a business person,
saving the courts will never happen," he
said. The [construction] machines are
ready to start this summer. If we would
have known about this two or three years 3
ago,
b this would have been a fantastic idea a