Tennis courts open in Ranchos

The new tennis courts in the Mitch Drive Park in the Gardnerville Ranchos are complete and ready for action.

The courts are green with red outlying areas. There are two practice courts outside the 10-foot chainlink fence which is surrounded with newly installed landscaping, picnic tables and benches.

Parking is on Mitch Drive next to East Fork Fire & Paramedic Districts Station 7. A trail from the parking area leads to the courts and continues around the 20-acre park.

The first phase of landscaping for the park is complete, with the possibility of picnic grounds or volleyball courts. The district board is taking suggestions from the Ranchos community for any other future projects they would like to see on Mitch Drive, contingent on board approval.

Mitch Drive Park, neighborhood "pocket parks," and the Bluerock Park and trail system have been made possible from the sale of previously open space.

District Manager Bob Spellberg said his staff is capable of doing the work on street and sewer projects, as well as parks and recreation projects.

"We save a lot of money for the district when we do the work ourselves," Spellberg said.

The 2007-08 budget for the Gardnerville Ranchos General Improvement District was approved May 17.

Some of the projects scheduled this year in the Ranchos:

-- Water line upgrades are planned for Kingston Way, Monarch Lane, Bolivia and Franklin ways. There is a goal of completing the installation of the water meter in Ranchos Estates.

-- The district has until January 2009 to retire Well 5 on Kimmerling Lane. A contractor has been chosen to drill for a test well within Mitch Park this year.

-- GRGID has applied for a solar power rebate from Sierra Pacific Power Co. New solar panels will provide power the district office and two work shops.

-- Spellberg is working to expand the old Ranchos fire house on Mitch Drive to use as a maintenance shop for fire vehicles.