Now that I’ve got all of you humming away to the beat of the iconic hit for the next couple of hours, answer me this! What do the local dreams of new dedicated pickleball courts in Parksville, the Beegees, a shiny brand new pickleball paddle, John Travolta, proper AED use, Saturday Night Fever, good pickleball form, and bellbottoms have in common? Now before all of you go running to that storage chest to get out those bellbottoms and see if they still fit … I bet you probably guessed it! That’s right, the Beegee’s iconic hit “Stayin’ Alive” which won the Grammy award for Song of the Year in 1979! All of the above items can be identified with the late 70’s iconic hit, which I know for a fact that ALL of you remember fondly! Read on to discover the theme of this month’s Gherkin Gazette, “Stayin’ Alive!” …
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“Stayin’ Alive” With Practice and Drills To Improve Your Skills!
If you want to keep “Stayin’ Alive” during that hard-fought pickleball game, remember that practice and drills improve your skills! OPC will once again be offering drill sessions to our members every Tuesday beginning July 16th from noon until 1:00 PM. In order to offer meaningful drill sessions to all OPC Members participating, weekly
online signup using SignUp Genius has been instituted.
All OPC Members will be given the opportunity to signup for the following weeks Tuesday drills session every Tuesday night between 9 PM and 10 PM. There will be a maximum of 32 players who can attend that weeks’ session. A SignUp Genius button for the next weeks’ session has been added to the right sidebar of our OPC website so all those can just go into the SignUp Genius website and signup. You can press it now to test it, but it doesn’t become active for the next available session on July 23rd until between 9 PM and 10 PM this Tuesday night, July 16th. And so on and so on for all the Tuesdays hereafter until further notice. Easy peasy, eh?
Just think … even YOU can be like Karen, Sue, and Ylda in this picture and be “paddles up and always ready” just like them. Great form, ladies! All you have to do is wait till every Tuesday evening, and between 9 PM and 10 PM come back into the OPC website to sign up for one of the available 32 spots for the following weeks’ session!
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Ladder Play Concept “Stayin’ Alive!”
Ladder play has proven positive with those taking part! Our ladder play concept is 
now officially halfway through it’s testing phase, and so far we have rave reviews!
OPC Member Mark Anstey proposed a ladder play concept for our club, and as you know we have been testing Mark’s concept on Thursdays for the past two weeks. There are Thursdays left in July to join the OPC Ladder Play test, and as of July 14th we have five spots open for July 18th, and only three spots available for July 25th. If you are interested in joining our ladder play for either of these dates, please press the SignUp Genius button on the right sidebar to register today.
On the day of the ladder play, if you are one of the lucky ones who have registered please check in with Mark Anstey outside the courts between 11:00 AM and 11:30 AM, and make sure you check in with Mark no later than 11:30 AM. OPC Members who are not registered can leave their name with Mark as well, and have their name added to a “spares” list” in the event that one of the registered online players is a no show. Spares will be added in place of a registered player after 11:30 AM and the no show registered player will lose their spot on the ladder for that week. Make sure you see Mark outside the courts between 11 and 11:30!
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New Pickleball Courts Update … Stayin Alive!
Come on, admit it now … I bet ALL of you remember Elvis in the iconic 1962 movie “Follow That Dream” … am I right?
Well maybe not, but following a dream is exactly what the local Oceanside Pickleball Stakeholders have been doing so very diligently on behalf of all picklers in the Oceanside area. Our dream of new pickleball courts began nearly two years ago when a group of dedicated and enthusiastic pickleball players presented their dream to the City Council at the City of Parksville (CoP) in late October of 2017. The City Council of the day listened and then approved funds from the CoP budget in 2018 and 2019 for the design and eventual construction of the new courts. Two years and a new City Council later, we finally have the first phase approved by Council. On Wednesday, July 3rd, Council approved to award a professional services contract to an engineering company respondent to begin the design phase of the new courts at Springwood Park. As reported 
at the July 3rd Council Meeting by the CoP Engineering Department … “starting this project immediately will allow for more extensive discussions with user groups and Council during the siting development stage while preserving the ability to post the construction tender in December/January when pricing is most competitive. This will also allow for early spring construction with the goal of works being complete prior to the summer and increased demand for outdoor recreation opportunities.”
Hopefully, one day soon, we too can realize the dream of all of us and have new dedicated pickleball courts just like our friends in Red Deer, Alberta, seen above. Thank you Oceanside Pickleball Stakeholders for holding on to that dream to make sure its “Stayin Alive!”
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Dr. Jo Shows AED Course Participants His “Stayin’ Alive” Dance Moves!
John Travolta, take note!!! You should have seen the way Dr. Jo and Art Cochrane started the AED Course held on Thursday, July 11th! A little Beegee’s Stayin’ Alive playing on the Bose speaker and the AED course participants learned how to do proper CPR chest compressions to the beat!
Thirteen OPC Members signed up for AED and basic CPR training which was held at the Parksville Community Centre on Thursday, July 11th to learn about our AED unit that is kept hanging on the fence between the benches in the staging area every OPC playday. After all, what good is the AED if nobody knows how to use it? Thank you to all who participated in the AED Course this past week … we stand ready, willing and able to help with an emergency for all the members!
You’ll find the AED unit hanging right beside the new orange medical bag that Dr. Jo spent a lot of time reorganizing so that we are all safe. Thanks, Jo! Oh, but don’t give up your day job (like you actually have one anyway) and take up dancing!
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“Stayin’ Alive” On Paddle Day With Alex!
Now before some of you let your minds wander before hearing the whole story … OPC 
will be introducing a Paddle Demo Day on Tuesday, July 23rd! Our good friend and OPC Member, Alex Gendron will be hosting a “paddle demo day” for all OPC members to come down to the courts where they can test one of the many new paddles Alex has available for sale to OPC Members. Looking to up your game? Maybe it’s time to think about some NEW equipment! New paddle perhaps, your own net, maybe a couple of balls to practice at home with? Ditch that old piece of plywood and test something new with Alex before you open your wallet and buy something at one of the local retailers. We know you’ll find Alex’s prices MORE than fair too! Come and try something new!
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Welcome back to our Sponsor’s Corner in our mid-month Gherkin Gazette! This section of our newsletter gives our Financial Patrons the opportunity to showcase 
information pertaining to their personal business dealings here in Oceanside. It is important for us as a club to support our sponsors in any way we can by giving them the opportunity to interact with our club whenever possible. Read on for more!
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Glen McPherson has been one of our financial supporters for a few years now, and he deserves your business! Glen has had a busy month as the exclusive listing realtor for the new Oceanside Villas development across from Wembley Mall.
“Oceanside Villas have lifestyle in mind with their ideal location combining coastal living and urban conveniences. Amenities and shopping are only a two minute walk away with Wembley Mall directly across the highway. Enjoy the sand beach, Foster park and nature trails only a short walk away. The upcoming 62 home development delivers upscale, quality crafted 2, 3 and 4 bedroom homes combining modern finishing with traditional architecture.” You can check out Glen’s latest project … Oceanside Villas … click here.
Whether looking for a new home or perhaps relocating to the oceanside community of Parksville, Glen is a realtor you can trust! Glen listed these properties on Monday, June 18th, and sales are going strong!! Looking for a new home or know somebody who may be looking to relocate to our beautiful oceanside city, give Glen a call at (250) 248-5600 today!
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Todd Sjogren from BMO Nesbitt Burns is a personal long-time supporter of OPC Pickleball Club. Todd’s summers continue to be very busy with family commitments, and his weekends and summers are booked solid with his growing family. For more information on Todd Sjogren … press here .
Todd would like you to know the benefits and flexibility provided by a Tax-Free Savings Account (TFSA) make it an ideal solution to save for multiple financial goals. While TFSA contributions are not tax deductible; they grow tax-free, can be withdrawn tax-free at any time, and
there are no restrictions on how you use the funds once they’re withdrawn from your TFSA. Check out more on how Having A TFSA Works and could potentially work for you!
If you have any further questions about this document, or just need help in these areas at all, Todd can be reached at (250) 248-2489 and his new offices are located at #2 826 West Island Highway, Parksville, BC, in the Wembley Mall. He would be thrilled to help you! Thanks, Todd!
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Keith Anderson from BMO Nesbitt Burns is another of our important financial patrons who has supported OPC Pickleball Club for a very long time. Keith is married to his wonderful and supportive wife Lynn; they celebrated 35 years together in May. They have two talented, compassionate, and beautiful daughters Erin and Beth who are learning their way.
Keith has had the privilege of being associated with BMO Nesbitt Burns for the past twelve years. He truly enjoys the entrepreneurial, supportive, and fun culture of his firm. For more information on how Keith Anderson … press here and see how Keith may be able to help you!
A lot of you from our club snowbird down to the US on a regular basis. If you plan to spend your winters in the U.S., you should be concerned with more than just ensuring your passport is up-to-date and that your bags are packed. Snowbirds – Canadian residents who spend part of each year in the United States – need to be aware of the potential liability to pay U.S. income tax on the same basis as a permanent U.S. resident. Make sure you check out the article Canadian Snowbirds and U.S. Income Tax for more information!
Keith’s other loves are golf, curling and fishing. He can spend lots of time over the bar-b-que, cooking and spending time with family at home, or traveling to interesting places. Keith is presently enjoying a trip to the British Open at the Royal Portrush Golf club in Northern Ireland! Keith also enjoys music of many types and dabbles at the guitar. He also enjoys community service and has been a Rotarian for over 20 years, a board member of the local Chamber of Commerce for seven, and served on many other community boards. He also really enjoys most sports – his favorite being hockey, and he has been a passionate Canuck fan for forty years. OPC thanks Keith for being such a longtime supporter of our club!
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It’s All About The Numbers!
The number of members, the numbers in the daily attendance and finally! We have our court numbers back! But there’s a change! See if YOU can figure it out with these pictures, and we’ll see you on the courts soon!
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That’s about it for this third issue of the Gherkin Gazette. For more information through the month, check back on this website regularly, and be sure to catch up courtside at the 10:30 whistle in case I have any announcements! And I almost always do!
See you soon, courtside! … Keith H.
