Sports Center By KEN TEUNON
Leadership council member shares his story of activity in the community The Charbonneau community is special to all of us, and we each have our own story on how we got here, and why we chose this beautiful place. But what we
TEUNON didn’ t know when we moved here was what life treasures and challenges lie ahead. Recently I asked a Charbonneau Sports Center Leadership Council member if he would be willing to share his story, because, like many Charbonneau residents, they move here for the activities and end up with lifelong friendships here that become our extended family. Let me introduce to you Ken Teunon.— Lisa Wisthoff
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After 35 years in Tualatin, my wife, Jane, and I moved to Charbonneau in 2008. I was still working, but I was actively involved in playing both golf and tennis. Golf had been a lifelong passion of mine, but I had picked up tennis in the mid-to-late 1970s, when I was around 30 years old.
In those early days, I was part of a group of neighborhood friends who played golf every Saturday morning. We were all married with young children, and it became clear that our golf outings were taking too much time away from our families over the weekend. With significant encouragement from our wives, four of us decided to try something new: tennis.
For years, we played early every Saturday morning at Tigard High School. Rain or shine, we were there, every month of the year. Over time, we all joined tennis clubs. I played at the former Tennis Town and Hampton Courts before finally becoming a member of the Charbonneau Tennis Club in the late 1980s. I also had the privilege of playing on a USTA team for the Irvington Tennis
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Club in Portland.
When I retired in 2009, Jane and I began spending a few months of each winter in Palm Desert, where I was introduced to another sport that would become a new passion: pickleball. I continued to play pickleball in the desert, as well as back home at Wilsonville Memorial Park. In Wilsonville we played twice a week. I continued to play golf, tennis and pickleball until a knee injury stopped me from playing tennis.
A number of years ago, I was asked by Charbonneau Country Club to join a subcommittee to explore the feasibility of introducing pickleball as an activity to be played in Charbonneau. I volunteered to be a member, and the subcommittee originally focused on having pickleball in the Village Center using the two outdoor tennis courts. There was a lot of controversy. which was primarily due to the noise of playing pickleball and the impact on the tennis club. We also explored the potential development of outdoor pickleball courts at Edith Green Park.
After several years of meetings,
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working with consultants and careful deliberation, a decision was made by Charbonneau Country Club to build a structure over the two outdoor tennis courts. This was a win-win solution, benefiting both the tennis club and adding pickleball. The new facility allowed for two additional indoor tennis courts and introduced four pickleball courts.
Unfortunately, I have not been playing any sport for the past 14 months due to a major medical problem that required chemotherapy, radiation and surgery. The friendships I made through living in Charbonneau have provided a great deal of strength and support during this time. I know the relationships I have built by being involved in Charbonneau activities since I moved here helped in my recovery, and I hope to return to golf and pickleball this coming spring.
It has been an exciting and rewarding journey to see pickleball introduced in Charbonneau. I continue to be a member of the Sports Center Leadership Council and enjoy being a part of watching both sports grow.
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