Cobb’s Hill is (getting) back to business!

The Fitness Ladies at the Tony Boler Basketball Courts at Cobb’s Hill, 5/16/20 Photos: David Kramer

On March 19th, Cobb’s Hill is open for business celebrated the throngs of people enjoying our urban natural oasis, Cobb’s Hill. [FULL SERIES AT END]

Unfortunately, reality intruded. As seen in the April 1st Cobb’s Hill is closed for business (only a little), per order of the city of Rochester, the rims of the basketball hoops and the tennis court nets were removed. The RCAC baseball season was cancelled. Monroe High School and School of the Arts baseball teams would not be swinging for Culver Road on Field # 1. The volleyball and footbag players disbanded. [FULL SERIES AT END]

On May 15th, Rochester began phase one of its reopening. We are not out of the woods yet, by a long shot, but the tennis nets are re-installed. The basketball rims are still down, but hopefully can be re-installed as we move through the re-opening phases. Roc Softball at Cobb’s Hill is hoping to begin play on July 1st.

Today, under sunny skies with temperatures in the low 60s, the park was crowded with cabin fevered citizens getting needed fresh air and exercise. Admittedly, too few masks were visible, but groups on the slopes kept social distance.

At the Water Works Building, three women, from Syracuse and Webster, were doing jumping exercises.

A big draw was the WWII Whiskey 7 flyovers honoring first responders and essential workers in upstate New York. MadMax (P-51) and Whiskey-7’s morning flight route went from Geneseo to Fredonia, Buffalo, Niagara Falls, Batavia, ending in the Rochester International Airport. The vintage warplanes flew near Cobb’s Hill and over Pinnacle Hill around 11:30 am.

When I arrived at about 10 am, every court was taken. Brendan from News 10 covered the tennis opening during a short lull. But I saw players all day.

The two sisters are from Manhattan. For about two months, they’ve lived with relatives in our area. Compared with the NY/NJ metropolitan area, in the Finger Lakes region we have truly been fortunate. The players’ friends on the bench described themselves as brothers reuniting over tennis.

At 3 pm, the courts were filled. I met Nazareth students, Kimmy and Lexie in hammocks.

Kimmy was reading Life Is a Joke: 100 Life Lessons (with Punch Lines), Javna Brothers, 2017, found at the Little Free library across from Francis Parker School # 23 on Edgerton Street. To the library, she donated “Multiplication Is for White People”: Raising Expectations for Other People’s Children (Lisa Delpit, 2013). An education major, Kimmy reccomends highly. 

As for Life is a Joke, Kimmy says the Javna brothers do not actually think life is a joke. Joke actually offers good life lessons, with punchlines.

At the Little Free library, Kimmy’s donated book was long gone. The librararians who man the green mini-house see at least 10 people a day take or leave reading material.

I umpire softball at Cobb’s Hill and often receive updates on when the season can start. Mostly, leagues are looking at July 1st. The guys I met play in Webster and heard the Webster Rec League is hoping to play in June.

They miss their favorite sport.  I did mention that fans may be limited when games resumed. The guy with the Yankees hat to the right — the team manager — says that won’t be a big problem. His girlfriend is the team’s only fan.

This man at the Fitness Center was in an upbeat mood. He said the Hill was coming back, and Rochestarians would battle though the pandemic.

The basketball nets are down, but as former Roberts Weslyan College basketball player Brian Szczepanski  says, the the lines are still up. Brian was “running characters,” that is, doing pivots, side steps and dribbling exercises at various spots on the court.  Before, the rims return, Brian’s goal is to be basketball ready, while his adversaries will be huffing and puffing.

I also met the “Fitness Ladies.” (pictured above). The woman in the red cap works at Roc Fitness and is itching to be back at the gym. The woman kneeling on the bench work outs at Cromartie Fitness & Wellness Therapy. She was happy to show off the exercise outfit designed by her friend Brianna Cromartie. Brianna is passionate about helping transform people’s lives through a holistic approach to body and soul.

THE COBB’S HILL SERIES 

Atop Cobb’s Hill, the Magic 8 Ball is asked: “Will the world end on Thursday?”

Cobb’s Hill is closed for business (only a little)

Cobb’s Hill is open for business

Eric Kemperman, Brighton High School ’81, is back in town and sledding!

What’s a little snow at the Cobb’s Hill ultimate frisbee game

Adding the first pull up at the new Cobb’s Hill Fitness Court to the Cobb’s Hill series

The Terquasquicentennial of the Day of Wrath and the Great Disappointment atop Cobb’s Hill. Are the ascension robes a myth?

At Cobb’s Hill, a tree, a plaque and fifty years after the death of Shirley Louise Anderson

The RCAC is back at Cobb’s Hill (where Johnny Antonelli struck out 20)

Adding Audrey to the Cobb’s Hill Series

On the trail behind Cobbs Hill Village

Adding the very first shot at the Tony Boler Courts, 9:07 a.m., to the Cobb’s Hill series

Adding a SOTA baseball game and the Air Horn guy to the Cobb’s Hill series

Keeping score at Cobb’s Hill

Will the world end already?

Adding a snow day to the Cobb’s Hill series

Adding Yeshiva football to the Cobb’s Hill series

In search of Talker on Cobb’s Hill for “The Day of Wrath”

The Graffiti Towers of Washington Grove: A Photographic Gallery

Adding a wooded haven to the Cobb’s Hill series with a stroll through Washington Grove

Adding a March blizzard to the Cobb’s Hill series

172 years ago when the Millerites trudged down Cobb’s Hill

42 years and counting for the Kick Ass Kro-Kay Club of Cobb’s Hill

Once more into the breech on the banks of Lake Riley

Flowering Upper Monroe

Ultimate spring fever at Cobb’s Hill

On a mound at Cobb’s Hill And how the City of Rochester handles its loose leaves.

Cobb’s Hill welcomes the Ninth Cobb’s Hill Cyclocross

Diehards and the Cobb’s Hill Tennis Courts

Back to normalcy at Cobb’s Hill basketball

Rochester’s own street ball Rucker League

The 8th Annual Festival of Softball: After 800 Innings the “Tribute to Noah” nears $100,000

That Championship Season thirty five years later

The Cobb’s Hill tragedy of an “invisible man” ten years later

On the 22nd of October, 1844 on top of Cobb’s Hill

Adding a snow day to the Cobb’s Hill series

Adding Yeshiva football to the Cobb’s Hill series

In search of Talker on Cobb’s Hill for “The Day of Wrath”

The Graffiti Towers of Washington Grove: A Photographic Gallery

Adding a wooded haven to the Cobb’s Hill series with a stroll through Washington Grove

Adding a March blizzard to the Cobb’s Hill series

172 years ago when the Millerites trudged down Cobb’s Hill

42 years and counting for the Kick Ass Kro-Kay Club of Cobb’s Hill

Once more into the breech on the banks of Lake Riley

Flowering Upper Monroe

Ultimate spring fever at Cobb’s Hill

On a mound at Cobb’s Hill And how the City of Rochester handles its loose leaves.

Cobb’s Hill welcomes the Ninth Cobb’s Hill Cyclocross

Diehards and the Cobb’s Hill Tennis Courts

Back to normalcy at Cobb’s Hill basketball

Rochester’s own street ball Rucker League

The 8th Annual Festival of Softball: After 800 Innings the “Tribute to Noah” nears $100,000

That Championship Season thirty five years later

The Cobb’s Hill tragedy of an “invisible man” ten years later

On the 22nd of October, 1844 on top of Cobb’s Hill