Sat, 09 Jan 2010 22:24:46
Astors Beechwood sold to fourth richest man in the world, Larry Ellison. There are still plenty of other mansions in Newport that are open to the public. While viewing these mansions, consider staying at The Spring Seasons Inn, your Newport destination getaway.By Richard Salit

Journal Staff Writer

NEWPORT — Oracle founder Lawrence Ellison, a yachtsman described as the fourth-richest man in the world, has apparently purchased Astors’ Beechwood, the storied mansion on Bellevue Avenue.

Ellison, who was competing in Newport last summer with his BMW Oracle Racing team, is linked to a deed filed at City Hall on Wednesday that documents the $10.5-million sale of the 39-room estate “where American society began.”

The deed transfers ownership of the mansion to Eastern Estates LLC, with an address of 101 Ygnacio Valley Rd., Walnut Creek, Calif. That is also the address of Ellison’s Lawrence Investments venture capital enterprise.

In 1977, Ellison founded Oracle, which is now among the largest software companies in the world. Forbes reports that Ellison’s net worth of $22.5 billion made him the fourth-richest person in the world in 2009. He owns several mega-yachts, including the five-story, 453-foot Rising Sun.

Time once described Ellison — who races yachts, flies jet-fighter planes, has engineered hostile takeovers and brashly attacked rival Microsoft — as “the flashy antihero of Silicon Valley.” The 64-year-old college dropout remains Oracle’s CEO.

Ellison is apparently the mysterious buyer mentioned in court papers filed in October in Superior Court, Newport. That case was brought by a trust that claimed it was owed money by Robert B. Milligan Jr., who for years operated Astors’ Beechwood and is linked to the entity that owns the mansion. The settlement of the case indicated it would be sold for $10.5 million to an unidentified buyer.

Ellison’s name does not appear on any of the property records involving the transaction or the incorporation papers for the entity that purchased the mansion.

Astors’ Beechwood has been used for many years for daily tours that have featured actors portraying staff and members of the Astor family, but it has also hosted special events such as weddings, murder mysteries and Victorian Christmas activities. The settlement indicates that weddings already booked will continue through August.

“I think it’s really interesting. I’m just wondering if he’s going to turn it into a private residence,” said Newport Mayor Jeanne-Marie Napolitano, when she learned of the buyer’s apparent identity. She expressed some regret about the mansion changing hands, saying, “It was a very unique experience for people that had come to Newport and went to some of the other mansions. With the interaction of staff, it was a treat.”

Astors’ Beechwood was built in 1851, then bought and renovated 30 years later by William Backhouse Astor Jr., grandson of John Jacob Astor and heir to the family’s fur trading and real-estate fortune. His wife, Caroline Astor, became known as the “queen of American society.”

“A spectacular testament to the Gilded Age, this Italianate mansion boasts a history as dazzling as its dramatic oceanfront setting,” read one real estate ad for the property.

The Newport law firm representing Eastern Estates has declined comment, and Milligan has not returned calls. Philip B. Simon, the president of Ellison’s Lawrence Investments and the manager of Eastern Estates as listed in state incorporation papers, declined comment.

rsalit@projo.com

Wed, 14 Oct 2009 21:34:18By Thomas J. Morgan
Journal Staff Writer

Philanthropist Brooke Astor shown in a 1998 photo.
NYT / FRED R. CONRAD

Philip C. Marshall, the grandson of the late Brooke Astor, a New York philanthropist who spent her early years in Newport, said Tuesday that now that his father has been convicted in the Brooke Astor will case, he expects the will to be contested by various charities.

Marshall, who touched off the chain of events that led to the conviction of his father, Anthony D. Marshall, said he has no quarrel with the New York jury verdict last week that found his father guilty of taking advantage of his grandmother’s dementia to enrich himself at her expense.

“I know the jurors really took this seriously, as they should,” said Marshall, who teaches historic preservation at Roger Williams University in Bristol, and who spoke from Nashville, where he is attending a professional conference. “I agree with the jury in terms of the guilty verdict.” He said he also expects the case will draw national attention to the issue of elder abuse.

Marshall said that now that the criminal trial has ended, it is likely that a civil court battle involving various parties who stand to benefit — or not — from the inheritance will resume. He said that although he personally will benefit from the will, he does not want any of the money that his grandmother intended to go to charity, a lifelong crusade of Astor.

Astor gave millions to libraries, museums and other New York institutions, according to the Associated Press. Her motto was, “Money is like manure — it should be spread around.”

When Astor died, her estate was estimated at $180 million, although its current value is probably much less, Marshall said.

Anthony D. Marshall, Astor’s son, faces up to 25 years in prison when he is sentenced in December. The jury on Thursday found him guilty of first-degree larceny for looting the estate of $1 million while he was managing his mother’s finances. Francis X. Morrissey, a codefendant and estate planner, was convicted of forgery.

At issue were amendments to Astor’s will. Astor, who died two years ago at the age of 105, was not competent at that time to authorize such a change, which granted Anthony Marshall additional control of the estate, the prosecution contended.

Philip Marshall in July 2006 touched off the chain of events leading to his father’s conviction when he filed civil court papers that accused his father, Astor’s guardian, of neglect. He complained that the elder Marshall had allowed Astor to sleep in soiled clothing on a dirty couch and to live on a diet of oatmeal and peas, among other offenses.

According to a settlement announced in October 2006, Anthony Marshall was replaced as Astor’s guardian by the JPMorgan Chase bank and Annette de la Renta, wife of Oscar de la Renta, the fashion designer.

“The battle is now going to continue in several arenas,” Philip Marshall said, “because the will is being contested.” He said that in his civil court filing he submitted a 1997 will, contending that this is the document that should stand. He said the 2004 will, which was a focal point of his father’s prosecution, came too late in his grandmother’s life for her to properly comprehend what she was doing.

“The whole probate case got put on hold earlier this year” while the criminal case proceeded. “Now, it will start up again,” he said.

Involved are charities named in the will.

While the value of the estate was estimated at $180 million at Astor’s death in 2007, that figure has probably been reduced considerably by the financial landslide that has plagued the world since then, Marshall said. “I don’t want that money,” he said. “My grandmother always wanted that money to go to charity, to New Yorkers.”

Widowed in the 1950s, Astor married Vincent Astor, oldest son of John Jacob Astor IV, who went down with the Titanic. The family fortune came from the original John Jacob Astor, a 19th-century fur trader and New York real estate investor.

Explore the treasures of Newport and beyond (including some of the Astor’s homes) from our exquisite bed and breakfast Newport RI lodging hideaway. At The Spring Seasons Inn, your exclusive Rhode Island adventure awaits.

Wed, 17 Jun 2009 22:12:35East Coast Swing: On the Bay
- Two night accommodation for two including a full breakfast.
- Harbor tour, Gansett Cruises or Sightsailing (an additional $10.00)
- After your harbor cruise, you’re only a few short steps to a romantic dinner at Fluke Restaurant on Banisters Wharf ($60 voucher).

For Victoria’s Room, midweek cost is $330, weekend cost is $430, taxes not included.
For the Venice Suite, midweek cost is $430, weekend cost is $530, taxes not included.
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Please reserve by phone for any of these packages.

Also, The Spring Seasons Inn in Newport, Rhode Island has discounted tickets available to:
Rough Point – Newport home of Doris Duke.
International Tennis Hall of Fame and Museum
Astor’s Beechwood Mansion
Belcourt Castle
Preservation Society of Newport Mansions
Easton’s Beach Snack Bar

Wed, 03 Jun 2009 22:00:01International Tennis Hall of Fame & Museum

Advertisement
NEWPORT, RI – The International Tennis Hall of Fame & Museum has announced that Fern Lee “Peachy” Kellmeyer, is the 2009 recipient of the prestigious Golden Achievement Award. The Golden Achievement Award is given jointly by the International Tennis Hall of Fame and the International Tennis Federation and presented annually on a worldwide basis to individuals who have made important contributions internationally to tennis in the fields of administration, promotion or education, and have devoted long and outstanding service to the sport.

Presentation of this year’s Golden Achievement Award will be made Tuesday, June 2, 2009 at the ITF Champions Dinner at the Pavillon d’Armenonville in Paris, France in conjunction with Roland Garros (May 24-June 7). Presentation of the Golden Achievement Award will be made by Sir James Harvie-Watt, International Tennis Hall of Fame Executive Committee Member, and Francesco Ricci Bitti, President of the International Tennis Federation (ITF). Also in attendance will be the past two Golden Achievement Award recipients, Juan Maria Tintore (2008) and Nancy Jeffett (2007).

Peachy Kellmeyer has made a tremendous contribution to the sport of tennis during her lifetime as a player, coach, Sony Ericsson WTA Tour executive and tireless pioneer for women’s rights in the sport. She has dedicated her life’s work to the sport of tennis, and has been an influential figure in women’s professional tennis for more than three decades. She has been instrumental in building the Tour into the global circuit and internationally popular sport that it is today, and has not only led the Tour’s operations, player and tournament relations, but also been at the center of all major Tour and Board policy decisions for the past 35 years.

Kellmeyer has been a senior executive with the Sony Ericsson WTA Tour since 1973, most recently serving as Senior Vice President of Tour Operations overseeing player commitments, the Tour calendar, overall Tour operations and a $3.5 million bonus pool. Kellmeyer officially retired at the end of 2008 however she continues working with the WTA as Tour Operations Executive Consultant.

Kellmeyer has been a key member in the leadership of women’s professional tennis since taking over as Executive Director of the Virginia Slims circuit in the mid-1970s, and has been part of the WTA Board of Directors in various capacities. It was during her tenure that women’s tennis exploded in popularity in the 1970s and 1980s, when prize money, attendance, and worldwide exposure for the game skyrocketed. She played a pivotal role in the Tour’s successful and historic effort to achieve equal prize money; having brought the first women’s tennis event to Madison Square Garden; and in the development of the Tour’s new Roadmap circuit structure that will result in a shortened and streamlined Tour calendar featuring bigger events with more stars and rivalries beginning in 2009.

Another of Kellmeyer’s great achievements came while she was the Physical Education Director at Marymount College in Boca Raton, FL. In the fight for athletic scholarships for women, Kellmeyer spearheaded a lawsuit that ultimately led to the dismantling of the rule that prohibited athletic scholarships for female athletes at colleges across the nation. This landmark case paved the way for the historic creation of Title IX, and contributed greatly to the influx of female athletes in intercollegiate athletics in the United States.

Kellmeyer is a native of Charleston, West Virginia and graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Education from the University of Miami. She also has a Master’s degree in Education from Florida Atlantic University. She currently resides in St. Petersburg, Florida.

Past recipients of the Golden Achievement Award are: Brian Tobin of Australia (1999); Gil de Kermadec of France (2000); Pablo Llorens Reñaga of Spain (2001); Enrique Morea of Argentina (2002); J. Howard “Bumpy” Frazer of the United States (2003); John Curry of Great Britain (2004); Eiichi Kawatei of Japan (2005); James R. Cochrane of Great Britain (2006); Nancy P. Jeffett of the United States (2007); and Juan Maria Tintore of Spain (2008).

Nominations for the Golden Achievement Award are submitted by tennis federations and individuals from around the world, and then voted on by the Golden Achievement Award Selection Committee. For more information, please email newport@tennisfame.com This email address is being protected from spam bots, you need Javascript enabled to view it or visit us online at www.tennisfame.com.

Fri, 15 May 2009 20:00:09May 14, 2009
By Denise Perreault
PBN Staff Writer

NEWPORT – Thanks in large part to state and federal tax credits, the 1831 Aquidneck Mill once again is a functioning center of commerce along the waterfront, housing a visitors center and maritime library for the International Yacht Restoration School (IYRS), as well as 10 private businesses, most related to the marine industry.

The IYRS on Thursday morning held an outdoor ceremony, attended by about 100 people, to formally cut the ribbon of the refurbished four-story mill on lower Thames Street. The nonprofit IYRS was in charge of the nearly two-year project to restore the mill, which had been vacant for many years and is located adjacent to the school.

“This is a story of historic preservation and economic development working in tandem,” Terry Nathan, president of the IYRS, told the gathering. With support from neighbors, the community and various funding groups, as well as the benefits of the tax credits, some 40 people now work at the mill, including IYRS employees Nathan said.

The mill, one of only two surviving in Newport, was built between the Revolutionary era and the Gilded Age, when the city “wasn’t sure what it was going to be” and officials thought the city might become a mill center similar to Fall River, according to Edward Sanderson, executive director of the R.I. Historical Preservation & Heritage Commission. Sanderson and his organization oversaw the historic aspects of the project.

The mill cost about $40,000 to build in the 1830s, Sanderson said, with its granite quarried from nearby Jamestown. During the 19th century it produced cotton textiles, but by the early 20th century the building had become an electricity-generating plant that provided power to homes and street cars.

The nearly $4 million in combined state and federal historic preservation tax credits for the mill’s restoration are “what makes projects like this possible,” Sanderson said. “As Rhode Island struggles with its future, its past presents a pretty good example of what can be done. Good old buildings can be used for lots of things.”

With a largely brick exterior, the mill had all its windows replaced with “exact duplicates” of the original small-paned ones, Sanderson said. Inside, he noted, the mill is modern, with up-to-date facilities for the latest technology and energy efficiency. But, he said, “you can still tell it’s an old building.”

Most of the wide-planked wood floors are the originals, but some have been replaced due to deterioration caused in part by being so close to the ocean, according to John K. Grosvenor, principal of Newport Collaborative Architects, the architecture firm that worked on the project. White walls and white ceilings throughout provide a stark contrast to what look like hand-hewn wood floors, whether old or new. Window sills on the inside are deep and wide, a hallmark of 19th century mill structures.

“This space is wonderful,” said Harry Dunning of Dunning and Associates Yacht Design LLC, which moved its office from overseas in Spain to the Aquidneck Mill in January. Dunning, whose company does most of its work designing yachts for the America’s Cup races, has a corner office with windows overlooking the ocean on two sides, a clean, bright and airy space.
“It certainly is inspiring,” he said of the vista he can see from his desk. “Sometimes I need to lower the blinds because the sun is so strong, but I’m not complaining.”

“One of the best things” about Dunning’s new office, he said, are the people who work with him in the mill. “We have fantastic neighbors and great management,” he said.

Other businesses in the mill are: Boothbay Harbor Shipyard, Confident Captain/Ocean Pros, The Gowrie Group, Hilltop Motors LLC, Jamestown Distributors, Nautor’s Swan, Newport Yacht Management, Wild Things Inc. and Worldways Social Marketing. The nonprofit Rhode Island Foundation’s Newport County Fund also is housed there.

From an architect’s point of view, Grosvenor said, the challenge of renovating the mill was to keep the historic aspects intact while retrofitting the structure for modern use. The tax credits, he said, were “really critical” to getting the project done and are what made the project feasible.
“Otherwise, the mill would have continued to deteriorate,” he said.

Grosvenor said he hopes the General Assembly and state officials “can a find a way to reconfigure” the tax credits so they can stay in place. The Aquidneck Mill received credits of approximately $2.25 million from the state and $1.5 million from the federal government, according to Grosvenor’s calculations.

Due to the state’s budget troubles, the General Assembly last year reduced the tax credit reimbursement rate for existing projects from 27.75 percent to 22 percent, and limited the credits only to those projects submitted before Jan. 1, 2008, effectively ending the program.
Additional information about the Aquidneck Mill Building restoration and International Yacht Restoration School is available at IYRS.org.

Thu, 14 May 2009 19:44:03
For Immediate Release – January 15, 2009
NINE-TIME GRAND SLAM SINGLES CHAMPION MONICA SELES ELECTED TO INTERNATIONAL TENNIS HALL OF FAME

Gimeno, Dell and Johnson Join Seles for Induction this July

Tennis Legend Rod Laver To Be Honored During 2009 Induction Weekend

NEWPORT, RHODE ISLAND, USA – Christopher Clouser, Chairman of the International Tennis Hall of Fame & Museum and Tony Trabert, Hall of Fame President, have announced the names of the newly elected members to the International Tennis Hall of Fame. Leading the Induction Class of 2009 is nine­time Grand Slam Singles Champion and former World No.1 Monica Seles.

Joining Seles for Hall of Fame induction is one of Spain’s most prominent tennis players of the 1960s, Andres Gimeno, who has been elected in the Master Player category. In addition, elected in the Contributor category are Donald L. Dell, an industry pioneer and leader in sports marketing, professional sports management and sports television and founder of ProServ; and the late Dr. Robert "Whirlwind" Johnson, founder and director of the American Tennis Association (ATA) Junior Development Program, who worked tirelessly for decades assisting in the development of young African-American tennis players while helping to break the barriers of racial segregation.
"It is our great pleasure to welcome the newest members into the International Tennis Hall of Fame, and to honor them for their brilliant careers and significant achievements in the sport of tennis," said Clouser.

The Hall of Fame’s Class of 2009 Induction Ceremony is slated for Saturday, July 11 in Newport, Rhode Island, during the final weekend of the Campbell’s Hall of Fame Tennis Championships (July 6-12), an ATP World Tour event. The International Tennis Hall of Fame, inclusive of the Class of 2009, now honors 211 champions of tennis representing 18 different countries.

One of the all-time great champions of tennis, "Rocket" Rod Laver, will be in Newport for the Hall of Fame’s Induction Weekend, July 10-12. The International Tennis Hall of Fame will honor Laver, naming him a Hall of Fame Life Trustee and will celebrate the 40th Anniversary of Laver’s second career Grand Slam triumph. Laver, inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 1981, is the only player in the history of tennis to capture two career Grand Slams -1962 and 1969.

Monica Seles, now 35, held the World No.1 ranking for 178 weeks (non-consecutive) and captured nine Grand Slam singles titles – four Australian (1991-1993,1996), three at Roland Garros (1990-1992) and two US Opens (1991-1992). Her win-loss record at the Grand Slams was a staggering 43-4 at the Australian, 54-8 at Roland Garros, 30-9 at Wimbledon and 53-10 at the US Open. In a career spanning 15 years, she captured 53 singles titles and six doubles titles and collected well over $14 million in prize money. She won three consecutive year-end WTA Championships (1990-1992) and finished as the world’s No.1 ranked player in both 1991 and 1992.

A natural lefty, wielding double-handed forehands and backhands, she was a determined competitor. Her footwork was impeccable, her groundstrokes powerful and aggressive, and she constantly attacked her opponents with an arsenal of remarkable weapons.

At age 19, Seles had already won eight of her nine singles slams and was at the top of her game. Then in April 1993, during a changeover of her quarterfinal match against Magdalena Maleeva in Hamburg, a fanatical fan of Steffi Graf came out of nowhere and stabbed her in the back, just below her left shoulder blade. The horror of this event sent shockwaves through the tennis community, and 27 months would pass before Seles played competitively again. When she returned to the courts, she was granted a co­No.1 ranking (shared with Steffi Graf) and won her comeback event at the Canadian Open, reached the US Open final, and followed up with her ninth Grand Slam singles championship at the Australian Open (1996).

Born December 2, 1973 in Novi Sad, in what was then Yugoslavia, she moved with her family to the United States in 1987 at the age of 13 to train at the Nick Bollettieri Tennis Academy. On March 16, 1994, she became a U.S. citizen. Seles would play on the United States Fed Cup team for five years (1996, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2002) posting a career 15-2 singles record and a 2-0 doubles record while helping the Americans capture the Cup in 1996, 1999 and 2000. .

Seles remains the youngest champion in history to win at Roland Garros (16 years, 6 months) and was the youngest winner of the Tour Championships (16 years, 11 months) beating Gabriela Sabatini in the first women’s match to extend to five sets since the 1901 U.S. National final. In addition, Seles won the Olympic bronze medal in 2000. Throughout her career, Seles won numerous awards, multiple Player and Athlete of the Year awards, and humanitarian awards. She is currently on the board of the Laureus Sport for Good Foundation and ICL (Institution for Civil Leadership).
Spain’s Master Player Andres Gimeno won the French Open in 1972 at the age of 34 years, 10 months, the oldest champion to grace the red clay at Roland Garros. In addition, he reached the final at the 1969 Australian Open; the semifinals at the 1968 French Open and at Wimbledon in 1970; and the quarterfinals at the 1958 Australian Championships, and the 1960 and 1969 French Championships. Gimeno captured seven singles titles and four doubles titles (in the Open era) and reached a career high ranking of No.9 in the world. As a member of Spain’s Davis Cup team 1958-60, 1972 and 1973, he posted a playing record of 23-10. As one of Spain’s premier amateur sportsmen, he became incredibly popular, as did the sport of tennis, and he became a national hero. In 1960, Gimeno signed on to the professional tennis tour staged by Jack Kramer and was an immediate sensation in the pro ranks ­finishing his first series second only to Pancho Gonzalez. Wielding a great overhead smash, strong volleys, a formidable forehand and with exceptional grace and balance, Gimeno’s career is highlighted in the sport’s amateur and professional periods, and then crossed into the Open era of tennis.

Donald L. Dell has spent his life in the forefront of the sport of tennis. As a player, he was a U.S. Davis Cup team member from 1961-64. As a non-playing captain of the 1968 and 1969 U.S. Davis Cup teams, he became the youngest U.S. captain and the first in 20 years to regain and successfully defend the Cup in consecutive years. He reached his highest U.S. singles ranking of No.4 in 1961, and made it to No.1 in doubles in 1962-63. Dell also represented the U.S. State Department on two world tennis tours (1961 and 1965) and was the first American in history to play competitive tennis in the Soviet Union (1961).

During the Open era, Dell’s business career took off as he dove into the sports marketing and management arena and became the first person to represent and manage the careers of tennis players, beginning with Arthur Ashe and Stan Smith. Players faced an uncertain future as tennis became a professional sport, and Dell persevered to develop future player opportunities, recognizing an athlete’s need for sound career management and the development of effective sports marketing programs. He is credited with having developed some of the most significant and long-lasting partnerships between sponsors and sports properties and he has negotiated over a billion dollars in sponsorships and endorsements.

In 1970, Dell’s own private law practice evolved into Professional Services Inc., (ProServ) which quickly assumed a leadership role in a new sports marketing industry and was the first-ever management company to represent tennis players. As Founder and Chairman, in 1999 ProServ was acquired by SFX as an integral part of its organization, and today, residing under the corporate umbrella of BEST – Blue Entertainment Sports Television – Dell currently oversees and advises many of the group’s global television properties, including the French Open, the US Open, the Legg Mason Tennis Classic, of which he is also a tournament founder, in addition to 20 ATP World Tour tennis telecasts. After the creation and success of the Legg Mason Tennis Classic, Dell gave the event to the Washington Tennis & Education Foundation and has assisted in raising over $15 million for children’s tennis programs in the DC area.

In 1972, along with tennis icon Jack Kramer, Dell founded the Association for Tennis Professionals as a players’ union and served as its first General Counsel for eight years. An.active philanthropist, Dell is the Vice Chairman and member of the International Tennis Hall of Fame’s Board of Directors and a member of both the USTA Public Relations Committee and the U.S. Davis Cup Selection Committee.

Dr. Robert "Whirlwind" Johnson (1899-1971) is considered the man most responsible for launching the careers of world tennis greats Althea Gibson and Arthur Ashe, the nation’s first African-American tennis champions. During a time of racial separation, Johnson, through quiet diplomacy, was able to open the doors of tournament competition to young African-Americans barred from mainstream competition. He persevered, despite the racial barriers of that time, and through whispered entreaties and legal challenges he helped pave the way for minorities to gain entrance into tournaments and excel at the highest levels of the game. For more than 20 years, Johnson’s home in Lynchburg, Virginia became the destination for talented black tennis players to receive training and to participate in integrated tournaments and exhibitions with the likes of Pauline Betz Addie and Bobby Riggs. He provided food, equipment, financial support and guidance throughout their development.

Through the American Tennis Association (ATA), which was formed in 1916, Johnson created the ATA Junior Development Program. In the 1950s and 1960s, he sponsored, trained and nurtured hundreds of African-American juniors – and several white juniors – at his Lynchburg home, where he had a tennis court in his backyard. He initiated the integration of black tennis at the junior level, and ultimately at the highest levels of the game, working as coach, trainer, sponsor and fundraiser – and courageously approaching tournament directors and lobbying for his players’ full participation. He was also publisher of the ATA’s annual program, distributed at the national Championships, and his vehicle for informing the membership of the achievements of his junior players.

The names of Althea Gibson and Arthur Ashe (both Hall of Famers) and their life achievements will long be remembered in the world of tennis; they were the African-American trailblazers and became champions of the sport through their discipline and perseverance. However it was Johnson’s vision and innovative groundwork that gave Gibson and Ashe – and all future black champions – the training ground and road map to succeed.

A panel of International Tennis Media voted on the Recent Player selectee, where a 75% favorable vote is required for induction. The International Masters Panel, which consists of Hall of Fame inductees and individuals who are highly knowledgeable of the sport and its history, voted on the Master Player and Contributor selectees. To be inducted as a Master Player or a Contributor, an affirmative vote of 75% is required.

Hall of Fame Eligibility Criteria
Recent Player: Monica Seles
Active as a competitor in the sport within the last 20 years prior to consideration; not a significant factor on the ATP World Tour or Sony Ericsson WTA Tour within five years prior to induction; a distinguished record of competitive achievement at the highest international level, with consideration given to integrity, sportsmanship and character.

Master Player: Andres Gimeno
Competitor in the sport who has been retired for at least 20 years prior to consideration; a distinguished record of competitive achievement at the highest international level, with consideration given to integrity, sportsmanship and character.

Contributors: Donald L. Dell and Dr. Robert Johnson (posthumously)
Exceptional contributions that have furthered the growth, reputation and character of the sport, in categories such as administration, media, coaching and officiating. Contributor candidates do not need to be retired from their activities related to the sport to be considered.

Establishment in 1954, the International Tennis Hall of Fame & Museum is a non-profit organization dedicated to preserving the history and heritage of tennis and its champions. Tickets for the 2009 Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony and Campbell’s Hall of Fame Tennis Championships are available online at tennisfame.com or by calling 866-914-FAME. For more information on the International Tennis Hall of Fame & Museum, the Class of 2009 Induction Weekend, the Campbell’s Hall of Fame Tennis Championships, please call 401-849-3990 or visit us online at www.tennisfame.com.

Kat Anderson
Director of Communications
International Tennis Hall of Fame & Museum 194 Bellevue Ave., Newport, RI 02840
p: 401-849-3990 f: 401-324-4055
email: kat@tennisfame.com
website: www.tennisfame.com

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Tue, 21 Apr 2009 09:50:48Belcourt Castle in Newport Rhode Island Restores Crystal Chandelier

A Russian crystal chandelier in Belcourt Castle’s Banquet Hall has been re-wired and restored after over 45 years as the sparkling centerpiece of the Newport mansion’s Italian Banquet Hall.

The Russian Crystal Chandelier at Belcourt Castle

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
PRLog (Press Release) – Apr 02, 2009 – In 1962, the Harold B. Tinney Family purchased from an antique dealer a large crystal chandelier from St. Petersburg, Russia, which had languished for forty years in a basement. Thousands of chandelier crystals, fine hand-cut prisms and long garlands, had been thrown into bushel baskets, weighing over 250 pounds each. A brass rim, which had not been polished for decades, lay nearby with a stunning imperial crown which, though dull with age, was obviously the top of the fixture. It was transported to the shop to sort out the pieces, which included a wheel of seventy-two lights, two smaller groups of a dozen lights, eight external arms, mirrors and miscellaneous pieces of brass and iron pipe.

Donald Tinney and the family buffed the brass, sorted the hand-cut crystal garlands into matching lengths and graduated sizes according to the few original garlands that had survived their long disuse. They hung the chandelier with the assistance of Glenn Betzer, Mrs. Harold B. Tinney’s brother, a licensed electrician. Three weeks of labor resulted in an assembly with magnificent statistics: 105 lights illuminating a ten-foot long fixture, eight feet in diameter, with over 13,000 pieces of hand-cut crystal. The light was much needed in the banquet hall, sixty by seventy feet, which was formerly the carriage room.

By 2008, approximately one-third of the chandelier’s sockets were functional. In January 2009, an enthusiastic young volunteer was eager to restore the fixture and update the wiring as a favor for Belcourt Castle. “But we just did that… Oh dear, it was 45 years ago”, said owner of Belcourt, Mrs. Harle Tinney, as she recalled vividly the labor of her family in its acquisition, restoration and installation. However, the sockets and internal wiring of the fixture dated back to 1900 and required replacement.

With the help of the maintenance staff, the dismantling of the chandelier was begun in the second week of January. The initial step was the removal of all of the crystal, which was carefully sorted and stored in trays to wait cleaning. After ensuring that the power to the fixture had been entirely shut off, the chandelier was disassembled piece-by-piece from the bottom up. The disassembly was completed within a day. The chandelier was stripped, polished and lacquered over a period of over three weeks, during which time the various components were also rewired. All 105 sockets were replaced with new ones and the wiring inside the fixture is entirely new. Where the chandelier had been installed with six switches; the fixture’s switching had been reconfigured multiple times. It was decided to again wire the chandelier for six switches which will be set up for dimmers in the future.

By the first week of February, the chandelier was completed and reassembled over a period of two days by volunteers and members of Belcourt Castle’s staff. The effort of restringing the crystal was time-intensive and collaborative. Days before, a delivery of brand new light bulbs had arrived and the chandelier was lit again for the first time at 3 AM after a long last day of work. During the restoration, volunteers and crew found evidence of the fixture’s original gas jets and candle holders. The entire process of the rewiring and the final installation was supervised and approved by a licensed electrician.

Belcourt Castle (1891 – 1894) was the summer cottage of Oliver Hazard Perry Belmont and his wife Alva, the former Mrs. William Kissam Vanderbilt. The Honorable Perry Belmont, brother of Oliver, sold the house and furnishings in 1940, when he was 90 years old. For fifteen years, the magnificent gilded age building, designed by architect Richard Morris Hunt, was in danger of demolition until it was bought by the Harold B. Tinney Family in 1956. The Tinneys have restored and maintained the edifice for over a fifty year period and refurnished the elaborate rooms with their collection of antiques from thirty-three countries. Belcourt Castle is open for guided tours from 11 am to 4 pm Fridays through Mondays, and daily from April 10 through 26, 2009 where The Russian Imperial Crown Chandelier, newly restored, may be viewed.

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Belcourt Castle is a historic mansion museum in Newport, Rhode Island which features guided tours and events

Sat, 18 Apr 2009 23:15:01By Linda S. Manning

Outlining the perimeter of an ancient pathway, twisting, turning, and curving high above the ocean along the cliffs is the incredible and famous Cliff Walk. Stretching from Memorial Boulevard on the north to the very southern end of Bellevue Avenue, a 3.5 mile hike is known as one of most beautiful and diverse walks in America. Cliff Walk has been designated as a National Recreation Trail by the National Park Service.

On any given day strollers can be seen enjoying the vast ocean scenery, architecture, wildflowers, rabbits and birds, secret tunnels, steps leading to a granite platform of rocks overlooking the ever changing sea and mansions, glorious, opulent mansions fringing the walk adding to its grandeur.
It wasn’t always this picturesque. The path had its creation hundreds of years ago when the deer foraged for berries and food. Later the Narragansett tribe followed the same tracks, deepening the path along the ridge. Lastly the Colonists traced the same trail 350 years ago as they searched for seaweed and fished alongside the boundary of the sea.

But who owns this celebrated and glorious walk alongside the deep-sea with its white lace dancing and showing off endlessly through time?

During the first half of the 1800’s, wealthy New Yorkers claimed the center of Newport Harbor and the many miles of undeveloped shoreline, sometimes disputing access rights to the walk by making them less navigational; some built stone walls and erected fences and still others placed huge rocks in the pathway or planted trees or bushes to discourage use.

The “fisherman’s rights” clause was adopted from the colonial charter and incorporated into the Rhode Island Constitution in 1843, establishing a public right of way to the entire shoreline. Although most of Cliff Walk is private and owned by sixty four families, the right of way continues. Today the walk above the cliffs is a public right of way over private property.

In the 1880’s Cliff Walk estate owners took the walk more seriously and spent the next fifty years developing and improving what is now today’s national treasure.

The trail runs north-to-south along the eastern side of Aquidneck Island beginning at the basin of Newport Beach on Memorial Boulevard, once known as Bath Road. A picturesque view showing its rugged and dangerous cliffs decorating the edges of the path and rising fifty feet above the sea winding and turning for miles at a time, is incredible.

Along the trail to the east one can view the stately cottages with their fancy turrets, gargoyles, and pediments while to the west the calm or sometimes furious sea mysteriously piques your interest as you are enveloped by a feeling of peace. Breath in the salt air as it moistens your skin and kisses your cheek. Explore this jewel’s ever-changing views from the north of the trail to the south.
The walk is divided into four sections with the easiest, the Classic beginning at Memorial Boulevard and extending to Forty Steps, a 2/3 mile walk. The cement and asphalt trail lends itself as an easy walk, slightly uphill and simple to navigate. The drop off to the rocks below is shielded by bushes and fences in some areas and unguarded in others.

The Classic Walk begins at The Chanler, an luxurious and magnificent hotel and restaurant built into the cliffs in 1855 at the base of the walk at Easton’s Beach. Landscaped greenery and thick bushes on the right lead slightly uphill to a public right of way at Seaview Avenue. This right of way is marked with a few steps and a pathway through a fence.

The Hopedene mansion built in 1902 cannot be seen due to vegetation and Seaward, another fine mansion is not easily viewed either. This home was once owned by former governor Bruce Sunderland.

Following the path further, Ocean Lawn, a Queen Anne style home was built in 1889. Once owned by the Firestone family it sold in 2001 for $7 million dollars.

Few have the time to leisurely saunter beyond the Classic Walk and enjoy the full beauty that the walk represents; they may end their journey as the Classic at the base of Narragansett Street at Forty Steps.

A rocky path dating to long ago leading to the sea at Ellison’s Rocks and Conrad’s Cave to the south are what is known today as Forty Steps. Once rugged and rocky, wooden steps were built in the 1880’s and used by the mansions servants and workers for social dances and get-togethers. Hurricanes and storms created damage and unsafe terrain over the years. It wasn’t until the early 1990’s that the forty steps were restored, made of five foot by one foot slabs of granite and sold for $3,000 each and engraved with the name of the donor.

Forty steps (actually now forty eight) is a theatrical staircase dropping down the side of a cliff to a loggia over the sea. Rocks projecting into the sea form a stage as the waves crash onto the boulders each more spectacular than the last. Panoramic breathtaking views capture the Sakonnet Lighthouse in the distance and the outer edge of the Elizabethan Islands near Martha’s Vineyard. Local Newporters fish off the rocks year round or swim in the sea in the warmer weather. Forty Steps is open from dawn to dusk.

The University Walk begins just after Forty Steps and extends one half mile to the Breakers Mansion gate. There are several steps in this section of the walk some up and some down but easy to navigate. Ochre Point, a privately owned summer cottage owned by the Goelet family is obscured from view only to be seen from Narragansett Avenue. Ochre Court, an astonishing French Chateau was donated by the Goelet family to establish Salve Regina University in 1947.
A private home called Cave Cliff is next along the walk to be followed by the Queen Anne style Vineland, also part of the University. A new building to the south is also owned by the University. More glorious homes are yet to be seen as you continue to Mansion Walk.

Beginning at The Breakers and continuing 1-1/4 miles along the coast to a tunnel under the Chinese Tea House and further to what is known as Sheep Cove Tunnel is the finest collection of mansions and summer cottages ever to be built.

The Breakers, offering glitz and glamour a one of a kind ornate structure is open to the public by the Preservation Society as well as Rosecliff and Marble House. At the Chinese Tea House* gravel and dirt paths sometimes muddy and impassable make this part of the walk more difficult.

Continuing along the way, are resting points to catch your breath and take in the scenic overlooks.
Sheep Point Tunnel named for a farmland area and laced with grazing sheep some time ago is located at Clarendon Court once owned by the Von Bulow family. Ending the scenic vista is the most difficult of the walks, Hiker’s Walk.

Careful navigation is needed at this point of the walk and for the next 1 ¾ miles to Ledge Road. A narrow path covered with rocks and boulders sometimes extremely slippery decorates the shoreline. Only the experienced should venture across its path that leads to Miramar, Ocean View and Rough Point, former home of the tobacco heiress Doris Duke. At Rough Point is one of the most breathtaking views imaginable as the wave’s crash onto the rocks and the sea hisses at you as she recedes.

Reaching Ledge Road, a spectacular collection of 20 foot rocks lining the sea is one of the most pleasing and serene viewing points. As the waves crash in a thunder-like sound, migrating birds can be seen in the fall and spring and in the winter seals congregate to rest and sun themselves. This is where most people end their journey but some go on past The Waves to finish at Reject’s Beach located next to private Bailey’s Beach.

Your expedition has come to a conclusion and should you desire to return the way you came, you would have walked the walk for seven fabulous miles of famous, Cliff Walk.

Sat, 18 Apr 2009 21:40:11The International Tennis Hall of fame offers stately architecture, beautiful grounds, legendary grass courts, and an extraordinary Museum. Housed in the Newport Casino, a National Historic Landmark and one of the world’s finest examples of Victorian Shingle-Style architecture, it is one of the region’s finest attractions.

In 1881, the first US National Lawn Tennis Championships, the tournament that evolved into the US Open, was held on our grass courts. An outdoor walking tour showcases the rich history of  "the cradle of American Tennis".

An Extraordinary Museum – explore the world-class sports museum, six acres of historic grounds and Victorian architecture. Featuring interactive exhibits, extraordinary videos, and popular memorabilia form past champions to the stars of today, the International Tennis Hall of Fame Museum chronicles the entire history of the sport, dating from the 12th century through today’s champions of professional tennis. Witness the evolution of tennis through the players, the equipment, the rules of the game, and the tournaments held around the world.

Play at the Hall of Fame – You don’t have to be a member to play on the legendary grass courts of the International Tennis Hall of Fame. 13 grass courts, 1 clay court and three award-winning indoor courts are available for public play.  Call for daily court rentals, play programs, match arranging, and group play. Our professional staff offers year-round instruction for all ages and ability levels.

Grass courts are open May through September, with on-site Pro Shop. For daily reservations, call 401 846-0642.

EVENTS
July 6 – 12, 2009 Campbell’s Hall of Fame Tennis Championships
August 19 – 23, 2009 Hall of Fame Champions Cup