Still no word on missing Sun City pool tables

QUESTION: What has six pockets, rubber bumpers and is covered in green felt?

ANSWER: Pool tables destined for the Sun City Cue Club.

The purchase of three pool tables was approved at the May 25, 2022 Sun City Board meeting. Von’s Pool Tables, of the Rockford suburb of Cherry Valley, was low bidder at $12,000.

According to Executive Director Deanna Loughran, “The pool tables were ordered through Von’s Pool Tables as approved by the Board. The wrong tables were received, then returned and we are awaiting tables from China. This has been communicated to the Cue Club President repeatedly.”

According to the Cue Club President, Charlie Howell, “The tables were ordered from the supplier. The first tables that were ordered took about three months to arrive. The supplier told me that they came in water damaged on the ship.”

Howell said that “I was kept out of the loop and not informed as has been said. The club was not consulted as to the selection of the supplier and we didn’t know until later that it was Von’s.”

He continued, “I’ve been in contact with the dealer. They reordered the tables and said it should take another 3 months. Von’s told me that the new tables were coming from Rhodesia and not China. I have no proof of any of this except that Von’s said that” Howell stated. “So now we’re still waiting.”

According to Howell, “at the first of the year, Von’s tells me that the tables are in the United States. They won’t be delivered in January, but maybe the first of February was what he said.” He continued, “the first of February comes and Von’s says ‘maybe the fifteenth of February’”.

Howell talked with Nick Topf, head of maintenance at Sun City, and Topf said that he “has no idea and that Von’s doesn’t really tell me anything other than not yet.”

Linda Davis, Chairman of the Charter Club President’s Council and Board Member Dottie Harrison were made aware of the situation at the Charter Club Presidents Council meeting. They told Board President Russ Howard about the issue. “About a week later Russ Howard called me and wanted to know what the deal was. I laid out the whole story to him and his reply was ‘I’ll look into it.’”

Ten months have passed and the tables are nowhere to be seen. “There’s something wrong with this picture. I can tell you that it’s the supplier” continued Howell. “They tell me things, but it doesn’t turn out to be real.”

The 93 members of the Cue Club are patiently waiting for the new tables. Howell keeps telling those that ask, “the tables will be here on Monday.” He never says which Monday.

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