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Biography: Don McClure
Hi! My name is Don McClure, owner of Don’s Jewelry in Baker City. I was raised in La Grande, Oregon, 40 miles north of here. I graduated from high school in 1976 and spent several years as an auto mechanic. After suffering a back injury and coming through surgery with flying colors, I was married in 1979 and five years later my daughter, Crystal, was born. She is my only child and now lives in Ontario, Oregon. In 1985, after a recurrence of the old back injury, I was no longer able to continue in the auto industry. I was asked by a local jewelry family, the Macks, if I was interested in becoming a bench jeweler. After hanging out for a month or two at their store, I decided that this line of work was very interesting and challenging. I arranged with the State of Oregon Vocational Rehab to attend Ray Show’s school of jewelry repair and manufacturing in Portland, Oregon. After many years with I.J. Gems in La Grande, I branched out on my own and started Eastern Jewelry Services, a jewelry trade shop servicing as many as ten other retail jewelers with all their jewelry repair, manufacturing, diamond and gemstone setting. Feeling rather restless and bored, I decided to open Eastern Oregon’s full service jewelry center, and in 1999, opened Don’s Jewelry in La Grande. I opened my 2nd store in Baker City in 2005. Later that year I purchased the property now known as WimbleDon, formerly known as Granger Grass Courts, from Borden and Sandi Granger. At first I had every intention of subdividing the property and living in the home that was already here. After moving into the home, meeting several of you crazy tennis nuts, and seeing just how important these grass courts were to all of you, I realized that I could never take that much love and enjoyment away from anyone, SOOOO . . . . I made the commitment to not only let the courts remain, but to help in any way I could to make the tennis courts thrive. In the years that I have owned the grass courts I have made many good and close friends. With the help of my better half, Nina, we have taken the responsibility of mowing, watering, trimming, and striping the courts. Nina keeps the catering facility, bathrooms, and showers cleaned and stocked with all the necessary items. With the help of Billy Cunningham, we are able to get the all important sand spread (about 20 yards a year), fertilizer and weed control applied every two weeks throughout the tennis season. Then there is core aerating, slicing, and MORE watering and mowing. Your grass courts now have a new freezer/refrigerator, new paint on the buildings, wind screens, and this year the HUGE barbeque will be rebuilt and upgraded as well as many other improvements. All this, and Nina and I still do not play tennis. But we are thrilled just watching how much all of you enjoy playing on grass, and the absolute awestruck feeling shown when a person sees this facility for the first time. Nina and I donate 30 to 40 hours a week to your sport and truly love to see the enjoyment that you all have for these grass courts. While you are enjoying the day of tennis and the gorgeous view of Baker Valley, Nina and I are doing what we love: hunting, fishing, or riding our motorcycles in beautiful Eastern Oregon. With your help, WimbleDon will be here for many years to come. I always look forward to seeing the familiar faces and meeting all the new players too. If you should ever find the need for fine jewelry, repair, custom design manufacturing or gemstone setting, please keep us in mind. I would welcome the chance to accommodate all your jewelry needs as well as your tennis desires. Thank you all. We will see you on the courts. Don McClure and Nina Allan
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