(Photo by: Rich Schmitt / Staff Photographer, Palisadian-Post).
Dateline: Thursday, January 8, 2009
The Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy suddenly made good on its recent and surprise promise to fill in our beloved Pali Y Pool in Temescal Canyon, above Sunset Blvd and Palisades High School.
If you dare, here is the link to the Front Page Article and Photo in the January 15th Edition of the Palisadian-Post:
http://www.PalisadesPost.com
It is a sad day, indeed, in the Palisades as this death of our beloved community pool is where numerous LACo Recurrents learned to swim and polished their aquatic skills. Think Bob Janis, Eric Shargo, Greg Bonann, Greg Andruk, Tom Schnable, Abby Schneider, Sam Bertolet, Mark Thompson, Mark Newman, Dave Anawalt, Larry Blivas, Kim Martin, Corey Birnberg, Scott Birnberg, Bradd Schwichtenberg, Mike Newman, Mitch Flyer, Will Douglass, David Sitzer, Tim Gair, Tim Arnold, Kim Gair, Kim Montanaro, Michelle Saxer, Les (Wulk) Barkley, Dave Dolotta, Will Maguire, Eric Moore, JT Mehuron, David Carr, Tim McNulty, Luigi DeMari, Blair Simmons and many, many others. Multiply those names by the number of lives saved by each of these lifeguards and you have hundreds, if not thousands of lives saved from drowning on our local beaches. Famed Pali High Swim Team Coaches Pete Nelson and Dave Anderson both walked that deck and taught and coached and extolled us to greater effort.
Add in the LACo Recurrents and Permanents who started training there as adults on the Y Masters Swim Team that was started in the early 1980's by Coach Rick Goeden and you are talking about an even greater impact that this beloved pool of ours has had on Local Lifesaving ! Think: Chuck Locko, Paul Donahue, Paul Silka, Paul Henne, Phil Topar, John Fletcher, Russ Walker, Gene Rink, and many others. Even Prof. Arthur Verge, Ph.d showed up to swim and have breakfast with us on occasion.
Needless to say, the negative impact of the loss of our beloved community pool will be felt for many years to come.
Thank you, Joe Edmiston and the Conservancy, for burying an Aquatic Treasure and a Community Resource that was life sustaining, life enhancing and Life saving !
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DISCLAIMER: County Recurrent is not affiliated with nor sponsored by LACOLA or LACoFD. The opinions expressed in the above Op-Ed are solely those of the undersigned.
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They can bury our pool but they can't bury our spirit.
Go Dolphins !
Until next time,
Will Maguire
"County Recurrent" News
http://CountyRecurrent.blogspot.com
will.maguire@verizon.net
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