Tahoe Park pool didn’t make the list for the Save Mart “Save Our Pools” campaign, so, faced with the possibility of a dry pool during a hot summer, neighborhood leaders joined forces with a city councilman, a county supervisor and the Sierra Health Foundation to plan their own rescue effort – and succeeded. “The neighborhood just wouldn’t take no for an answer,” City Councilman Kevin McCarty said. “I’m proud of everyone for that.” While Save Mart grocery stores were working with the city of Sacramento to raise $1 million to save six city pools from closure this spring, a contingent of Tahoe Park volunteers and neighborhood association leaders were diligently stuffing envelopes and knocki

For the third year in a row, budget cuts reduced programs and swim hours at local pools, but donations from generous neighbors – and a local rock ’n roll band – pulled together to give water-lovers in East Sacramento additional splash time at Glenn Hall Pool this summer. “It’s going to mean a lot to many people to have the pool to splash around in this summer,” Steve Harriman, River Park Neighborhood Association board member said Wednesday. “For some kids in the city, going to a pool is all they have.” The fundraising campaign will allow the pool to open for recreational swimming from 1 to 5 p.m. on on Fridays and Sundays, June 29 through Aug. 19. Open recreation swim times are also off

With a bit of fanfare, Catherine O'Brien thanked the people and businesses for making the opening of Southside Park Pool happen. Among them were Southside Park Neighborhood Assn (SPNA), City Park and Recreation Director Jim Combs, City Councilmember Rob Fong, City Manager John Shirey, YMCA CEO Jay Lowrey and Parks & Recreation Commissioner Jay Hansen. She said "Thank You" to sponsors Southside Motors, Inc, Thomas Advocacy Group, Inc, Southside Park Co-Housing and Geremia Pools, Inc. After the thanks and congratulations concluded many took the plunge into the pristine-looking pool. Here's those in Michael Phelps mode:   To read Melissa Corker's preview of the pool opening - <<<CLI

Cool blue water will be ready and waiting for swimmers at the Southside Park Pool grand opening party Friday – and one lucky swimmer will win the privilege of taking the first plunge in the pool since 2010. “The pool has just been filled, so it’ll be nice and cool for everyone,” Southside Park Neighborhood Association member Catherine O’Brien said Thursday. O’Brien and a group of her neighbors banded together in March to get the Southside Park Pool opened because it was not included in the recent Save Mart Save Our Pools Campaign, which raised $1 million to keep six other city pools open for the summer. In May, an agreement was reached between the city of Sacramento and the YMCA of Supe

Southside Park swimmers should know in the next week whether a bold new plan to reopen the Southside Park Pool succeeds – if it does, it will make for a cool summer for thousands of central city swimmers. The plan hinges on a new partnership between the city of Sacramento and the Sacramento YMCA where the YMCA will operate the pool and provide staff and maintenance all year. “If we can accomplish this, the Southside (Park) Pool will be open for business seven days a week,” City Councilman Rob Fong said. “It would be an amazing asset for the community again.” The new plan includes swim lessons, an aquatics program and open swim times at the pool for families and kids who are out of schoo

Known for incredibly fast, exciting and suspense-filled competitions, a number of local swim athletes have their eye on competing in the 2012 U.S. Olympic Team Trials June 25-July 2 in Omaha, Nebraska, in hopes of representing the United States at the upcoming London Olympic Games.    In fact, four local swimmers who have trained at Arden Hills are already qualified to attend the USA Swimming Olympic Trials and three others are headed soon to qualifying meets.  The community at large is encouraged to keep watch and cheer on a number of talented local swimmers, including: Randall Bal -- a graduate of Stanford University in 2003, Bal qualified for the Olympics trials cut a couple of years

Q: I wanted to find out how close to our property line we can place a pool or spa. We live in East Sacramento, Sacramento County. I would appreciate any help you could give me. Thank you for your time, Noreen A: There are a number of state laws, regulations, and local ordinances affecting pools, but the ones regulating distance from property lines appear to be set by the local city or county. Since you are in the city of Sacramento, the City Code applies. This code provides that “no swimming pool or similar pool shall be located within a distance less than or equal to the depth of the deepest excavation for such pool from any property line, building or structure (one to one slope).” Sacr

During the recent 2012 Columbus Grand Prix competition -- the fourth stop on the 2011-2012 USA Swimming Grand Prix Series -- Arden Hills swim athlete and University of Southern California (USC) sophomore Nick Johnson successfully made his 400-meter free Olympic trials cut on Saturday, March 10.   The 2012 Columbus Grand Prix took place March 9-11 in Columbus, Ohio. Trained by Arden Hills USA Swim Team Head Coach & Director of Aquatics Brian Nabeta since 2005, the talented Jesuit High School alumni had previously achieved a number of prestigious swimming accomplishments that include the following:  High School Swimming All American, USA National Junior Team 2010, USA National Team to Barce

Arden Hills Head Age Group Swim Coach Chris Oshiro was recently named as “Coach of the Year” by Sierra Nevada Swimming for 2010-2011.  Oshiro has worked for Arden Hills Resort Club & Spa since 2005 and this is the second time he has been honored with this prestigious award (he was also recognized in 2008-2009). Oshiro was officially presented with the reputable “Coach of the Year” award at a banquet held in January at Arden Hills Resort Club & Spa. With time standards overseen by USA Swimming and Sierra Nevada Swimming, the coveted award is based on speed performance of the young athletes he trains.  In fact, swimmers in his groups attained the greatest number of AAAA and AAA times for th

It’s a chilly January morning.  Shivering, swimsuit-clad bodies surround Clunie Pool waiting for the countdown of the Polar Bear Plunge. In unison, the swimmers leap into the bracing 48-degree water. Like a comic film being rewound, they just as quickly leap back onto the pool deck. Most lasted a full three seconds before returning to the warmth of their towels and hot coffee. What manner of motivation brought these hardy souls to the first annual Polar Bear Plunge sponsored by the City of Sacramento?  For most, it was a chance to support city pools. All proceeds of the event go towards keeping the pools open in the summer. Lesley Henriquez encouraged her daughter Gracie to take the plun

Laura Barrett and a dedicated band of volunteers kept the Bertha Henschel Wading Pool open this summer, but now they are faced with a mountain to climb. “We raised money for the past two years to help support the pool and keep it open. Now the need is much more extreme. We are bracing for a possible contribution of $22,000 to keep the pool running next year,” says Barrett, coordinator of The Friends of Bertha Henschel Park. All city resources are dwindling and more and more neighbors and community members are relied on to keep services running, especially in our parks. For Bertha Henschel the news is grim. “At this point the City Parks and Recreation department is saying that there will

Four years after she almost died from Lyme disease, Pamela O’Kane is one of three Sacramento women competing for Team USA at the World Triathlon Championships this week in Budapest, Hungary. It’s the second year in a row she’s qualified for Team USA. The 49-year-old lecturer from CSU Sacramento hopes there will be many more such adventures to come. It’s a far cry from how things looked in the spring of 2006. With her kids grown, a job she liked, and a love of athletic pursuits like running, swimming, and biking, she should have been on top of the world. Instead, she started experiencing weird symptoms her doctors couldn’t explain. She lost weight and muscle mass. She developed facial pa

 Community was the name of the game at the South Sacramento games on Saturday. Residents played a variety of games, all focused on building cooperation without competition. We made the games so that nobody’s a winner and nobody’s a loser,” volunteer Charles Chenauot said. The games  included capture the flag, don’t spill the beans and Simon Says, but with a twist. Simon and Simone used the same concept as Simon Says, but without winners or losers. Instead, when Simon told a player she was out, she could join Simone’s game and keep playing. “We have a lot of community games where people can come together and play without having to be competitive,” volunteer Staphonya Cabrellin said.

150 soldiers were introduced to sports designed specifically for individuals with disabilities, illnesses and injuries recently during a Thank You For Your Service event at the River Cats Independence Field. Brave soldiers who sustained disabilities while serving this nation and are now working to return to active duty or transition to civilian life will be introduced to sports and recreational opportunities specifically designed for individuals with disabilities.  It featured demonstrations and hands-on experience of U.S.Paralympics-sanctioned sports, including Basketball, Cycling, Swimming, Javelin, Shot-put, wheelchair softball, rock climbing and Discus. Mark Wellman of Truck

The summer edition of the Sacramento Fire Department's Community Newsletter discusses the dangers of swimming in the river. It mentions that the river bottoms can be uneven and have steep drop-offs and the currents are strong, so a life vest should be worn at all times. Under the City and County of Sacramento ordinances, it is against the law for a child under the age of 13 to enter public waters without a life vest. Parents or guardians who do not put life vests on their children can be fined up to $500 and cited for a misdemeanor.  If you don't have a life vest on hand, there are plenty of places to borrow one. The following fire stations have life vests for the public to borrow: FI

Can you imagine sitting at a stop light with the top down, beautiful sunshine pouring in and having 100 cars exhaust pipes pointed directly at you only a few feet away? Seem a little dangerous, it would be. This is exactly the result you get in and around an idling boat. Boats do not have catalytic converters and therefore deadly levels of carbon monoxide (CO) from the boat engine are sent out via the boats exhaust. Carbon monoxide is an odorless, colorless gas that cannot be seen. CO is extremely harmful to humans because it limits the ability of blood to carry oxygen. Boat manufacturers have kept the issue quiet despite paying out settlements in wrongful death lawsuits. California has ad