Saving Coach O’Brien: Letter writing campaign to keep the city paying for Masters Swim coach position

The City Council will continue its discussion about which programs to keep—and which to ax—as it tries to balance the budget.  Members of the city’s nationally recognized Masters Swim Team continue to voice their hope that their beloved coach, Kerry O’Brien, keeps his job.

Masters Team swim members pleaded their cause at the City Council meeting two weeks ago. Now they have flooded the council—sorry, couldn’t avoid this verb—with letters, presenting their reasons for why the team isn’t just good for the team’s some 500 swimmers, but for the city, too. 

The city proposes to discontinue funding for O’Brien and the assistant coaches. The team has more than 300 members, adults of all abilities from their 20s to seniors. They joined the team to swim for fitness and for competition. Many rise early to make their daily practices at Clarke Memorial Swim Center at Heather Farm. O’Brien has been coaching the team since 1980 and is himself an accomplished butterflier who competes in the 45-49 age group.

“The Walnut Creek Masters Team plays a vital role in making Walnut Creek the top desired location in the Bay Area for new residents and visotrs. The number one reason why people love Walnut Creek is because of its healthy, competitive sports and outdoor recreation lifestyle.

If the city does not fund the coaches, WCM may need to let them go because our dues cannot cover the cost of their employment,” write brothers Jon and Ben Luchesse

Many on the team reside right here in the city, there are some who travel great distances.

Walnut Creek business also directly benefit from a strong, robust [masters swim team]. We patronize the city’s swim and sporting goods stores. We regularly gather after practice. …

It is well known that most residents and visitors to our city are drawn here for our unmatched outdoor, recreational and sporting activities. Some may think it’s the shopping, but really many of the stores in Broadway Plaza are the same ones you can find at nearby malls. What really makes Walnut Creek unique is that it is the perfect place for competitive and recreational athletes.  Where else can one get top-notch swim instruction, in a beautiful swim facility, under the sentinel of Mt. Diablo?”

Rob Butcher, executive director of U.S. Masters Swimming writes: “More than 30 years ago, the city pioneered a partnership with Walnut Creek Masters that today is being modeled across the country. Your partnership included empoying Kerry O’Brien as a masters swimming coach. You partnership signaled a commitment tot he citizens of WC to offer and adult swimming lifestyle program that would be accessible and make a difference in the quality of their lives.”

One team member said she moved to Walnut Creek for the sole purpose of swimming on the masters team. She also made important friends on the team. “Best of all, I found a partner and we have been married for 15 years. My husband and I have two children who are swimmers as well—this has all been a direct result of the masters!”

The council is set to finalize its budget by June 15. 

County Connection to introduce new hybrid buses at Heather Farm Park Saturday

The County Connection is honoring Earth Day this year by unveiling nine new hybrid electric buses that are joining the transportation system' fleet. 

The unveiling will take place at Heather Farm Park in Walnut Creek, Diablo magazine reports.The celebration will take place from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. and participants are invited to enjoy a free test drive before the buses take route on Monday.

According to Diablo, these buses are super-energy efficient, providing a fuel savings of up to 20 percent with a comparable reduction in CO2 emissions.

The promotional bus tour will travel between Heather Farm Park and the Walnut Creek BART, making a stop at the Lesher Center for the Arts for those interested in traveling between Heather Farm Park and the Pacific Fine Arts Festival in downtown Walnut Creek. For more information on County Connection’s Earth Day event, call 676-7500 or visit cccta.org

Walnut Creek wants to maintain its aquatics glory by revamping its swim facilities

For many decades, Walnut Creek had been a "leader in the field" of civic swim programs by providing everything from tots swim classes to elite Olympic programs.

But, alas, our two aquatic facilities--the Clarke Memorial Swim Center at Heather Farm Park and Larkey Park--are aging. They also are out-of-style for what the public now needs and wants for recreational swimming. More than that, they are below standard for what would be necessary or ideal to provide elite aquatics training or to host top swim competitions. This conclusion comes from a staff report in advance of this evening's meeting at 6:30 p.m. of the Park, Recreation and Open Space Commission. The commission will begin its review of Walnut Creek's aquatics needs.

An example of a sub-standard facility? The depth of the 50-meter pool at Clarke Memorial Swim Center. It is "a hindrance," according to the staff report. "The governing body of competitive aquatics, USA Swimming, has determined that pools such as Clarke's, which range in depth from 3.5 to 5 feet, are not sufficient for racing starts from platforms," the report says.

Bottom line, if the city wants to host swim meets and to provide a place to train the best-of-the-best of competitive swimmers, as it has historically, it needs to provide an Olympic-caliber pool that is only 3.5 feet deep on one end.

With this pressing concern and many others related to this issue, the city is considering a major upgrade--basically tearing out and replacing the pools and bathhouses at Heather Farm and Larkey Park with new-and-improved facilities.
 

This upgrade will of course cost lots of money, in the millions of dollars. A consultant, The Sports Management Group, has recommended that the city replace Heather Farms' 50-meter pool and  25-meter dive pool (where the nationally renowned synchronized swim team, the Aquanuts, train). The city should also replace the 1,800-square-foot instructional pool--as well as upgrade the bathhouse.

For Larkey Park, the consultant has said that the city should renovate the existing six-lane pool and diving well, replace the baby wading pool, and add a large and interactive "sprayground." (The photo here shows a "sprayground" in St. Mary's County, Maryland/)

An estimated cost for doing all this work? $21 million

Is putting out this money worth it? Especially in these tough economic times?

What the city says it is dealing with now is:

--Aquatic facilities that are in substandard condition and that cannot be renovated to meet current standards.
--A strong demand for a full range of aquatic programs at both facilities; this demand is expected to continue into the future.
--The facilities are unable to fully meet community demand for: family aquatics; swim lessons; competitive swim programs; swim meets; and social/recreational space.
--The city's subsidy of these programs will keep going up if things stay the same.

The big question this report asks, and the the Parks, Recreation, and Open Space Commission will need to discuss is: "Given the condition of the aquatics facilities, and assuming the Walnut Creek community desires city-provided aquatic programs now and in the future, what is the best opportunity for success?"
 
Do you use Heather Farm or Larkey Park pools? I used to swim laps at Heather Farm--until I joined a fitness club that has a pool. Still, there is still something wonderful about swimming a lap in a pool with that length. My son took swim lessons at both pools, and he swam recreationally at Heather Farm on summer afternoons as part of the city-sponsored sports camp.
 
I'd definitely say that the Heather Farm bathhouse needs an overhaul. I also wish both pools could provide more ways for people, visiting those facilities  on hot, intensely sunny summer afternoons, to get in the shade. 
 
Those are my thoughts. What are yours?

Heather Farm Dog Park closed due to kennel cough outbreak

Walnut Creek's parks department has temporarily closed the Heather Farm Dog Park due to a reported number of cases of bordetella--better known as kennel cough.

This term is applied to upper respiratory problems in dogs. According to Peteducation.com, the condition has become known as tracheobronchitis, canine infectious tracheobronchitis, Bordetellosis, or Bordetella. It is highly contagious, especially among dogs boarded in kennels or that come into close contact.

There are different infectious agents, including viruses and bacteria, involved.

The most common symptom is a dry hacking cough sometimes followed by retching. Many owners describe the cough as having a 'honking sound.' A watery nasal discharge may also be present. With mild cases, dogs continue to eat and be alert and active.

If you have questions about the dog park closure, call (925) 943-5858