The pool finally opened a month late at the end of June.  This was due to the tireless efforts of many individuals to make it happen. In particular, Supervisor John Foust and his staff lead by Jane Edmondson (Chief of Staff) and assisted by Julie Ide, asked all the various agencies of the County like the building, fire, and health departments to come up with a way for the bathhouse to pass inspection and open. They came up with a plan and a limited occupancy permit was issued for the first floor and locker rooms. This allowed the pool to open for the summer. There are two major issues still to be resolved before next year.

The first is the water line that needs to be installed for the sprinkler system that allows us to use the second floor. We have the permit to dig up the road and the front walkway of the club house to put the water line in. The decision to hold off until the end of the pool season was made since all the digging would disrupt the use of the facility for at least a week. The second issue has to do with the floors in the locker rooms. Unfortunately the concrete was poured flat at the start of the construction. The floors in the locker rooms need to be sloped to allow for water to drain properly. This problem will be solved by next year.

Many members have sent in suggestions on how to improve the locker rooms. Some ideas that we are going to do include: more places to sit and store clothes, better drainage in both the showers and surrounding areas that get wet, more hooks and shelves, and more opaque curtains. This is a gorgeous building and one we can be proud of, so please keep the suggestions coming so we can implement the ones we can by next season.

This summer has been challenging yet exciting at the Hamlet Swim Club. The efforts of the individual Board members, volunteers, coaches and staff have made this year one of great enjoyment for the kids and adults alike. I would like to thank everyone for all the hard work to make it all so successful before and after the pool opened.

In particular, the three sports teams deserve our congratulations for a great season. Please look for their reports in the newsletter or on the web site. The team reps deserve our biggest round of applause for a job well done the year. They are Laura Rainey and Cindy Pivik (Swim Team) along with Marie O'Grady (Dive Team) and Jeff Lewis (Tennis.)

The Social Committee, headed by Jodi McDermott, did a terrific job again this year with all the parties and special events everybody so enjoys. The Adult Party was a fun cruise to yesteryear with perfect weather for one night in an otherwise stifling July.

The Operations and Planning Committees have been hard at work keeping the Club working smoothly. Thanks to VP John Barrer for maintaining the pool and Scott Bartram for chairing the Planning Committee. Check the web site for updates about the final phases of the construction.

There are still many events that will happen before the pool closes in September. The fun starts with the last Midnight Swim on Saturday the 28th. The annual Crab Feast will be on Sunday, Sept 5th from 4 to 8 pm. Be sure to sign up at the front desk to attend this final big bash of the season. Up to four guests are allowed per membership. The last day of normal operations will be Labor Day. We are planning to have the pool available for use (weather permitting) the weekend following Labor Day. Hours of operation will be from 11 am to 7 pm both Saturday the 11th and Sunday the 12th. Continuing the tradition started many years ago, the last half hour of the pool will go to the dogs. From 6:30 to 7 pm, the pool will be open just for dogs big and small alike to take a final dip. Unfortunately the humans must stay out of the pool per County regs.

The Tennis season continues well in to the fall. The hard courts are open year-round, but the clay courts will close in early November before the first freeze. Check the web site and tennis bulletin board for any updates to all the activities scheduled this fall. The courts will be locked up over the winter. If you are interested in playing on a nice day, look on the web site under Tennis for instructions on how to get in.

We are always looking for new members for the Board of Directors. This is the best way to be informed and help make decisions that will guide the Club for years to come. Talk to any current Board member about the time and effort required, but also ask how much fun it is to serve on the Board. One big benefit is free guest passes. It is really a terrific group of individuals and they all have my personal thanks for doing a great job again this year. As always, please feel free to contact me, or any Board member with your thoughts.

A final word of thanks. The lifeguards and staff of World Pool have done an exceptional job this year keeping the pool and new bathhouse safe and clean. I want to say thank you to them on behalf of the membership for making it a fun and enjoyable summer.

Bill Parks
703-848-0288
president@hamletpool.org