Aquatics

GLENDALE — Growing up and playing organized water polo in a hotbed like Orange County, Forest Holbrook saw things take shape. Holbrook played for a perennial CIF powerhouse in El Toro High in Lake Forest, learning the sport under El Toro Coach Don Stoll, who churned out top-notch talent that went on to succeed at the collegiate level. More importantly, Holbrook learned how to play and organize a winning program in a successful system. Now, Holbrook will look to implement many of those same lines of thinking as the new aquatics coach at Glendale High.

Judy Seckler PACIFIC-EDISON -- When Glendale's three swimming pools open today at Pacific Park and Glendale and Hoover high schools, a new aquatic program will be equipped with a lean team of well-prepared lifeguards. All 32 lifeguards hired by the city hold current lifeguard certificates, current cardiopulmonary resuscitation certificates for a professional rescuer and water safety instructor certificates, said Courtney Maglio, program coordinator for youth aquatic programs at Glendale Parks and Recreation.

One of the hottest summer attractions in Glendale hasn't been a nightclub or a Caruso Affiliated-financed development. The Pacific Community Park Pool, which opened on June 4, is attracting as many as 1,000 people a day, including up to 450 recreational swimmers and 550 aquatics-program participants, city officials reported this week. The pool's capacity at any given time is 243 people. “I am absolutely astounded at the number of young kids, adults and seniors that are in the pool all day,” said City Councilman Ara Najarian, who played a critical role in pushing through the development of the pool.

CRESCENTA — The pool at Crescenta Valley High School is open for Glendale’s summer aquatics program, the first time in three years the facility has been open for the program. The pool, which was closed in prior years due to availability problems, will be used in a manner similar to those at Glendale and Hoover high schools. “CVHS uses the pool for their aquatics program for their students, and they need [specific] times to run practices,” said Courtney Maglio, community service coordinator for Glendale Parks and Recreation.

The Rose Bowl Aquatics Team launched its "Swimming with the Stars" Swim-a-Thon earlier in the month and is now collecting pledges from the community for their May 18 event. La Cañada and La Crescenta kids will be participating in the Swim-A-Thon, in which each swimmer has the task of swimming 200 laps in two hours. For each lap completed, young swimmers of all ages will earn money from the pledges they will have collected in the weeks prior. The fundraiser supports the Rose Bowl Aquatics Team to help defray costs such as equipment, meet fees, travel expenses and social functions.

As the head aquatics coach at Crescenta Valley High School, I would recommend that the council opt in favor of a larger design (“Council backs less expensive pool options,” Nov. 26). From my experience, a six-lane pool is a tremendous waste of resources. If a pool is going to be built at Pacific Park, it should be designed to meet the aquatic needs of the entire city. A six-lane pool may be useful for a health club with private membership, but it will never be sufficient for community use. The high school aquatics programs in Glendale have made great strides in improvement and achievement.

La Crescenta community members played a round of golf on Monday to benefit athletics in their neighborhood schools. The golfers were participants in the 2008 Golf Classic at Angeles National Golf Club in Sunland, a tournament organized by the all-volunteer foundation known as CV CAN, or the Crescenta Valley Community is Committed to Athletic Needs. CV CAN initially formed several years ago around the cause of replacing the track and field at Crescenta Valley High School. That project — an endeavor that cost more than $1 million — was completed in spring 2006.

Mystery author to visit bookstore Once Upon A Time Bookstore will hold a book signing at 7 p.m. Wednesday with best-selling adult mystery author and former New York City police officer Craig Johnson. He will read from his book ?Another Man?s Moccasins,? which was a featured pick of the week by Publisher?s Weekly. The bookstore is at 2207 Honolulu Ave. in Montrose. For more information, call (818) 248-9668. ? Group discusses several issues The Glendale Education/Social Justice Advocates steering committee will meet from 6 to 8 p.m. Thursday at the Pacific Park Library.

Glendale has raked in $5.4 million in development fees since 2007, more than double the amount the city had made by December last year, officials reported. The revenue is earmarked for curbing the impacts of new developments, and more residents, on parks and libraries. Much of the money - roughly $2.7 million - came in during fiscal year 2011-12. That's up from nearly $1.5 million generated during the prior year. Nearly $1 million of the fees went to improve the Adult Recreation Center and the Pacific Park Aquatic Facility, according to the city.

The top-10 male high school athletes of the school year were voted on by the Glendale News-Press sports department. These are selections 2-10. See the Aug. 16 edition for the Male Athlete of the Year. 2 - Young Tae Seo, Crescenta Valley swimming, sophomore Continuing his ascension as one of the premiere high school swimmers, Young Tae Seo capped a stellar sophomore campaign with four Pacific League titles (one more than last season), three CIF Southern Section Division II titles (two more than last year)

One of the hottest summer attractions in Glendale hasn't been a nightclub or a Caruso Affiliated-financed development. The Pacific Community Park Pool, which opened on June 4, is attracting as many as 1,000 people a day, including up to 450 recreational swimmers and 550 aquatics-program participants, city officials reported this week. The pool's capacity at any given time is 243 people. “I am absolutely astounded at the number of young kids, adults and seniors that are in the pool all day,” said City Councilman Ara Najarian, who played a critical role in pushing through the development of the pool.

When the Crescenta Valley High girls’ water polo team takes the pool for today’s Pacific League championship tournament, it will do so from a position of strength. The strength of having dominated opponents this season to the tune of a 23-4 record, of having put a stranglehold on the league with regular-season victories over each league adversary to earn the No. 1 seed and of a lofty ranking in CIF Southern Section Division IV that has been attached to the team all season.

CITY HALL — With plans for the long-awaited Pacific Park Pool underway, year-end figures for the city’s summer aquatic programs show an increased demand for community swim programs. The eight-week program, primarily operated at the pools at Glendale, Hoover and Crescenta Valley high schools, included swimming programs for recreation, lessons, community swim and water polo teams, a junior lifeguard academy and other special events. The city also operated six wading pools at local parks.

The Burbank City Council’s decision to extend the aquatics season at McCambridge Park Pool is making a splash with members of the Aqua Trim Fitness class that meets Saturday mornings. The hours were to have been extended last summer, but were delayed when McCambridge Park Pool was closed due to structural damage following the Chino earthquake, said Erin Barrows, recreation supervisor. “We are continuing the aquatic season because September is a hot month also,” she said.

GLENDALE — The top high school coaches from the 2008-09 season were selected by the sportswriters of the Glendale News-Press .   1 Jan Sakonju, Crescenta Valley, boys’ water polo, boys’ swimming: Jan Sakonju, Crescenta Valley, boys’ water polo, boys’ swimming: To say that 2008-09 was an extraordinarily successful season for Sakonju doesn’t really do justice to his track record at Crescenta Valley....

CRESCENTA — The pool at Crescenta Valley High School is open for Glendale’s summer aquatics program, the first time in three years the facility has been open for the program. The pool, which was closed in prior years due to availability problems, will be used in a manner similar to those at Glendale and Hoover high schools. “CVHS uses the pool for their aquatics program for their students, and they need [specific] times to run practices,” said Courtney Maglio, community service coordinator for Glendale Parks and Recreation.

GLENDALE ? Growing up and playing organized water polo in a hotbed like Orange County, Forest Holbrook saw things take shape. Holbrook played for a perennial CIF powerhouse in El Toro High in Lake Forest, learning the sport under El Toro Coach Don Stoll, who churned out top-notch talent that went on to succeed at the collegiate level. More importantly, Holbrook learned how to play and organize a winning program in a successful system. Now, Holbrook will look to implement many of those same lines of thinking as the new aquatics coach at Glendale High.