Summer swim program heating up -- for some

Mathis Winkler

NEWPORT BEACH -- For a while, city officials didn’t know what, if

anything, would become of Newport Beach’s summer swim program this year.

For years, the city’s community services department offered swim

lessons at Newport Harbor and Corona del Mar high schools. But with

soaring electricity and natural gas costs making pool operations more

expensive -- gas is used for heating and pool pumps eat up electricity --

school district officials felt reluctant to keep the pools heated.

On Friday, however, the two parties reached an agreement that will

allow an estimated 1,000 kids to learn how to swim. While the Corona del

Mar High pool will not be heated and tentatively remain open for lap

swimming, the pool at Newport Harbor High will be heated and used for

teaching.

But those signing up for lessons will have to bear some of the costs.

“The reality is we are charging a $10 surcharge,” said LaDonna

Kienitz, the city’s community services director, adding that city

officials will add a $5 energy surcharge to fees that have already gone

up by the same amount.

District officials could not be reached for comment Friday.

While the loss of Corona del Mar High’s pool is likely to

inconvenience residents east of the bay, Kienitz said the location had

been chosen since that pool has a shallow end.

“It’s a better pool for teaching,” she said, adding that Corona del

Mar High’s pool is a water polo pool and remains deep throughout.

The Newport Harbor High pool will be heated to 80 degrees since lower

temperatures will make it uncomfortable for smaller children, Kienitz

said.

“These are little people with not a lot of body fat,” she said.

Lap swimming at Corona del Mar High’s pool will be offered unless

swimmers complain the water is too cold.

“We are fondly calling it the polar bear swimming pool,” said Andrea

McGuire, the city’s recreation manager, adding that lap swimming is

offered there on a year-round basis.

As city officials are bracing for a somewhat different swim program

experience, officials for some of the city’s homeowners associations also

said they were working on changes.

At The Bluffs Homeowners Community Assn., officials are experimenting

with saltwater to reduce the costs for chlorine as a result of higher

energy prices, said Kevin Shannon, the Bluff’s general manager.

He added that lowering temperatures at the association’s six pools

might be considered in the future.

At the Jasmine Creek Community Assn., which maintains three pools,

officials said they could get through the summer without big problems.

But “we will suffer in the winter,” said Bill Simons, the president of

the association’s board of directors, since the pools are heated

throughout the year. He added that while membership dues have not been

increased as a result of the energy crisis, association officials decided

to end the benefit of free cable services and use the money to pay for

other things.

And Bernie Rome, the president of the Big Canyon Master Assn., said

he’d already prepared himself for the crisis 15 years ago by installing a

$4,500 solar panel system to heat his own pool.

“I actually have to control it and turn [the temperature] down,” he

said. “Otherwise the pools would get to over 90 degrees.”

Rome added that he’s also signed up for Southern California Edison’s

pool pump timer program, which offers customers a $40 rebate at the end

of the summer if they agree to operate the pump only during off-peak

hours from 6 p.m. to midnight.

To qualify for the rebate, customers need to sign up by May 31, said

Kim Scherer, a company spokeswoman. A $100 rebate for energy-efficient

pool pumps remains in effect until Sept. 30 on a first-come, first-served

basis.

“If we run out of funds, we run out of funds,” Scherer said.

o7 FYI

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To sign up for the city’s swimming lessons, which begin June 25 and

last for eight weeks, call (949) 644-3151.

To enroll in Southern California Edison’s pool rebate programs, go to

o7 https://www.sce.comf7 or call (800) 470-2365.