By Lydia Poncé

WTF – Where’s The Funding? The Venice pool closed September 29. A well attended meeting was held at Venice High’s Auditorium on Nov. 12 at the same time as regarding the Cell Tower meeting a few blocks away, no conspiracy just shear coincidence.

LAUSD, the city representatives and parents shared dialogue that simply sank. The outcome: do we fix the pool and hope it holds without leaking 1,000 gallons of water daily? Or do we build a new pool since this one is so old?  

The entire westside of district 11 has only three yearround heated pools, Venice High School, LACES, and Westwood. The VHS Waterpolo teams, both boys and girls, are being bused every day to practice. What will become of the kick ass team we have now and what about the VHS Spring Swim Team? More busing? For how long? Aquatics Coach Sophie Sabbah, Venice High, had the best idea yet, “We must build a temporary pool on the student parking lot while the new pool is constructed”. Brilliant! They built a 50 meter pool with ten lanes for the Olympic Trials in Long Beach. If LBC can do it- so can Venice!

The Venice pool has an outside private construction company working hard to repipe and reconstruct the deck and their deadline is this January! Does that mean our pool will re-open? According to one of the construction workers, “This is a five year band-aid. Eventually Venice will have to re-build a new pool.”

We need to know how much cash is there is for our pool, new or old. Since there’s a money shortage in both, state and city budgets, we need to get resourceful. 

POWER, People Organized for Westside Renewal, has organized a group of parents, who will keep the city of L.A. on point with their words and their promises. This group, determined to be pro-active and not re-active. 

They’re in the process of securing a meeting within 30 days as the city promised. It was suggested that the city provide a bus for the senior citizens who participate in Water Aerobic exercise every Friday. Can’t we get them a ride? POWER is meeting December 10 – at 7PM. Contact POWER for location, Bill Przylucki, Organizer, (310) 392-9700 x 3# or bill@power-la.org.

Some Venice High pool documents can be found on the city’s Aquatics website. This report does not include geological or engineering testing. (www.laparks.org/dos/ aquatic/facility/venicePool.htm).

Support the Waterpolo Team. The girl’s season just started! Venice High School’s website is: http://www.venicehigh .net