Friday, August 30, 2019 | Seaside Signal | SeasideSignal.com • A5 How to keep a public pool safe and clean SKYBOX SKYLER ARCHIBALD I t’s a likely scene, immortal- ized in pools throughout the world and, infamously, in the 1980 fi lm, “Caddyshack.” Kids, adults swimming. Enjoying them- selves on a beautiful summer day. Then, a scream. A gasp. A look of repulsion. The pool clears in a rush of fear, disgust and pandemonium after someone spots the dreaded “fl oater”. Before you go any further, I should warn you that you may want to come back to this after you fi nished your breakfast. I’m here to talk about something that doesn’t get talked about often, but we all know pretty much stinks: #2. The Center for Disease Control classifi es these incidents as F.A.C. (Fecal Accidental Contamination) and we’re talking about them here because we can’t seem to avoid them this summer at the Sunset Pool. A normal summer, we might have to deal with two or three contaminations and that’s plenty for our staff to deal with. This summer however, we’ve been challenged with eight sepa- rate incidents over a seven-week period. It’s an astonishing number and the situation has been treated with less and less humor each occurrence. Each time this incident occurs several steps occur internally within our organization. Life- guards clear the pool area. We are fortunate to have three bodies of water so occasionally the contami- nation only occurs in one of those, but often there is a need to clear and sanitize each of the pools. The matter must be collected and disposed of, if possible. Obvi- ously different consistency can make that part diffi cult and more to come on that. The closure effects the patrons at that time, but also those that will be coming later that day and into future days, depending on the length of closure required. If the consistency of the con- tamination requires it, each drop of water in the pool must pass through the fi ltration devices, regardless of how much chlo- rine is deposited to make it right. Extra chemicals, staff costs and an immense amount of pressure on the fi ltration systems make these situations more challenging. Perhaps the worst part of these experiences though, is the closures that follow. Each of the eight inci- dents mentioned previously were accompanied by a 24-hour clo- sure, impacting our swimming patrons, swim lessons, classes, etc.… We work hard to distribute the message of the closure to our patrons and guests, but we often miss a few individuals, for what- ever reason, and inconvenience them in the process. It seems to be that there are not a lot of rays of sunshine in this mess. The Sunset Empire Park and Recreation District is fortunate to have a number of staff who are certifi ed with a pool opera- tor license and thus, are trained to respond to these incidents. Gone are the days when we could just fi sh the “Baby Ruth” out and reopen. We know more about the different germs and viruses that could be in the contamina- tion and understand the dangers of not treating the potential of E. coli, hepatitis A, giardia and cryptosporidium. So, what’s causing all of this? Who knows! We are fortunate to serve approximately 500 res- idents and guests each day and the summer months cause for an increase in open swim opportu- nities. It’s possible that there’s a bacteria or illness that’s going around our community and affect- ing children and adults in a pow- erful and uncontrollable fashion. Our colleagues in nearby commu- nities have also noticed an uptick in F.A.C. incidents this summer, so perhaps it is a virus or an ado- lescent with a very troubling and smelly sense of humor. Whatever the cause, we’ll con- tinue to work to provide safe, clean and wonderful recreation facilities for all of you to enjoy. Please come visit us soon and make sure that you use the appro- priate restroom facilities before you jump in the water. Skyler Archibald is the execu- tive director for the Sunset Empire Park and Recreation District. Giving credit where credit due New editor named at The Astorian Seaside Signal Seaside Signal Game-makers Late for the Sky based in Cincinnati debuted “Seaside-Opoly,” a licensed collegiate board games with a property-trading theme with locations based in Seaside. The game is available at Walmart. But Leila Vernor, a longtime Seaside resident, alerted us to a much earlier Sea- side monopoly-style game long before “Seaside-Opoly” was released this year. Vernor’s husband Oliver, mayor of Sea- side from 1995-1998, developed “Sea- side-opoly” through Hometown Games in Chatsworth, Califor- nia, during his term. “It really shocked me when I saw it,” she said this week of the new game released this summer. The Astorian has a new editor. Derrick DePledge, a veteran journalist who has held editing and reporting roles at the newspaper for the past 4½ years, will lead the newsroom. He replaces Jim Van Nostrand, the editor for the past two years, who has accepted a job as Mis- souri state editor for Gate- house Media, leading 22 newspapers. “There was no question who would be our next edi- tor,” said Kari Borgen, The Astorian’s publisher. “We are fortunate to have the combination of leadership, experience and knowledge of our community that Der- Leila Vernor displays the game her husband created in the 1990s. Business coaching for business owners Seaside Signal One of the most dynamic and rewarding programs offered for existing busi- nesses is the Clatsop Com- munity College SBDC Small Business Manage- ment Program, a program the college has offered since 1979. The program is a 10-month executive busi- ness management course for established business owners. Classroom sessions are taught by subject mat- ter experts and designed to improve knowledge across topics critical to every small business including lead- ership and management, fi nancial analysis, sales and marketing, customer service, human resources, legal, insurance, technol- ogy and more. anagement, Financial Analysis, Sales & Marketing, Customer Ser- vice, HR, Legal, Insurance, Technology and much more. The 90-minute class meets every other Wednes- day afternoon starting Sept. 25. Cost is $695 and includes at least 50 hours of training and coaching, all materials, Send money in the moment. Right from your mobile banking app. together with Terms and Conditions Apply. and resources are provided. Contact Clatsop Com- munity College S. County Center, 1455 North Roos- evelt, Seaside; sbdc@clat- sopcc.edu. Ladies of the Lake Quilt Guild of Longview Presents “Quilting for the Art of It” $ 5 Admission Fri, Oct 4, 10am-5pm; Sat, Oct 5, 10am-4pm Youth & Family Link Building 907 Douglas Avenue, Longview, WA Over 150 Quilts • Demonstration • Door Prizes Vendors • Raffle Quilt • Country Store • Bed Turning Featuring “Giving Back to the Community” Quilt Display Proceeds Support: Local Veterans, Children’s Justice & Advocacy Center & Luggage of Love Like us on Facebook: Ladies of the Lake Quilt Guild Additional Information at: www.lolquiltguild.org Fall Art Opportunities Fall Groups September 2-Dec Mon-Wed Groups in Open studio, Int Pastels and all levels watercolor September 24-Dec Inspiration! Non-Members Welcome Workshops Hot Ideas in Warm Glass Chris Kende Sept. 7 & 14 Portraits with Blue Bond October 9, 16, 22 Trail’s End Art Association 656 A St. Gearhart 503-717-9458 Info: trailsendart.org ing a decade as a Washing- rick brings to the role.” DePledge, 53, has ton, D.C., correspondent and a decade as a served as manag- state government ing editor, dep- and politics reporter uty managing edi- in Hawaii. He also tor and reporter at spent four years The Astorian. He as the top elected has written about leader in Hawaii for the gaps in Clatsop the Pacifi c Media County’s mental Derrick Workers Guild, a health safety net DePledge labor union that rep- and policy changes resented 200 news- intended to make the criminal justice system paper workers. DePledge and Van Nos- more equitable. He has also covered city government in trand both worked at the Washington Bureau for Astoria and Warrenton. “At our best, we hold up Knight Ridder Newspapers, a mirror to our community,” though at different times. “In 35 years in the news he said. “Our staff recog- nizes we live in a unique, business, I’ve seen few edi- historic place that deserves tors better than Derrick at leading and mentoring a newspaper to match.” DePledge has more young reporters,” Van Nos- than 30 years of experi- trand said. “I’m leaving the ence as a journalist, includ- newsroom in good hands.”