Swim, Dive, & Tennis Blog
Masters Swimmers and Those Who Would Like to Master Swimming
June 22nd, 2011 | Posted in News, Swimming
We are off to a great start this year with Masters Swimming at Mount Lookout Swim Club. Aaron Dorfman is coaching two practices per week. His practices are tailored to teach and challenge beginning, intermediate and advanced swimmers. In addition, Kathleen Howe, Ed Meir and Mike Roberts are leading two practices per week. Please see attached calendar for details.
The cost is $30.00 for the season, which runs through August 6th. The registration form and release are attached and also available on the Mount Lookout Swim Club website under the heading “Applications and Forms”.
If you would like to check out the program before registering, you may join us for a practice with Aaron for free. See calendar for dates when Aaron is coaching. Aaron has also generously provided a variety of workouts for different levels of swimmers. These are laminated and available to check out in the Masters Swimming folder at the front desk for all members registered for Masters Swimming. Please return to the folder after your workout.
If you have any questions for Aaron, his address is cc above. If you have any questions for me, you may reach me at mbsh05@gmail.com or 513-256-0356.
Please forward to anyone who may be interested.
Thanks!
Mary Beth
LobstaPalooza
June 17th, 2011 | Posted in News
Members…..
Today is the last day to reserve your space for this great event! Call the front desk or signup while you are at the pool today!
We look forward to seeing you next Friday at the MT. Lookout Swim Club LOBSTAPALOOZA!!!
It’s Lobsta Palooza Time Already!
May 31st, 2011 | Posted in Announcement, Social
It’s Lobsta Palooza Time already!
*Click here for pdf: Lobster-Party*
Get your PAID reservation in early
And
Reserve your Table
Friday, June 24
Live Music by Don’t Fear the Reverb 7-10pm
DJ and Dance Party 10 pm-midnight
RAIN OR SHINE
(Note: The food is paid for ahead of time. There are NO REFUNDS if it rains: you can pick up your food and take it with you!)
$45 per Person
Includes: Your choice of lobster or steak and all side items
As Always, this is a BYOB event
Sign up AND pay by Friday, June 17th
Guests are welcome; please feel free to bring your friends. This is a great opportunity to show off our wonderful club!
Questions? Call Cyndi Bensman 305-1780
Mt. Lookout Swim Club will open on time
May 26th, 2011 | Posted in Announcement
Swim Club will open on time after fire
May 25, 2011
By Lisa Wakeland • lwakeland@communitypress.com
MT. LOOKOUT – Less than six months after a large fire destroyed a building, the Mount Lookout Swim Club is ready for its 53rd season.
A Dec. 21 fire ripped through the bathhouse and the roof of a connected picnic area. There was some minor damage to speakers but the concession area and pump room were not affected by the fire.
Thought it took months to repair the building, bathroom and shower facilities, the work is complete and the pool opens Memorial Day weekend.
Pool manager Cary Belyea, left, Board Chairman Chris McDowell and Kurt Zobrist, who helped with construction, stand outside the rebuilt bathhouse at the Mt. Lookout Swim Club on Totten Avenue.
“We’re going to open on time,” Pool manager Cary Belyea said. “No one thought it could be done.”
Most of the structure was saved after the fire but there are some changes, said Chris McDowell, president of the swim club’s board of directors.
They added glass block windows, stone counters in the bathrooms and a higher, vaulted ceiling above the picnic area, McDowell said.
The bathhouse destroyed by the fire was built in the early 2000s and the reconstruction allowed the club to use more energy-efficient materials.
It now has a tankless water heater, automatic flush toilets and LED lights, said Kurt Zobrist, of Zobrist Design Group Inc., the company that helped rebuild the structure.
McDowell said they’ve been keeping the swim club members informed of the progress. Many were concerned the building wouldn’t be finished on time and it would ruin part of the swim season, he said.
The Cincinnati Fire Department listed the fire’s cause as undetermined but a fire investigator from the swim club’s insurance company said the cause was arson, McDowell said.
“It was a senseless act of vandalism,” he said.
The incident occurred around 2 a.m. and a pair of suspicious vehicles were reportedly seen in the area around the time the fire started.
Fire investigators initially suspected arson, but later backed off that assessment. McDowell said previously that both the electricity and gas were shut off after the 2010 swim season ended.
The Mount Lookout Swim Club is on Totten Avenue.
A fire ravaged the bathhouse at the Mt. Lookout Swim Club on Dec. 21. An insurance investigator listed the cause as arson. (Leigh Taylor/Staff)
Tennis Sign-ups Saturday May 21!
May 20th, 2011 | Posted in Announcement
This year more tennis clinics will be offered and will be limited to 18 participants per class. Junior tennis classes ($10/session) are in the morning and early afternoon and run from Monday through Thursday for two weeks. Adult tennis classes ($15/session) are in the evenings and participants will come once a week for four weeks. Tennis sign-ups will be Saturday, May 21st from 12:00 – 4:00. Tennis participants will not be registered for a class/session until the $10/$15 fee is collected.
Snack Shack Survey!
May 4th, 2011 | Posted in Uncategorized
2011 Mtlsc Presidents letter to Members
April 29th, 2011 | Posted in News, Uncategorized
Dear Mt. Lookout Swim Club Members,
Welcome to the 2011 season at Mt. Lookout Swim Club.
We are looking forward to another great summer with the pool opening Saturday May 28th.
SIGN UP SHEETS FOR ACTIVITIES ARE NOW ON THE INTERNET
In order to cut down on our copying costs, postage, and general clutter, this year much of the information
that you have received in the past as part of this package is now on the Internet. The website can be
found at www.mtlookoutswimclub.com or by searching for “Mt. Lookout Swim Club” on your internet
search engine. Space is limited for some activities so I encourage you to sign up for your favorite activity
as soon as possible.
MEMBERSHIP BOOKS
You are probably also accustomed to receiving your Club booklet in this package. Again, in order to save
the Club money, you will receive your 2011 Book containing the pool rules and membership directory at
the front desk when you first sign in this year. The Board feels that this small change will result in a
significant cost savings to the Club as it will save on postage on mailing hundreds of books to our
members. The Board of Directors strives to run the Club in a cost effective manner.
MANAGEMENT
We are pleased that SwimSafe Pool Management is back to manage the operations of the pool again this
Summer. Cary Belyea, owner of SwimSafe, is very experienced in the field of pool management and
offers a hands on approach to working with the pools he manages. SwimSafe will still provide all aspects
of club management. SwimSafe Pool Management is providing competent and qualified employees to
serve the pool as well as managing the snack bar and pool operations. We are excited to announce that
Micah Innis will be joining us as the pool manager this year. Micah served the pool last year as an
assistant manager. There will be some new faces as well as some familiar faces. Please take a second to
introduce yourself, as they are all anxious to meet the members.
MEMBERSHIP
All dues should have been paid at this point. Anyone who has not paid their dues and late fees by
opening day will not be admitted to the pool.
The entrance will have an attendant positioned at the outdoor desk to insure that member and guest sign in
occurs. This year, SwimSafe has hired an adult to manage the front desk during our peek hours. The
front desk employee’s responsibilities include looking at EVERYONE’S membership card and signing in
all guests. All members are required to show their card for admittance – there are no exceptions. We are
making an effort to crack down on uninvited guests at our pool and people who are trespassing on pool
property. If you are aware of anyone who is on Club property who is not a member or a guest, please
notify the manager on duty or a member of the Board of Directors immediately and action will be taken.
If you are a new member or have ordered new cards, the cards will be available at the front desk at the
beginning of the season. If you have lost your cards, you can order replacements at the front desk or by
calling the membership line 533-1307. Membership cards are $5.00.
GUESTS
Please make sure that you sign in your guests as the club belongs to the members and you only cheat
yourself when allowing friends to use the pool without being a member or signing them in as a guest.
Thank you for your respect of the rules. It is the members’ responsibility to sign in all guests. As a
reminder four or more guests at one time, per family, per day needs to be approved by the club manager.
No person may be a guest of the club more than twice in any one calendar
month, regardless of how many members may extend an invitation. Please
help us to enforce this rule.
Families that are on the waiting list are entitled to be guests of the club only twice in the month of
August on a Monday, Tuesday, Thursday or Friday, only.
If you know of waiting list or member guest abuse or any other problems that you would like to report,
please feel free to let a manager or a Board member know, or if you prefer you may leave a message on
the membership line. We will also have a suggestion box at the front desk for your feedback-good and
bad, which the Board will review.
GUESTS FEES
The fee is $4.00 per guest. The houseguest fee is now $7.50 per person. All the same rules apply as
stated above.
PARTIES
Members wishing to entertain more than 4 guests must fill out a Party Form (available at the desk at least
2 weeks before the date of the event) and have it approved by the manager and/or Board of Trustees. A
SwimSafe pool manager will meet with your guests to go over the club rules. Please make sure your
group understands the rules, as you, the member, are responsible. For more information on parties, please
see Section V of the Operating Rules in your membership book.
RULES
Please take some time before the pool opens to review the rules in the membership book. The rules have
been revamped and updated to reflect all current health and safety regulations warranted by the Board of
Health and The Red Cross. It is your responsibility as a member to follow the rules for your safety as
well as others. Two rules that need to be reiterated are: 1) Children in diapers MUST wear rubber
pants and a bathing suit in the pool. There will be rubber pants available at the front desk for
purchase. 2) Children under the age of 3 must be accompanied by an adult at all times while in the
pool.
SIGNIFICANT RULE CHANGE FOR 2011
After careful consideration, the Board of Directors has voted to change the rules regarding S tests.
Section IV of the Rules dealing with unattended children will be amended. The previous rule permitted
children between the ages of 8 and 12 to be at the pool without a parent or guardian provided the child
could meet certain swimming requirements (the “S test”). This rule has been under review by the Board
of Directors for several years. We were the only large private pool in Cincinnati that permitted children
as young as 8 to be at the pool unattended. Most drownings occur to young children who are not properly
supervised. Lifeguards are not babysitters. The Board of Directors has determined that the liability is too
great to permit young children to be at the pool without a parent or guardian. Accordingly, starting this
summer, Section IV.2 of the Rule Book will be amended to read:
Exception to rule IV.1 (above): children between ages of ten (10) and twelve (12) may be
permitted to use the pool without caregiver supervision, provided they meet the following requirements. .
. .
Members are on notice that the age limit will be increased next year to 11 and the exception will be
eliminated entirely in two years. In this way, we hope to grandfather most of the children and parents
who already enjoy this benefit, but eliminate the S test in the near future.
GENERAL MATTERS
POOL HOURS - The pool will be open generally Sunday – Friday 11am – 9pm and Saturday 10am -
9pm. We will also be keeping the pool open a little longer after Labor Day, weather permitting. We will
keep you posted as to what the extended schedule will be. Members must leave the club at closing
time. In the last few years, members and/or guests have made a habit of not leaving on time, this
practice cannot continue. Anyone staying later than 9pm, will risk the loss of pool privileges.
WEBSITE - The website will be updated with all of the current events and notices as well as sign up
forms. Please feel free to check out our web site: www.mtlookoutswimclub.com for calendars, tennis
sign up forms and other information. Join a Clicshare group to get email updates on club activities. This
is a great way to stay up on what is happening at the club.
FACEBOOK - We are on Facebook, look us up and become a fan. Information concerning the Club is
posted on our Facebook page throughout the year.
TENNIS - We want to once again welcome David Leyland as our Club pro for the 2011 season. He has a
lot of new things planned for the season. Please make sure you take a look at his agenda for this year as
some things have changed. Tennis information is posted on our website.
We look forward to everyone having a safe and enjoyable Summer at the pool!
Sincerely,
The Trustees of the Mt. Lookout Swim Club
Christopher R. McDowell, John Capannari, Scott Rodes, Bill Bladwin, Suzanne Doyle, Kristina Baldwin, Kathleen Greenwell, Paige Castellini, Cyndi Bensman, Mary Beth Hines
Swim Team swimsuit fittings May 10.
April 5th, 2011 | Posted in Announcement
Get fitted for your new swimsuit for the 2011 swim and dive teams.
Please meet us at Cardinal Pacelli… Room C… 6-8pm.
New News!
February 15th, 2011 | Posted in Announcement
There has been a new change to the rule book. Please see below:
Rule Change p.8 Section IV CHILDREN.
2. Exception to rule IV.
Will be changed to…
“Children between the ages of Ten (10) and Twelve (12) may be
permitted to use the pool without care-giver supervision provided
they meet the following requirements…..”
Letter from the President
February 8th, 2011 | Posted in Uncategorized
January 31, 2011
Dear Mt. Lookout Swim & Tennis Club Member:
The Board of Trustees has been busy this Winter making improvements to our Club for the 2011 season. We are committed to making 2011 the best year ever.
As many of you are aware, a fire destroyed the bathhouse building on December 21, 2010. The new bathhouse will be complete prior to the pool opening. The building and its contents were fully insured. As a result, we will have both a new building and all new tables, chairs, diving boards, umbrellas, and many other items this year. In addition, we are taking this opportunity to address the number one complaint of our members – the bathroom floors. The previous bathroom floors were a light color tile, which, despite our best efforts, always appeared dirty. This matter will be addressed with the new building. We also plan on making major upgrades to all of the bathroom fixtures, lighting, and ventilation in the new building. In short, we fully expect the end result of the fire to be a net positive for our Club.
In addition to rebuilding the bathhouse and purchasing all new equipment, we have repainted the pool and plan to complete landscaping near the diving boards and pump house building. We are also making many other smaller improvements to the pool that we are sure will make 2011 our best year ever. Many people have contacted me and asked if the fire will result in an increase in dues. The answer is that there is NO INCREASE IN MEMBERSHIP DUES FOR 2011. This is the second year in a row that we have not increased dues!
Please find enclosed your statement of membership dues for the 2011 season. Please remit the balance and any outstanding guest fees by the date stated to the P.O. Box. Unlike many pools in our area, Mt. Lookout Swim & Tennis Club still has a waiting list. Accordingly, if you know that you will not be returning to the club, please notify Cindy Kelly at (513) 533-1307, so we can notify a wait list member. Any member that has not paid their annual dues by March 15, 2011, will be assessed a $25.00 late fee, dues paid after April 15, 2010, will be assessed a $75.00 late fee. Any member that has not paid their annual dues by April 25, 2011 will be considered as not returning and their membership will be rescinded and they will be replaced with a new member from the wait list.
This is my second year as President of the Board of Trustees. In closing, I would like to express my sincere gratitude to the rest of the members of the Board of Trustees, each of whom volunteers his or her time, knowledge, and experience to make Mt. Lookout the wonderful club that we all enjoy. As Board members they are not compensated. Please take the opportunity, if it occurs, to thank them for we all benefit from their efforts.
Respectfully yours,
Christopher R. McDowell
President, Board of Trustees
Mt. Lookout Swim & Tennis Club
