The often-forgotten “Tiny Tot Pool” that is adjacent to the temporary Belmont Plaza Pool has closed and will be demolished on Wednesday, April 29. The pool area, 4320 E. Olympic Plaza, is being repurposed as a construction staging area to make way for a new pool.
The tiny pool opened in 1968, built adjacent to the original Olympic Belmont Plaza Indoor Pool. The pool was made up of six lanes, 25 yards long. The deep end was a mere four feet, shallow enough that a child could always find the bottom. Thousands of Long Beach kids learned to swim there.
The Long Beach Junior Lifeguards took their qualifying tests there. The pool also served as a backup when the main pool went down. Many recalled the small pool as summer camp headquarters, the city’s swim lessons home base — where local kids learned to swim.
The often-forgotten “Tiny Tot Pool” that is adjacent to the temporary Belmont Plaza Pool has closed and will be demolished on Wednesday, April 29. (Photo by Jo Murray, Grunion Gazette/SCNG)
From left, Dr. Scott Brunner, Hank Wise, Belmont Pool Director Kaylie Konaratos, Long Beach Aquatic Supervisor Caitlyn Cruz Brown and Third District Councilmember Kristina Duggan at a celebration of life ceremony for the now-closed Tiny Tots Pool on Friday, April 17. (Photo by Jo Murray, Grunion Gazette/SCNG)
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The often-forgotten “Tiny Tot Pool” that is adjacent to the temporary Belmont Plaza Pool has closed and will be demolished on Wednesday, April 29. (Photo by Jo Murray, Grunion Gazette/SCNG)
At 6:45 a.m. Friday, April 17, Rocket Fish’s Hank Wise conducted an informal celebration of life for the Tiny Tot Pool. He served cinnamon and peppermint tea out of thermoses into an eclectic array of cups to a group of water lovers — many still wrapped in towels from an early morning swim.
“There is something achingly bittersweet about all of it,” Wise said in a speech. “Something that deserves to be felt fully — the grief and the gratitude both held together.”
He and others, including Third District Councilmember Kristina Duggan, shared personal memories of time spent in and around the fenced in pool area.
And his closing thought said it all:
“Is it appropriate to hold a funeral for a pool? A wake? Should bagpipers play a slow lament on the sand while the sun rises over the water? Maybe,” he said. “Maybe it should be all of those things at once — the solemn and the joyful, the mourning and the celebrating. A celebration of life for a pool (that) lived well, served humbly and gave everything she had.”
The group of water lovers then joined in a tight circle for a group hug. After construction of the new pool, the small pool area will be returned to its natural habitat — with native plants.
Remembering Marcus
“Be kinder, be better” was the mantra frequently spoken by 19-year-old Marcus Muench Casanova, a sailing instructor — who died in December during a tragic hiking accident on Mt. Baldy.
Now, about four months later, Casanova’s friends and family want him to be remembered by how he lived and what he enjoyed doing most.
“Marcus was a sailing instructor and had a natural way with kids: patient, encouraging and generous with his time, says a GoFundMe that the Marquitos Adventure Club — Scholarship Fund established to fund outdoor experiences for local youth. “Helping young people discover confidence, freedom and wonder through outdoor experiences mattered deeply to him.”
The Alamitos Bay Sailing Foundation will be one of the organizations benefiting from that fund’s donations. The foundation will hold its annual dinner Friday night, April 24. I’m humbled to be the honorary chair of the event, and we are raising money for kids just like the ones Casanova enjoyed teaching — something that has been a long tradition at Alamitos Bay Yacht Club.
This year, the club’s leadership plans to bring more soon-to-be sailors into the summer program
Junior Staff Commodore Ed Feo is reaching our to the local community to find young people who want to learn to sail. He has been meeting with officials with Sea Scouts, Girl Scouts, Panthers at Sea and Leeway Sailing to get the word out.
Just as the Aquatic Capital of America believes every Long Beach kid should be water safe — and know how to swim — Feo and the Alamitos Bay Foundation aim is to teach every interested child how to sail.
Feo’s attitude is that participating in water sports is a birthright for Long Beach children
Casanova’s father, Ken Muench, stressed that providing funds for beginning sailors will keep his son’s vibe going.
Casanova first learned to sail in Seal Beach Yacht Club’s unstructured sailing program. He thrived there because it gave him a chance to experiment with sailing — to feel the wind, develop his passion for the sport and become one with the boat.
His greatest love was sharing that feeling with the youngest of sailors and finding ways for them to sense how the boat and the wind came together.
One “Little Leewayers” — the youngest newest sailors — had a hard time comprehending how a tiller works. That’s not surprising — since it is counterintuitive. Casanova coached her to pull the tiller, but she would push it instead, often sailing in circles. So Casanova ended up telling her to push when she needed to pull. Saying the opposite became second nature for him.
It worked for a time. He had run the scenario so many times in his head, that when he got on his parents’ boat – he almost followed his own backward advice.
In addition to sailing in Alamitos Bay, Casanova also raced long-distance regattas like Newport to Ensenada and the Catalina series. He had a “sense for the wind,” his father said.
“When things got hairy — when there were 28 knots of wind — I’d have him take the helm,” Muench said, adding that they were preparing to sail in the Pacific Cup, from San Francisco to Hawaii, in July.
To donateto the Alamitos Bay Sailing Foundation, go to alamitosbaysailingfoundation.org/take-action.
Newport to Ensenada
The 78th Annual Newport to Ensenada International Yacht Race starts at 11 a.m. Friday.
The best viewing spot for the start is at the end of the Balboa Pier.
Since 1948, sailors have taken on the iconic 125-mile offshore race from Newport Beach to Ensenada, Mexico.
The Riviera Civic & Cultural Center will be the race headquarters and the location for all N2E celebrations, including trophy and awards presentations. Hutchison Ports Ensenada Cruiseport Village Marina will serve as the official reception site for the 131 boats registered to sail.