San Benito Aquatics has reached out to San Benito High School to see if something can be done to salvage the Hollister Recreation Department's summer swim program that each summer offers recreational swim time, lessons and lifeguard training to the community. The program is in jeopardy with the high school's announcement that both of its pools will be closed this summer for repairs.
In a comment to BenitoLink, San Benito Aquatics President Jim Bonnet said the mission of the organization "is to foster development of swimmers in our community" and that his group has "already engaged the high school to see what we can do to help remedy this situation. We believe the aquatics program at the high school is an integral part in helping our swimmers and water polo players achieve their full potential. Let's work together as a community to save these valuable resources."
SBHS Superintendent John Perales said this week that the district is in a "tough situation with our pools and will need to close them until further notice." In an email message to staff, he said plaster in both of the school's pools is coming loose "is a danger because it leaves very sharp areas where students and staff may be cut or hurt." He said the district initially felt "there was a very good chance" that the plaster repairs could be completed by the beginning of the recreation swim program as well as the high school water polo season that begins in the fall, but then a second issue surfaced.
The district was issued a cease and desist order by the city of Hollister and local water officials because overflow and filter backwash water from the two pools drain into storm drains — which, while allowable when the pools were built in 1964 and 1974, respectively, is no longer permitted. The district's maintenance team is now working with a pool engineer and is hopeful to come up with a solution, though Perales said "this most likely will take a few months to have approved and in place."
"I feel badly for both our recreation program and our high school aquatics programs," he added. "In the case of our high school aquatics programs, we are looking for alternative pools for practice time. I have contacted Christopher High School and Gavilan College to see is we may be able to use their pools for practice time. At this time, we must move all water polo competitions to away sites."