| |
|
Updated November 1, 2004
|
| Pool & Spa News welcomes news tips from our readers. Send news items, with company and contact information included, to Joshua Keim at jkeim@hanleywood.com or fax to 323-801-4986. |
Tables Are Turned on Unlicensed Contractor
|
A California contractor, calling himself a consultant, was fined outside of small claims court when he tried to sue a client for unpaid services. The case involved an unhappy El Dorado County homeowner who withheld half of the consultant’s fee. An investigator from the Contractors State License Board showed up at the courthouse before the case was heard, and fined the consultant $2,000 for building without a license and illegal advertising. The small-claims case was dismissed because the consultant didn’t make it to the hearing. Self-described consultants must obtain a contractor’s license in California. The CSLB is cracking down on the increasing number of unlicensed contractors. The board advises consumers to verify a contractor’s license online at www.cslb.ca.gov, or by calling 800-321-2752.
|
|
|
HPBA Celebrates Silver Anniversary
|
 Organizers of the Hearth, Patio & Barbecue Association Expo are bringing the home-living trade show back to Atlanta for its 25th anniversary. The show will be held Feb. 23-26, 2005, at the Georgia World Congress Center. More than 400 companies exhibited or participated in the 2004 show. For more information, contact Kelly Murray, HPBA’s director of meetings and expositions, at 703-522-0086. HPBA is a trade group based in Arlington, Va.
|
|
|
|
San Juan Pools Rebounds After Fire
|
 A ribbon-cutting ceremony for its rebuilt plant in Lakeland, Fla., (shown) in late October marked San Juan Pools’ rebound after a devastating fire in January. The new factory features 18,000 square feet of production space and an air ventilation and evacuation system. The fiberglass pool manufacturer also announced the opening of its third production plant in Wolcott, Ind. The 60,000-square-foot facility is able to produce eight fiberglass pools daily, said officials, and will service Midwestern states. The new plant’s address is 8883 W. US 24, Wolcott, IN 47995.
|
|
|
|
Singer Sheryl Crow Aids Pool Center
|
 The community of Kennett, Mo., broke ground on an aquatics facility, to be named for the pool’s celebrity patron. The Sheryl Crow Community Aquatic Center is part of an effort to revitalize the downtown area of Crow’s hometown. Kennett received a Community Development Block Grant of $250,000 from the Missouri Economic Development Department to begin demolition of the old pool and site preparation. Though the artist’s financial commitment has not been disclosed, officials said the pool’s construction would be privately funded.
|
|
|
500 Aussies Protest Pool Closing
|
Close the city pool to build a library and art gallery? Not if 500 Australian suburbanites can stop it. The city council was considering closing the pool in Richmond, New South Wales, Australia, and selling the land to fund a multimillion-dollar library and gallery across town. But once news of the potential sale began to circulate, citizens massed in front of the aquatics center for a 90-minute rally, demanding not only retention of the land, but the further development of the pool. After the protest, Richmond Mayor Bart Bassett said the city pool would remain open while the council determines the possibility of funding both projects.
|
|
|
The Happiest Pool On Earth
|
 At the 2004 Olympics in Greece, swimmer Michael Phelps became the first American to win eight medals in a single Olympiad. So what did he do next? He went to Disneyland, of course. As part of Disney’s Swim with the Stars educational tour, Phelps and teammates Ian Crocker and Lenny Krayzelburg swam down Disneyland’s Main Street USA in a 50-meter aboveground pool, constructed for the event.
The tour included stops in 12 cities, with personal appearances by the three Olympians at local schools. Each appearance ended with a two-hour swimming celebration in the Olympic-length pool. The tour finished Oct. 5 at Disneyland in Anaheim, Calif.
|
|
|
See Ya Later, Alligator
|
 Authorities arrested a homeowner in Royalton, Ill., after discovering an alligator in his hot tub. A call from a concerned neighbor caused the Franklin County Animal Control and Royalton Police to head for the home, where they encountered a 5-foot-long, 80-pound alligator in a sunken hot tub near the resident’s garage. The creature was submerged in 4 feet of stagnant water, littered with broken turtle shells. In the house, officers found cages for large snakes, a room full of rats, mice and squirrels. Another tenant, an 18-year-old male, was taken into custody after a background check revealed he was wanted for military desertion. Though there was no official indictment at press time, the homeowner could face charges of possession of a threatened species without a permit.
|
|
|
CPSC Warns of Off-Season Drownings
|
 As part of Baby Safety Month in September, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission released a Water Safety Tips pamphlet and video broadcast to warn parents and child caregivers about drowning hazards in and around the home that exist year ’round. Though summer is over and many pools are closing, the CPSC urges parents to be vigilant of potential hazards other than pools. According to the commission, each year an average of 110 children under the age of 5 drown in bathtubs, hot tubs, spas, ponds, fountains, wading pools and other vessels. To get a free copy of the pamphlet, call the CPSC hotline at 800-638-2772. |
|
|
© 2004, Pool & Spa News
|
|
