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Announcements
Unofficial PV Meeting Minutes 6/29/03
By Debbie Morrin-Nordlund
Reports:
- Sanctions - no report
- Chair - Introduced Jillian Martin and Petra Adamkova with a request for potential financial support from PVLMSC for training towards the Olympic
trials in 2004. Request for input from board and team representatives to be sought via e-mail as to whether or not this is the type of funding PV want to
provide.
- Registrar - Current registrations are down slightly from last year at this time (1661 compared to 1680 last year). A new PV club has registered -
Riptide Masters
- Treasurer - PV is spending slightly more than taking in. Upcoming expenses awaiting reimbursement requests are purchase of tape measure for
pool measurements and USMS convention expenses.
- Secretary - nothing to report.
- Newsletter - Requested approval for purchase of updated software - approved unanimously. Next deadline August 15, 2003.
- Awards - no report.
- Officials - Inquired as to PVLMSC interest in certifying USMS official. Board feels not needed at this time as there is a sufficient pool of officials
in the area.
- Top Ten - New rule in effect that requires a birth certificate on file for all USMS and world record applications.
Old Business:
- Potential PV logo design submissions were discussed. Top vote-getters from the open vote on the PV website were presented - versions 4 and 5.
A professional opinion is being sought as to "look" of these designs for various uses.
- USMS convention PV delegates for 2003: Debbie Morrin-Nordlund, Eric Nordlund, Myriam Pero, Jeff Roddin. A fifth delegate is needed. E-mail to
be sent to PV board and representatives asking for interested parties to contact the Chair.
- Elections will be held at the PV annual meeting in November. Current Chair and Secretary stated that they will run again. No other nominees at
this time.
New Business:
- The possibility of keeping LMSC records was brought up. Consensus was that this is not feasible at this time.
- Mark Murray, UMCP Assistant Swimming Coach, asked if the PVLMSC would be interested in helping to fund something for the "goody" bags
to be given to all USA Swimmers entered in August Summer National Championships to be held at UMCP. Dave Diehl stated that Terrapin Masters
would be willing to split costs. Approval was made for the purchase of water bottles, with the USMS logo and Potomac Valley Masters on one side
and the Terrapin Masters logo on the other.
Next Meeting: November 16, 2003, 10:30am (before the JCCNV meet).
Swim Clinics & Lessons
Clay Britt is offering monthly 2-3 hour swim clinics as well as private and semi-private lessons, starting in October.
For more information call H 301-320-4694, email clay@claybrittswimming.com, or visit
his website: www.claybrittswimming.com.
For more information about Clay see the recent Montgomery County Gazette article:
www.gazette.net/200333/burtonsville/sports/172406-1.html
Help the Bay - Chesapeake Bay Foundation
According to CBF's most recent State of the Bay Report, the Bay's health rates only a 27 out of 100. We are working to change that score
by reducing pollution, restoring habitat, and replenishing the Bay's fish stocks.
Looking for Ways You Can Help?
- Sign our Chesapeake Clean Water pledge
- Volunteer to become a BaySaver (See our events calendar.)
- Become a member.
www.cbf.org
PV LMSC Elections on November 16, 2003
LMSC elections for Potomac Valley Chair, Treasurer and Secretary will be held at the annual meeting, November 16 10:30AM,
prior to the JCCNV Lox & Bagels meet. The current slate of candidates is: Chair - Eric Nordlund and Secretary -
Debbie Morrin-Nordlund.
There are no candidates at this time for Treasurer. Nominations may be sent to PVSecretary@usms.org. Please be sure that the nominee is agreeable to running for the position prior to nomination.
Germantown Masters Adds Mid-Day Workouts
Germantown Masters will be adding three mid-day coached workouts a week to its schedule this fall. The workouts will be from 1-2 p.m. on
Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, at Quince Orchard Swim and Tennis Club.
The full schedule for the fall session, which runs from September 15 through December 21, is:
- Saturday and Sunday - 9-10 a.m.
- Monday, Wednesday and Thursday - 5-6:30 a.m.
- Monday, Wednesday and Friday, 1-2 p.m.
- Tuesday and Thursday - 8-9 p.m.
All USMS-registered swimmers are welcome. For registration forms or other information, contact Mark Walters at
waltersmrk@aol.com. Information is also available at the team's website, linked to www.pvmasters.org.
2003 Save the Pataspco River Party
Come to a party to "Save the Patapsco, Hon!"
- Sunday, November 2, 2003
- 1:30 to 5:30 p.m.
- 3212 Avon Avenue Baltimore, MD 21218 PH (410) 243-4418
Featuring food, refreshments and Joe Stewart's photo cards, with shots up, down and on our waterways in exchange for contributions to watershed conservation efforts
Directions from Greenmount Avenue:
- take 33rd Street East,
- turn right on Frisby,
- go left onto Belle Terre,
- go left on Avon and park.
- Avon is a block west of Ellerslie,Stadium Place & Hopkins at Eastern High.
Joe will again be swimming across the mouth of the river from North Point State Park to Venice on the Bay in May, 2004 and is collecting pledges for watershed conservation. Donations can be made payable to "Greater Homewood Community Corp" and mailed to Joe Stewart, 3212 Avon Avenue, Baltimore, MD 21218 noting "Joe's Patapsco Swim".
KEEN Swim Program
Volunteers are needed for KEEN (Kids Enjoy Exercise Now) Swim, a one-on-one swim program for developmentally disabled kids and teens. The program is held on Saturday mornings at the JCC in Rockville, and brings together about 25 athletes with their volunteers to spend an hour in the water having fun. The first session will be Saturday, September 13.
The program is in its 8th year and Master's swimmers from DCRP, the Ancient Mariners and other teams have volunteered their time when they can and we hope you will join us.
The program begins with on land "warm ups" and then we head into the pool. Some kids can swim in the deep end of the pool, others play on blow up floats or with other adaptable equipment that is available. The emphasis is on having fun in the pool rather than instruction and all of the swimmers and volunteers do have fun.
For more information, to sign up or for directions to the pool, call swim coordinator, Kim Dustin (202) 263-3948 (work), EMAIL:
kimberley.dustin@us.wmmercer.com
Time: 9:00 AM-10:45 AM Saturdays on the dates below
Place: Greater Washington Jewish Community Center (JCC)
6125 Montrose Road Rockville, Maryland
(Please sign up by Wednesday, the week of the swim.) |
2003 Dates:
September 13
October 4
October 25
November 15
December 6
December 20 |
2004 Swim dates
January 10
January 31
February 21
March 13
April 3
April 24
May 15
May 29 |
Save the Patapsco, Hon II
by Joe Stewart
My swim went better than the weather on Sunday, May 19, 2003 - a drizzly, rainy, cloudy, overcast, gray, chilly morning and day, where
the air never got above 54 and the water was 57. My paddler and I parked our cars at the finish, where we were to meet the boats to cross
the river for the swim start. We waited on the windy beach, getting wet for an hour, before our boats arrived; they had literally gone up the
wrong creek while looking for us.
Alan had decided he would be of more use in a boat than trying to maneuver very rocky seas in his kayak, which he left behind. The trip
across the river proved him right. By the time I jumped into bay water in a speedo and 2 swim caps off of North Point State Park, we had
been joined by the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary. Cindy and Bob, in the Coast Guard boat, escorted Scott's and Dan's Boston Whalers for the
next three hours, while I swam 4 nautical miles, stopping about every 20 minutes for banana, lean turkey meat, nutrition bar or water.
The winds were from the east and the tide was flooding and the water level was incredibly high, because of a recent full moon and large
volume of rain. Swimming from northeast to southwest meant these conditions, including continuous high swells, benefited me, even though
the air and water temperatures strained and tested my endurance and seasickness seemed like a real possibility every time I ate or drank.
I did actually shiver for most of the swim, but I never lost judgment or sufficient strength to maintain a decent stroke; and at every feeding
and navigational briefing, my support team made sure I was still safe to swim.
I was greeted on the Venice on the Bay community beach by family, friends, community onlookers, a photographer/reporter and my dog,
Odaat! It helped having cheering people greet me, knowing I had raised more than $2,700 in pledges for local watershed groups and having
the media provide a record of the event.
Save the Patapsco, Hon III
by Joe Stewart
Joe Stewart plans a third photo card party and third swim to increase awareness about the Patapsco River and raise funds for its protection. Patapsco photos mounted on paper to create greeting cards will be donated by Joe for guests to take in exchange for contributions at a party on Sunday, November 2, 2003. The next swim will be Sunday, May 23, 2004 across the mouth of the river.
Pledges can be made payable to "Greater Homewood Community Corporation" and will be distributed to Baltimore Sanitary Sewer Oversight Coalition, Baltimore Harbor Watershed Association, Gwynns Falls Watershed Association, Herring Run Watershed Association and Jones Falls Watershed Association.
Previous solo swims by Joe on May 19, 2002 and May 18, 2003 across the mouth of the Patapsco River (supported by National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, U.S. Coast Guard and Auxiliary, Baltimore Maritime Exchange, Chesapeake Bay Boston Whalers Club and Chesapeake Paddlers Association) and card parties raised over $8,500 for watershed groups activities, including tree plantings, stream monitoring, trash cleanups, hosting watershed festivals, producing newsletters and advocating for pollution reduction practices and policies by citizens and the private and public sectors.
Joe is inviting a few swimmers to join him next year for the crossing from North Point State Park to Venice on the Bay at 9:00 am with a projected flood tide.
Plans to alter the course in 2004 from the cleaner, more estuary mouth to between Key Bridge and Fort McHenry were abandoned on the advice of Maryland Department of the Environment which wrote in a discouraging and frank memo, "There is a myriad of potential fecal contamination sources in this area, including unintended sewer system overflows, combined storm water/sewer systems, failing underground septic systems, ships, boaters, and runoff containing contaminants of animal origin. Beaches in the Baltimore Harbor have been closed for years due to elevated fecal coliform counts and the proximity of fecal sources."
Joe still hopes Baltimore will someday join an increasing number of urban, industrial cities, including Boston, New York and Pittsburgh, that are realizing the recreational potential of their waterways and hosting internationally recognized open water swim events and triathlons.
Swimmers interested in joining Joe on May 23, 2004 for the 4 nautical mile Patapsco River crossing (who have experience swimming for a number of hours in 60 degree open water, would agree to abide by strict rules governing the crossing of the commercial channel, and commit to collecting considerable contributions for the watershed protection beneficiaries) can contact Joe directly.
An exhibit of Joe's Patapsco photos is now traveling around the watershed highlighting the waterway's natural beauty and diversity as well as its history and health. The exhibit was funded by Patapsco Riverkeeper ®, Maryland Fund for the Environment at Baltimore Community Foundation, and Gordon, Feinblatt, Rothman, Hoffberger & Hollander, LLC, with the cooperation of Greater Homewood Community Corporation and Jones Falls Watershed Association. Copy Cat of Charles Village produced a poster with 16 of these Patapsco images that is being given free to exhibit-goers.
The inaugural exhibit opened Earth Day, April 22, 2003 at Baltimore's Public Works Museum, running through Aug. 17, 2003. It then moves to the Catonsville Branch/Baltimore County Public Library through September, 2003, the East Columbia Branch/Howard County Public Library for the month of October, 2003 and the Harrandale Branch/Anne Arundel County Public Library in January, 2004.
The exhibit follows the course of the river from its origins in Parrs Spring on Four County Farm outside of Mt. Airy, through small towns, inside Maryland's first state park (Patapsco Valley State Park), along the country's first commercial railroad tracks and the mills that powered the Industrial Revolution, passing the former tobacco port of the now silted over Elkridge Landing and into the world famous port, shipbuilding center and formal hunting and fishing grounds of the Piscataway and Susquehannock tribes, before merging with the Chesapeake Bay.
Contact: Joe Stewart, 3212 Avon Avenue, Baltimore, MD 21218
(410) 243-4418, (410) 767-1354 Jstewart@dat.state.md.us.
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