2012/8.1, August 8 — Stellar Reflecting Pool, Pond Tips, Japanese Inspiration and more

August 8, 2012

WATERSHAPES.COM

ESSENTIAL

Eyes on the Skies

It’s not his daily practice to install watershapes in conjunction with computer-controlled telescopes, but that’s just what Jim Wilder had to do in creating a reflecting pool to surround a towering pyramid, atop which a homeowner’s private observatory now sits. Through close collaboration with what can best be described as a stellar project team, he and his colleagues developed a design solution that stands among the most unusual Wilder has ever seen for a residential project.

This article, originally published in September 2009, has been digitized for all readers. Once you click ‘more’ on the next screen, you can zoom in on images to study the craftsmanship in detail. [continue]

PONDCRAFT

The Right Moves

Installing a pond is seen as a reasonably simple process — and it can be, observes Ed Beaulieu, so long as you think things through ahead of time, know exactly what’s coming and do everyting possible to avoid ten major mistakes he often encounters in backyards. [more]

VIDEO GALLERY

The Toughest Option

When none of the other methods for removing demolition and excavation spoils will work, notes Randy Beard, sometimes you have to bite the bullet and spend whatever it takes to get the job done. In this video, he shares a high-flying technique for making way for a pool. [more]

WATERSHAPES WORLD

Comfort in the Water

Spending time on the Web in pursuit of water-related information has broadened Jim McCloskey‘s sense of the extent of accidental drownings — and leads him to renew a call for making swimming a part of every child’s (and adult’s) education in basic life skills. [more]

Parents Become Chum for Critics! Is Letting Your 5-Year-Old Swim with Sharks a Responsible Thing to Do? [more]

TRAVELOGUE

Beauty in Reserve

Another visit to Washington’s Bainbridge Island led Jim McCloskey back to Bloedel Reserve, where this time he rambled through the Japanese garden and took his time observing waterfalls, winding streams and incredible reflections off the property’s huge ponds. [more]

WATERSHAPES CLASSIC

Life’s Absurdities

Five years ago, Brian Van Bower wrote with edgy wit about the vagaries of trying to work with any sort of real creativity on commercial design projects. Has the passage of time improved the situation at all? [more]

TEST YOUR KNOWLEDGE

At the London Olympics:
Just Say ‘Nope’ to Dope!

Many water-related stories have been in the news of late — including reports connected to the three questions below.

1. No sooner had speculation spread through the London Games that 16-year-old Chinese swimmer Ye Shiwen’s seemingly superhuman performances in the pool might have been too good to be true, than a former Chinese Olympic doctor insinuated a certain American swimmer may have been guilty of doping. Which U.S. swimmer did Dr. Chen Zhanghao point a finger at?

a. Ryan Lochte b. Michael Phelps
c. Missy Franklin d. Rebecca Soni

2. Among a number of impressive achievements at the London Games, Michael Phelps became the first male swimmer in history to win the gold medal in the same individual event at three successive Olympics. What was the event?

a. 200-meter breaststroke b. 200-meter freestyle
c. 400-meter individual medley d. 200-meter individual medley

3. According to the Web site geeksugar.com, the Olympic swimming pool at the London Aquatics Center “was designed to help facilitate some of the fastest times the sport has ever seen.” Among other things, the report notes, “The bottom of the London Pool has a movable floor. During the games, it will sit about ___ feet deep to negate the waves that swimmers will create while moving through the pool.” Fill in the blank.

a. 8 b. 9 c. 10 d. 12

To find out how many you got right, click here.

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2012/7.2, July 25 — Whimsical Design, Vanishing Edges, Inspiring Waterfalls and more

July 25, 2012

WATERSHAPES.COM

ESSENTIAL

Serious Whimsy

Developing watershapes and landscapes for residential clients can become an incredibly personal undertaking. The project featured here, for example, revolved around a client whose love of color and whimsy opened the door to landscape designer Colleen Holmes’ involvement in a lengthy, joint quest for vivid materials and playful detailing. The result: a setting that defies adequate description unless you look at it through the client’s own eyes.

This article, originally published in March 2006, has been digitized for all readers. Once you click ‘more’ on the next screen, you can zoom in on images to study the craftsmanship in detail. [continue]

FEATURE ARTICLE

Designs with Infinity in Mind

With all water-in-transit systems — vanishing edges, perimeter overflows or whatever other monikers are used to describe these great watershapes — it’s been Paolo Benedetti‘s experience that all participants need to know what’s involved, right from the start. [more]

VIDEO GALLERY

Finishing Touches

In the second of two videos on converting a swimming pool into a pond, Mike Gannon takes us on a guided tour of the completed facility, explaining the commercial nature of the space and highlighting a special educational function defined by the management. [more]

WATERSHAPES WORLD

Spirit of the Season

Since writing about the recent donation of a park’s worth of good cheer in Rochester, N.Y., Jim McCloskey has noted other incidences of aquatic generosity across the nation — and this time calls out a group effort in Houston that’s making summer spirits truly bright. [more]

TOPLESS IN SEATTLE:
FEMALE CANCER SURVIVOR FIGHTS CITY POOL’S SWIMSUIT DRESS CODE [more]

TRAVELOGUE

Inspiring – and That’s No Joke

The next time you visit the Central Coast of California, writes Jim McCloskey, stop for a while in the narrow canyon in the mountains above Santa Barbara where you’ll find Nojoqui Falls — a real treat for anyone interested in the structure and drama of waterfalls. [more]

WATERSHAPES CLASSIC

Controlling Elements

In July 2002, David Tisherman wrote energetically about the need for designers and builders to pay scrupulous attention to an oft-overlooked issue. Do you think he was on the mark? [more]

TEST YOUR KNOWLEDGE

Swimming Australia Cancels Pre-Olympics
Swim Meet Due to Outbreak of Illness

Many water-related stories have been in the news of late — including reports connected to the three questions below.

1. Swimming Australia canceled a pre-Olympics swim meet in the nation’s capital, Canberra, after two Olympic female water polo players were diagnosed with what illness?

a. Measles b. Mumps c. Whooping cough d. Shingles

2. A man in this Midwestern city allegedly entered the pool area of an apartment complex and shot two men with shotgun pellets. The suspect and the victims all left the scene — although one of the victims later showed up at a local hospital. Where did this incident take place?

a. Chicago b. Bloomington, Ind. c. Wichita, Kan. d. Dayton, Ohio

3. According to ottawacitizen.com, a late-model Dodge Calibre in Windsor, Ont., “hopped a curb, zipped across a narrow strip of lawn, crashed through a wooden fence and plunged into the deep end” of a nearby pool. Inside were a man and a woman; neither was injured in the crash. What were the two involved with at the time of the mishap?

a. Text messaging c. A driving lesson
b. Smoking dope d. You don’t want to know.

To find out how many you got right, click here.

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2012/7.1, July 11 — Hilltop Beauty, French Lessons, Pool-to-Pond Conversion and more

July 11, 2012

WATERSHAPES.COM

ESSENTIAL

Woven Beauty

The customer wanted it all: a large pool and spa made with natural materials; a fully equipped outdoor entertainment area; and a place to keep cool while lounging in the sunshine – all woven seamlessly into a work of watershaping art that took full advantage of a marvelously scenic location.Here’s a look at how designer/builder David Tisherman pulled together all the details and put them into a dramatic final form.

This article, originally published in October 2001, has been digitized for all readers. Once you click ‘more’ on the next screen, you can zoom in on images to study the craftsmanship in detail. [continue]

FEATURE ARTICLE

Learning from the French

In developing any design, says Kate Wiseman, it always helps to be up to speed on great precedents and to draw on what they have to teach about the task at hand. Case in point: The Gardens of Versailles, which she describes as a ‘design clinic’ for all watershapers. [more]

VIDEO GALLERY

From Derelict to Showpiece

Pond expert Mike Gannon loves big projects like this one, in which he transformed an old pool into a pond that will become prime retail space in a garden center. Here, he starts with demolition and moves along to a point where the pond really starts taking shape. [more]

WATERSHAPES WORLD

A Break in the Clouds

For years, observes Jim McCloskey, the watershaping industry has been dogged by a repeated claim of real-estate gurus that swimming pools hurt home values. That’s out the window, he says, if a new report from a real estate agent in Talahassee, Fla., packs any punch. [more]

Sad End to a Life Not Well Lived
L.A.’S RODNEY KING DEAD AT 47 – BODY FOUND IN BACKYARD POOL [more]

TRAVELOGUE

Getting to the Point

Is there any city as much identified by a single majestic fountain as is Pittsburgh? The Point State Park fountain is now under renovation, but when it comes back on line in 2013, says Jim McCloskey, it will be well worth a trip to partake of its graceful urbanity. [more]

WATERSHAPES CLASSIC

Free Your Mind

Back in 2007, columnist Brian Van Bower offered his observations on overcoming budget-related preconceptions about clients. Some points he made still ring true, but has the recession changed things forever? [more]

TEST YOUR KNOWLEDGE

‘World’s Largest Swimming Lesson’
Included How Many U.S. States?

Many water-related stories have been in the news of late — including reports connected to the three questions below.

1. A massive event billed as “The World’s Largest Swimming Lesson” took place on June 14 at 11 a.m. Eastern Daylight Time in ____ U.S. states, plus a number of foreign countries. Fill in the blank.

a. 47 b. 48 c. 49 d. 50

2. “For the first time ever,” reports NPR.org, “the U.S. Synchronized Swimming team won’t be at this summer’s Olympics in London. It didn’t qualify to compete.” But two of the team’s members will be competing in the synchronized-swimming duets event. Last August, the two successfully competed in that event at the Pan American Games. What medal did they bring home?

a. Platinum b. Gold c. Silver d. Bronze

3. What washed ashore at a popular New Jersey beach, prompting authorities to close it to swimmers?

a. Severed human limbs c. Medical waste
b. Dead birds and fish d. Hand grenades

To find out how many you got right, click here.

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2012/6.2, June 20 — Surface Reflections, Houston’s Water Wall, Worthy Causes and more

June 20, 2012

WATERSHAPES.COM

ESSENTIAL

Graceful Reflections

The potency of water’s reflective nature is a component of watershaping that all too often is ignored or left to chance, says renowned environmental artist Anthony Archer Wills. By considering reflectivity from the outset of a project, he is able to use its brilliance and subtlety to make the experience of viewing water a never-ending source of fascination for his clients.

This article, originally published in February 2007, has been digitized for all readers. Once you click ‘more’ on the next screen, you can zoom in on images to study the craftsmanship in detail. [continue]

VIDEO GALLERY

Digging and More Digging

Some jobs seem so easy: broad access, lots of elbow room, easygoing clients. But experience has taught Randy Beard to expect the unexpected – and to have a good sense of humor about the odd things that sometimes are uncovered in the course of a project. [more]

TRAVELOGUE

Texas-Scale Energy

The Williams Waterwall in Houston is another must-see for watershapers, say Jim McCloskey. The architecture is monumental, but even more impressive is the illusion of volume the architects managed to conjure with what is essentially a water-wise design. [more]

WATERSHAPES WORLD

Rallying to a Worthy Cause

News has reached Jim McCloskey about two Rochester, N.Y., landscape firms that have adopted a local vacant lot to create a new public park. It’s a worthy concept, he says, and one whose success he hopes will be the springboard for similar programs nationwide. [more]

IN SEARCH OF SUPPORT…
U.S. WOMEN’S WATER POLO TEAM POSES NAKED TO GAIN EXPOSURE [more]

WATERSHAPES CLASSIC

Visual Acceptance

In his June 2002 column, David Tisherman wrote eloquently about the way watershape-related products should look – and we’ve been evaluating them with much more critical eyes ever since. [more]

TEST YOUR KNOWLEDGE

How Much Do Americans Spend
on Swimsuits Each Year?

Many water-related stories have been in the news of late — including reports connected to the three questions below.

1. According to fortune.cnn.com, how much money do Americans spend on swimsuits annually?

a. $575 million b. $850 million c. $1 billion d. $1.4 billion

2. The latest book by broadcast journalist and author Lynn Sherr — Swim: Why We Love the Water — was published this past April. The book, observes amazon.com, is “a celebration of swimming and the effect it has on our lives.” Sherr has been best known as a correspondent on what national television program?

a. 20/20 b. 60 Minutes c. Frontline d. Nova

3. Blogging on TheHuffingtonPost.com, Marc Yaggi, executive director of the Waterkeeper Alliance, writes, “The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency recently estimated that up to _____ people [in America] will become sick after swimming at their favorite beach or swimming hole this year. Despite nearly 40 years of Clean Water Act successes, polluted runoff, sewer overflows, and other human activities are threatening one of our favorite summer pastimes…” Fill in the blank.

a. 925,000 b. 1.75 million c. 3.5 million d. 5.5 million.

To find out how many you got right, click here.

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2012/6.1, June 6 — Hiding Headwaters, Step Lighting, Purposeful Travel and more

2012/5.2, May 23 — Paladian Design, Conveyor-Belt Excavation, Hoover Dam and more

May 23, 2012

WATERSHAPES.COM

FEATURE ARTICLE

Palladio, Jefferson and You

Palladian architecture is so pervasive, says Mark Holden, that it’s likely a watershaper will at some point encounter the style in the course of a career. Here’s a look at what it takes to come up with watershapes that fit seamlessly into these classic environments. [more]

VIDEO GALLERY

Conveying a Solution

Where he works, says Randy Beard, site access is often an issue that makes projects truly challenging. In this video, he documents a situation in which he had to deal with access that was just 24 inches wide and where the excavation had to be carried out one shovel at a time. [more]

FEATURE ARTICLE

Making Skimmer Lids Vanish

Paolo Benedetti can’t stand it when skimmer lids visually intrude on pool decks. It’s so upsetting, he explains, because hiding these covers is a simple matter of thinking things through and selecting among a wide spectrum of concealing solutions. [more]

TRAVELOGUE

Big Damn Dam!

When it was built during the Great Depression, Hoover Dam symbolized the country’s ability to overcome adversity and move into the future. To Jim McCloskey, however, it’s a huge watershape worthy of the attention of every designer, engineer and builder. [more]

WATERSHAPES WORLD

Bold Steps

Just back from Artistic Resources & Training’s debut classes in Scottsdale, Ariz., Jim McCloskey shares his perspectives on the event — and on the future of watershaping education as ART and Genesis 3 turn healthy competition into programs with real potential. [more]

COIMBATORE, INDIA:
SACRIFICING ROOSTERS TO
MAKE SWIMMING POOL SAFE [more]

WATERSHAPES CLASSIC

Paper Trails

Back in May 2007, David Tisherman wrote a column praising building inspectors — then as now, a counterintuitive position that defined these officials as collaborators in making projects turn out the way they should. [more]

TEST YOUR KNOWLEDGE

Government Again Postpones Deadline
For New Pool-Accessibility Standards

Many water-related stories have been in the news of late — including reports connected to the three questions below.

1. The U.S. Justice Department announced it is postponing the deadline for implementing controversial new pool-accessibility standards, which are designed to help the disabled more easily use public swimming facilities. (This is the second postponement by the government.) The most recent deadline was to have been May 21, 2012; what is the new date?

a. Dec. 31, 2012 b. Jan 31, 2013 c. March 31, 2013 d. May 31, 2013

2. Renowned college swimming coach “Skip” Kenney is retiring after 33 years heading up the swim program at a major California university. Which institution of higher learning benefitted from Kenney’s exceptional coaching abilities over the past three decades?

a. UCLA b. Stanford c. UC Berkeley d. USC

3. Organizers have announced that the 2014 Pan Pacific Swimming Championships will be held in what country?

a. USA b. Canada c. Brazil d. Australia

To find out how many you got right, click here.

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2012/5.1, May 9 — Reducing Visual Noise, Excavating Tight Spaces, Halprin’s FDR Memorial and more

May 9, 2012

WATERSHAPES.COM

FEATURE ARTICLE

Hiding the ‘Uglies’

Building pools and spas involves breaking through the interior surface at various points to include suction fittings, return lines, lights and jets — all of which, says Paolo Benedetti, can create visual noise he tries to mask by concealing these fittings as best he can. [more]

VIDEO GALLERY

The Great Bobcat Race

Watershaper Randy Beard often shoots videos on his job sites — a useful tool for informing prospective clients about what might happen in their projects. In this video, he shows what can take place when restricted access runs up against a ferocious pair of Bobcats. [more]

FEATURE ARTICLE

Reaching for Permanence

Concluding his series on dry-stacked stone walls and fences, Bruce Zaretsky discusses the importance of drainage to a wall’s success, then explains how topping walls and fences with coping stones will help ensure these structures’ integrity for the long haul. [more]

WATERSHAPES WORLD

Positive Potentials

Where there was once only one educational resource for ambitious watershape designers and builders, there are now two — a fact that makes Jim McCloskey grin and leads him to challenge both ART and Genesis 3 to keep raising the bar higher and higher. [more]

MAKE OLYMPIC POOLS GREEN:
FILL THEM TO THE COPING WITH APPLE’S CASH RESERVE BILLIONS! [more]

TRAVELOGUE

Cascades of Destiny

The emotional key to the Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial in Washington, D.C., says Jim McCloskey, is its water — testimony to the genius of landscape architect Lawrence Halprin, who established what can only be described as an inspiring set of spaces. [more]

WATERSHAPES CLASSIC

The Work of Others

Five years ago, landscape designer Stephanie Rose devoted her column to garden-tour season and the value she always found in examining the work of other designers — and listening to the people taking these tours. [more]

TEST YOUR KNOWLEDGE

In How Many Olympics Has Veteran
U.S. Swimmer Dara Torres Competed?

Many water-related stories have been in the news of late — including reports connected to the three questions below.

1. Veteran U.S. Olympic swimming champion Dara Torres, now 45 years old, is training to win a spot on Team USA in order to compete at the London Olympics. In how many Olympics has Torres — who brought home four gold, four silver and four bronze medals — already competed?

a. Three b. Four c. Five d. Six

2. Former U.S. Olympic swimming champion Matt Biondi — who garnered 11 Olympic medals (eight of them gold) during his career — was just hired to be a teacher at the private Sierra Canyon School in Chatsworth, Calif. (The 46-year-old Biondi has a master’s degree in teaching.) In addition to coaching the school’s swim team, what academic subject will Biondi teach?

a. Mathematics b. History c. English d. Geography

3. A new study by the U.S. Geological Survey has shown that polar bears are capable of swimming huge distances — a skill that may be essential to their survival in this age of disappearing summer ice in their habitat. What was the longest swimming distance recorded by the study?

a. 45 miles b. 93 miles c. 158 miles d. 220 miles

To find out how many you got right, click here.

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2012/4.2, April 25 — Building Stone Walls, Concealing Controls, Civic Fountain Woes and more

April 25, 2012

WATERSHAPES.COM

FEATURE ARTICLE

Building Walls, Stone by Stone

Dry-stacking stone walls and fences is hard work, concedes Bruce Zaretsky, but if you know the soil you’re working on is adequately compacted and you follow some basic, time-tested rules, it’s largely a matter of working your way up, one stone after another. [more]

FEATURE ARTICLE

Spa-Side Sleek

Paolo Benedetti sees spas as the ultimate in comfort and relaxation. That’s why he’s reluctant to let spa-side controls undermine his clients’ good time with any visual clutter; instead, he has found simple ways to make these essential spa accessories disappear from view. [more]

WATERSHAPES WORLD

Threatened Foundations

In the past few months, Jim McCloskey has noticed lots of news stories about cutting off the water for public fountains and the difficulties some communities are having in opening public pools for the summer. We all need to take notice, he says — and get involved. [more]

VANILLA ICE:
RAPPER AND SWIMMING POOL
BUILDER EXTRAORDINAIRE?! [more]

INTERVIEW

A Fresh Approach to Plaster Colors

For years, Shawn Still has taught professionals how to select and apply pool and spa finishes. Now, he says, it’s time to add color to the list of practical considerations to be used in making clients happy. [more]

WATERSHAPES CLASSIC

From the Beginning

Landscape architect and ART founder Mark Holden long ago identified a gap in his education. In this article from 2007, he defined his ambition to make watershaping part of the university design curriculum. [more]

TEST YOUR KNOWLEDGE

Man Sneaks into Celebrity’s Home
In the Hamptons, Swims in Pool

Many water-related stories have been in the news of late — including reports connected to the three questions below.

1. A fan of a famous entertainer recently snuck into the celebrity’s home in the Hamptons, New York, and — among other things — went for a swim in the pool. Who was homeowner?

a. Michael Feinstein b. Michael Bublé
c. Lady Gaga d. Sean “Diddy” Combs.

2. A foreign diplomat has been accused of fondling young girls at a swimming pool in the Brazilian capital of Brasilia. What country does the diplomat represent?

a. Argentina b. Japan c. Iran d. South Africa.

3. Four-time Australian Olympic swimming champion Murray Rose, who set 15 world records during his career, has died of leukemia at the age of 73. Why was his nickname “The Seaweed Streak”?

a. He always wore green swimming trunks for good luck.
b. He was limber and could perform amazing body contortions.
c. He adhered to a strict vegan diet.
d. He loved training in the ocean off Sydney.

To find out how many you got right, click here.

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2012/4.1, April 11 — Coloring Plaster, Hiding Plumbing, Fine Stonework and more

April 11, 2012

WATERSHAPES.COM

MY PERSPECTIVE

Unconventional Plaster?

As he’s shaping his new approach to design education, Mark Holden has been reflecting on his own classroom experience and figuring out ways to push students past conventional thinking to new levels of creativity and excellence. First up: cementitious pool finishes. [more]

FEATURE ARTICLE

Planning on Concealment

If the positions of big deck pots, vases and planters are known ahead of time, asks Paolo Benedetti, why not go the extra mile and stub up what can (and should) be hidden lines for irrigation, lighting and drainage in spots where those containers will be located? [more]

FEATURE ARTICLE

Stone Practicalities

Installing dry-stacked walls and fences is hard work. Prior to breaking out the hammers on-site, however, Bruce Zaretsky suggests that you need to know your materials and source them appropriately so you know what you’ll be facing before you try putting them in place. [more]

WATERSHAPES WORLD

Rearranging the Furniture II

His last blog on the emergence of Artistic Resources & Training drew a quick and heavy reader response — some supportive, some sharply critical and most of it having to do with Jim McCloskey‘s point, discussed further here, about the state of watershaping education. [more]

FILMMAKER JAMES CAMERON
MAKES A TITANIC DIVE INTO
THE OCEANS’ DEEPEST ABYSS [more]

JOIN THE DIALOGUE

In Praise of ART

Mark Holden’s “Interview” about the formation of Artistic Resources & Training (March 25, 2012) resulted in lots of phone calls — and in this note of support from frequent letter-writer Peter Langevin. [more]

TEST YOUR KNOWLEDGE

What Sport Does Michael Phelps
Plan to Tackle After He Retires?

Many water-related stories have been in the news of late — including reports connected to the four questions below.

1. While speaking recently at a Boys & Girls Club in Indianapolis, Olympic champion Michael Phelps said he’s looking forward to retiring from competitive swimming. He also revealed that once he retires, he wants to participate more in what sport?

a. Tennis b. Bowling c. Soccer d. Golf

2. The high-tech, one-of-a-kind submersible in which movie director James Cameron made his historic plunge to the deepest part of the Mariana Trench (see Ripples) took eight years to build. Where was the vessel constructed?

a. Japan b. New Zealand c. Australia d. Canada

3. After testing positive for the banned stimulant methylhexanamine, Czech Olympic swimmer Michal Rubacek was suspended by his country’s national swimming federation — a step that will prevent him from competing at the London Games. How long is the term of Rubacek’s suspension?

a. Two years b. Three years c. Four years d. Five years.

To find out how many you got right, click here.

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2012/3.2, March 21 — Mark Holden on ART, Working with Stone, Water on Capitol Mall and more

March 21, 2012

WATERSHAPES.COM

INTERVIEW

It’s All About ART

Seizing an opportunity to raise the bar in watershaping education, Mark Holden persuaded David Tisherman and a long list of potential instructors to join him at Artistic Resources & Training (ART) – all discussed in this exclusive WaterShapes EXTRA! interview. [more]

FEATURE ARTICLE

Working with Stone the Right Way

When it comes to building stone walls that will withstand the tests of time, says Bruce Zaretsky, there’s really no alternative to the old-fashioned technique of ‘dry stacking.’ It’s hard work and costs more than other approaches, but the results are beyond compare. [more]

FEATURE ARTICLE

Want to Avoid Getting ‘Hosed’?

Patios and decks become cluttered by simple everyday objects such as garden hoses, which is why Paolo Benedetti applies the fine art of concealment to make them vanish into receptacles hidden in planters and other out-of-the-way locations around a backyard. [more]

WATERSHAPES WORLD

Coming Attractions

Long an advocate for high-level education for watershape designers and builders, Jim McCloskey is fascinated by the potential of Mark Holden’s new venture – Artistic Resources & Training – which promises to be a real game changer in the very near future. [more]

OBSESSED FAN BREAKS INTO
SINGER KENNY CHESNEY’S
HOME, RELAXES BY POOL [more]

TRAVELOGUE

Historic Reflections

Any visit to Washington, D.C., should include a visit to the National Mall, writes Jim McCloskey – and the experience will be even better when renovation of the reflecting pool is complete and the water mirroring the monuments is cleaner, clearer and easier on the nose. [more]

TEST YOUR KNOWLEDGE

Swimmer Ian Thorpe Fails to
Qualify for London Olympics

Many water-related stories have been in the news of late — including reports connected to the four questions below.

1. Five-time Olympic swimming champion Ian Thorpe, who has been attempting to make a comeback, recently failed to earn a spot on his country’s swim team for the upcoming London Olympic Games. What country is Thorpe from?

a. Canada b. New Zealand c. The U.K. d. Australia

2. The U.S. Justice Department has announced it is postponing implementation of a controversial new law mandating that all public swimming pools (including hotel pools) must install “lifts” or employ other measures to make the facilities accessible to the disabled. How long is the postponement for?

a. 30 days b. 60 days c. 90 days d. 6 months

3. The U.S. Olympic Committee has released a new handbook entitled “Recognizing, Reducing and Responding to Misconduct in Sport: Creating Your Strategy”; the handbook comes in the wake of a number of cases involving USA Swimming. What type of misconduct does the handbook address?

a. Racism and homophobia c. Physical and sexual abuse
b. Performance-enhancing drugs d. Hazing

To find out how many you got right, click here.