Something in the Air?

The past couple weeks have seen an unusual number of good-news items cross my desk.

Let’s start with the Association of Pool & Spa Professionals’ announcement of the formation of World of Recreational Water, a new foundation that will promote the sustainable use of recreational water worldwide.

Back when Eric Herman and I spent many long hours in regular discussions of emerging trends and the future of watershaping, we spent a good portion of that time on this very topic of sustainability with respect to both recreational and decorative water. Frankly, we always saw it as a perversity factor that could seriously influence everything we were doing, which is one of the reasons why we moved so readily into coverage of such subjects as rainwater harvesting and even groundwater replenishing.

As APSP reports, “The mission of the new foundation is to promote the safe and sustainable use of recreational water through support of technical research and voluntary standards. Guided by science, WRW fosters the conservation of water with promotion of water sustainability practices and energy efficient and emerging technology so that present and future generations can benefit from the powerful health effects of recreational water.”

It’s a noble concept, and I will watch the foundation’s development with great interest.

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On the opposite coast, I note that Cal Spas (Pomona, Calif.) recently donated one of its hot tubs to support the Child Development Center, a private, non-profit facility operated since 1991 by the Los Angeles County Fair Association in alliance with the University of La Verne (La Verne, Calif.).

The hot tub was a major attraction in an auction that proved to be the center’s most successful to date. All money raised goes to furthering its mission of providing a high quality early childhood program that offers a safe, nurturing environment and promotes the physical, social, emotional and intellectual development of young children. According to Cal Spas’ president, Casey Loyd, “This donation was the perfect opportunity for our company to help the children in our local community.”

Another great notion. Congratulations to everyone involved.

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Finally, I received a press release from Mark Holden at Artistic Resources & Training (ART) with the news that pool-cover manufacturer Aquamatic (Gilroy, Calif.) had gotten involved in furthering the educational ambitions of Jonathan MacClanathan, 24, as he continues his career in the watershaping industry.
According to the release, MacClanathan’s sheer enthusiasm and thirst for professional advancement was so impressive during ART’s inaugural program last May that Aquamatic’s Tom Dankel decided to step up and help further the student’s ongoing quest for education by funding his participation in ART’s September 2012 series of classes.

“We’ve always been committed to education and programs such as ART,” said Dankel. “It’s really the only way to elevate the level of skill and professionalism within our industry and ensure a prosperous future.”

Amen to that thought, too.

What a great way to launch into the annual season of giving and celebration!