I would like to take this opportunity to welcome all Avalon members and guests to the upcoming summer activity season. It is hard to imagine, but this is our 69th year of operation. Over these many years, Avalon’s goal has always been to create an environment of rest and enjoyment for all members and their guests. The staff and I are looking forward to another safe, enjoyable summer of relaxation with family and friends. I always enjoy the pleasure of seeing the many familiar faces once again after the long winter months. I consider the greatest strength of Avalon is its family friendly environment. Each year new members are coupled with the “old timers” to create a unique and special atmosphere. Please make a point to introduce yourself to anyone you have not been acquainted with. I think you will find the relationships you can build at Avalon to be quite positive.
The Avalon family would like to extend a special welcome to our head swim coach Jaleh Javadpour. Jaleh served as an interim head coach for our Gator swimmers last summer and is now our full-time head coach. She brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to our strong swim team program. Joining Jaleh are her excellent returning assistant coaches. These include Ashley Cryer, Lilly Chang and Helena Freiden. All of our coaches are outstanding swimmers and will bring that experience to our new, as well as veteran swimmers. Our ARA tennis pro Monica Sgritta continues to take our tennis activities to new heights with her outstanding coaching and program development. She has, over the years, led our tennis-related activities with great enthusiasm and professionalism. She is committed to providing high levels of instruction for all ages and ability levels. Veteran Martha Commander will continue to serve as our very capable dive team head coach. Martha has positively represented Avalon’s dive team as a participant and coach for many years. Helping Martha this year will be assistant coaches Skylar Daniel, Grady Brookshier, Eli Brookshire and Francis Fischi. Skylar, Grady, Eli and Francis are all outstanding, home-grown divers who will bring a great deal of fresh energy to our program. Once again, our very successful Gator Camp program will be up and running under the leadership of directors Page Brookshire and Michelle Gay. The ladies and their staff are delightful with children and are poised to once again lead this program. Gator Camp provides outstanding activities for children that incorporates swimming, tennis, crafts and other fun events. We also want to welcome back our very capable swim lesson/clinic instructor, Anne Van Lenten. She is an excellent swim instructor with significant experience and possesses a very good instructional rapport with children of all ability levels and their parents.
While minor year-round maintenance is a continued priority, we do have some new developments of note related to facilities that took place in the off season. First, we replaced the damaged/leaking water main that supplies all water to the ARA facility. This line was estimated to be original to the facility’s beginning in 1957. It was replaced with high density polyethylene (HDPE) pipe. This modern pipe is a strong thermoplastic that has a high strength-to-density ratio, resists moisture, rotting and does not contain BPA, plasticizers or heavy metals. Secondly, the ARA Board approved the purchase of 250 pool deck chairs and 15 lounges. These are made by Texicraft, which is a long-time outdoor furniture manufacturing company that has a reputation for high quality, durability and comfortable pool side furnishings. These are made with aluminum welded frames which will not stain the pool decking. Thirdly, we are in the process of upgrading our tennis court timers and on/off switches. These are of the old analog variety and are prone to be disabled by power outages/surges. The new switches and timers are digital, have battery back-up and will automatically reset after natural disruptions. We are also upgrading our breakers, breaker boxes and power contacts. Lastly, we have refurbished our tennis office bathroom. A new vanity, sink, faucet and brighter lighting were installed. It was freshly painted and had new artwork hung on the walls. A powerful new Flushmate cartridge was installed in the toilet tank.
This year, we are opening Memorial Day weekend (Saturday May 23 to Monday May 25) and the operating hours will be 11 am to 8 pm. Regular pre-season hours of operation will be from 12 pm to 7 pm and will go into effect from Tuesday May 26 to Thursday May 28. Starting Friday May 29 through Sunday, August 16, the hours of operation will be 11 am to 9 pm. Please see our website for the operating hours associated with the remainder of the season through Labor Day.
We will continue our very popular Friday evening grilling starting June 5. On most Friday nights through August 15, we will be grilling hamburgers, cheeseburgers and hotdogs for sale for members and guests between the hours of 5:00 to 7:00 PM at very reasonable prices. Bring down your family and friends on Fridays to relax by the pool and enjoy a fresh grilled burger and/or hotdog.
In conclusion, I would like to remind you of the following:
- The speed limit on Avalon property is always 5 mph.
- Apart from Avalon’s sanctioned activities, anyone on the property after 10:00 PM will be considered trespassing.
- Each member of Avalon has a responsibility to encourage others to abide by the rules governing facility use to ensure the enjoyment and safety of all members and guests.
- The Adolf Room is available for rental during the summer swim season only. See the ARA website for more details.
- Members are encouraged to get updates on all Avalon activities on our website www.avalonclub.org or on Instagram.
- Shutting down the pool area on the last day of the season is hard for some, but because many of our staff are now starting school long before Labor Day, we want our membership to be aware of the following: On Labor Day the baby pool will close at 4 pm, the lower pool at 5 pm and the upper pool will close at 6 pm.
My primary objective and greatest priority continues to be an ongoing commitment to facility safety. We have three managers who are Certified Pool & Spa Operators with the National Pool and Hot Tub Alliance and one manager who is a Certified Food Protection Manager. I ask that members assist in this overall commitment to facility safety as we enjoy the summer swim season. And while it is impossible to be all things to all people, my goal is to provide an environment at Avalon that, as much as possible, safely fulfills the many expectations of our diverse membership. Therefore, if any matter surfaces that needs management attention, please come to the office and notify us immediately.
I hope everyone has a safe and fun season at Avalon!
Ronnie Cox
General Manager ARA