New Sub-Running Venue Coming to So. Cal.!

[jefftytoo]

Hi guys!

Jeff Porteous here. This is essentially a re-posting (now topic-exclusive, and including some new info.) of an item brought up earlier in the other So. Cal. thread in the Events section. (Mr. LaRue, feel free now to delete that former version if you are so inclined.)

A new aquatic theme park has nearly completed construction here in my own base of operations: La Mirada (roughly at the border between L.A. and Orange Counties, just north of Buena Park). I contacted the park's director immediately upon learning of plans for this development, and essentially have secured an invitation for local R/C submariners to participate in some manner in their opening festivities.

Here's the latest: a local newspaper reported this week that the park is now scheduled to open by late October, with some form of official ribbon-cutting ceremony slated for early November.

Exact dates, times and details have yet to be announced, especially for OUR participation, but I'll be in contact with the director again soon to try to nail something down. Since most of us must deal with the sorry necessity of day jobs, I'll be suggesting we R/C submariners be allowed to do our thing at some point over a weekend.

As more info. becomes available, I'll of course be posting it here in this thread. Fellow local members I know or have met can also (eventually) look forward to individual e-mail updates: Neil Schmidt, Tim Guest, Dave Manley, Will Oudmayer, Mike Dory, Joe Park, Rick Galinson, Lee Upshaw, Steve Neill, Dan Rose, Ed Cannady, Chris Caffee -- this means you. ANYONE wanting to be on an e-mail list about this event, however -- and I mean all you Northern Calif. types potentially interested in a trip south as well -- please get in touch and let me know (as Tim Guest did).



Called "Splash," the complex consists of several types and sizes of pools -- including a moat-like "river" snaking around a kitschy pirate-themed kids' area. The giant Olympic pool is still under construction at this point, but the other pools are already in and water-filled. (For more info., go to http://www.cityoflamirada.org/ and click on "Splash.") I visited the actual park site just yesterday (Sept. 8th) and took photos of current progress. I'll post a few below.











To be honest, the idea is not so much to participate in the park's opening celebration for its own sake, but by doing so to create enough excitement and good will to encourage permission for at least semi-regular followup Fun Runs thereafter. (Back in June, SubRon 5 enjoyed the use of the entire pool complex at Texas A&M University, so stranger things have happened!)

I believe the trump card for our verbal pre-agreement on SubCommittee participation was the DVD I sent of the '05 SubRegatta -- the one featuring plenty of local TV news coverage. Naturally, the park will be looking for maximum publicity with their opening, and we can help with that. Hey, WE know subs are sexy -- people will come! Of course, the SubCommittee is always looking for PR opportunities as well, so this could prove quite a symbiotic initial Fun Run. (Which reminds me: Tim Smalley, if you're reading, any chance we could borrow a vinyl SubCommittee banner when the time comes?)

As I said, details are not yet worked out. But I will follow up with more info. when available, and hope the SubCommittee's Southern California bubblehead contingent will be interested in making a good showing.

Green board,
JeffP

[tmsmalley]

Excellent Jeff!

Give me a

Excellent Jeff!

Give me a couple of weeks notice if you can so I have time to ship the SC banner without going next day air.

[JWLaRue]

Jeff,

That's excellent news! I think

Jeff,

That's excellent news! I think it's great that you are finding a local boat-floating-hole!

I recently found a whole box of those SubCommittee brochures that Tim (and I) did a few years back. Let me know if you'd like some for the event and I'll be glad to ship some to you.

-Jeff

p.s. No need to delete the original posting....the more visibility, the better!

[jefftytoo]

Many thanks, Tim and JeffL!

Tim,

Many thanks, Tim and JeffL!

Tim, yes, I'll try to give you notice for banner shipment.

And JeffL, sure, I'd love some of those brochures when the time comes. As it turns out, I just printed out a batch of 'em this week to bring along to the SanFran Fun Run next weekend (and it was a pain), so if you've got some pre-printed ones available for "Splash!", I'll take 'em!

Here are a couple more photos, guys.

Best,
JeffP

[anonymous]

Looks good to me. I'll

Looks good to me. I'll be watching and thanks for doing this.

Steve

[liftmys10]

Sweet! Now i need to

Sweet! Now i need to finish my Revell Gato. my email is sk8rcsun18@yahoo.com. Please include me in the list.

[jefftytoo]

NON-UPDATE UPDATE:

Hi guys,

Just wanted everyone

NON-UPDATE UPDATE:

Hi guys,

Just wanted everyone to know I have not forgotten about this *potential* event and I'm still in peripheral contact with the Powers That Be at the "Splash!" waterpark in my best attempt to still make it happen.

So far we do know we will NOT be holding our R/C sub demonstration event during "Splash!'s" actual Opening Day festivities. I have now been told they expect thousands on hand (too crowded for our purposes), with too many assorted groups and activities (local Fire Department demonstrations, for one example) already booked, thereby squeezing us out.

I have also been told, however, that they are definitely interested in having us come out and run our subs, either sometime later in November or perhaps even during December when the park has quieted down a bit … and I take this as a good omen it will ultimately occur.

Again, as soon as I have definitive information on date, time and conditions, I'll post it here as well as send it out in individual e-mails to the good folks listed above in this thread -- and to any other interested parties who in the interim choose to get in touch with an e-mail notification address. At that point I can also list basic local hotel info. for anyone wishing to come down from No. Cal. -- or elsewhere -- to participate.

For now, just keep those boats in their between-patrol refits and sit tight for further developments.

Best,
JeffP

[jefftytoo]

A-LITTLE-BIT-OF-AN-UPDATE UPDATE!

http://www.postimage.org/aVZiX7i.jpg

Arrr, Me Hearties!

This weekend

A-LITTLE-BIT-OF-AN-UPDATE UPDATE!



Arrr, Me Hearties!

This weekend was the "Splash!" waterpark's official Grand Opening, so I visited briefly again today just to get the lay of the land, er, water, hoping to finally run into my contact person (the Manager) there, figuring she'd have to be around somewhere during the festivities. (I'd e-mail corresponded with her before, and left phone messages, but so far hadn't spoken with her in person.) Here's the front entrance facade, by the way][/url]

Well, I was right! And Lori turned out to be a real delight and supporter of our boat-running cause. She promised she and I would get together soon to iron out details (including entry costs), suggesting I call her this week to set up an official meeting time. She actually said more than once that the park really did want to have us show up to run our subs. (By chance today, in a parking lot adjacent to the waterpark was a big city-sanctioned R/C car racing circuit -- obviously ensconced there for the whole day with canopies set up and such -- so I believe La Mirada must really be used to this sort of thing. News to me.)

Anyway, I'm posting some more photos here. First are a couple of the now-completed giant Olympic pool -- still under construction during my last visit -- including a view from the cement bleachers alongside. This pool would be great for our purposes, but we'd have to have them temporarily remove the lane dividers for us, of course.





Off to the side is the "Buccaneer Bay" kids' area too, mentioned earlier. If permitted, it might provide a fun opportunity for some of the bigger, more powerful boats to "run the gauntlet" of its moat, as it were. Deft maneuvering would be required, especially in dealing with powerful filter-jet "tides." In places, this water really moves!







Probably best for our purposes, however, would be this mid-sized, mid-depth'd pool pretty much in the middle of the park. I didn't walk the perimeter noting specific depth soundings, but it appeared to be around six to eight feet deep in most areas. I believe it's to be used for swimming classes and training.



Here it is closer up. Again, a few lane dividers would need to be removed for us.



Its best feature though, which you really can't tell too well from the following picture, is the fact that the water comes all the way up to the lip of the pool. It's truly flush to the very top, meaning no leaning over for launching or retrieval of boats][/url]

Anyway, as I said I should finally be talking with park management at some point in the next week or two to gain specifics about potential dates, times and costs. This also means it's time to initiate some kind of straw poll among our members about who's really interested in showing up, when (preferred days and dates), and how much you'd be willing to pay. I'm assuming at least a whole afternoon at the site, if not an entire day, but again I need to consult with park Brass about availability and group costs by the hour or by day segment. By the way, all facilities there are obviously new and plentiful, parking is close, handicap ramps are in evidence (great for bigger boats towed in on wheels), and fast food joints are nearby.

My intent now is to contact those individuals mentioned by name at the top of this thread for some input and guidance. Perhaps this is the wrong time of year to attempt this. On the other hand, maybe a day away from the holiday ramp-up sometime over the next six weeks is just what everyone needs. And since the park should be devoid of swimmers with the official close of the season, it's POSSIBLE we could get the place to ourselves -- and at a discount rate in consideration to boot -- all of which would be perfect!

So stay tuned for further updates. And if/when you soon get an e-mail query from yours truly, please sound off by responding with your thoughts.

Later,
JeffP

[jefftytoo]

BRIEF, MINOR UPDATE:

Guys,

Had my face-to-face

BRIEF, MINOR UPDATE:

Guys,

Had my face-to-face with the water park's "Aquatics Manager" week before last. She was very supportive and overall it went well. Now we're waiting for official city date approval and agreed upon cost(s).

Will advise,
JeffP

[jefftytoo]

"SPLASH" NOW A WASHOUT!

Bad news

"SPLASH" NOW A WASHOUT!

Bad news fellas, and not a great way to start the New Year: the potential Fun Run I've been touting for months at the new "Splash!" water park in La Mirada is now definitely a no-go. At least for the time being, anyway.

A few weeks back I finally heard from the Aquatic Director (Lori) at the park with details about the usage fees mandated by city poobahs. The price for us, unfortunately, was exorbitant. Added to that was their odd requirement that we carry our own insurance for the event. (Do individual swimmers have to show up with personal policies in hand to use the facility, I wonder?) A quick contact with President Tim Smalley assured me this could indeed be acquired (with some doing), but at an additional cost of probably around fifty bucks. All told, it would've then cost each of our anticipated/estimated six initial participants about $40 apiece for an afternoon of poolside fun, and since my e-mailed "straw poll" of a few weeks ago indicated most of us (yours truly included) unwilling to go above $15 or so for the privilege, this essentially sounded the death knell on our humble little first event.

I did get back to Lori immediately to request she check with the city for any possibility of wiggle room with these fees. When I talked with her again last Friday (1/4), I was sadly informed the fees were the fees, that was that. It was not her fault, by the way; she was always very enthusiastic and supportive of our cause. I'm convinced she really went to bat for us, in fact, but the situation was simply beyond her control. Anyway, this has pretty much clamped the lid on the coffin, though she did tell me she'd keep us in mind should the rates ever lower or should some specialty event come up that they'd like our boats to participate in -- and I certainly thanked her for her consideration and all her previous help.

Of course, there is ONE other way we could ultimately make an event at "Splash!" happen affordably: a guaranteed minimum of 17 to 20 definite participants would bring the per-person cost down below $15 apiece. A worthy goal I hope we'll achieve someday, but likely not without a well-organized and enthusiastic SubRon (SubRonSoCal?) first being established here in Southern California.

Meanwhile, thanks for the interest and enthusiasm, guys. And everyone please, PUH-LEEZ, keep your eye out for good, clear water -- water that's free or at least cheap! -- somewhere around greater L.A. (And then don't keep it a secret!)

Green board,
JeffP

[dhffr]

Add me to the contact

Add me to the contact list. PM me with any details.



While there is still interest, does anyone want to have an informal sub meeting in SoCal, It sure has been a while for me.



Darrin Hataway

[fgauer]

Darrin asked " While there

Darrin asked " While there is still interest, does anyone want to have an informal sub meeting in SoCal, It sure has been a while for me. "

I do for sure.

Frank

[Guest]

I can understand your frustration

I can understand your frustration at this, as I ran up against exactly the same set of obstacles trying get a regular pool run going here in London.

Andy

[raalst]

Though I do not live

Though I do not live anywhere near SoCal,
Over here I could get good (pool) water for free, by piggybacking on
a scuba diving school.

They tend to train in pools at the deep end,
so that leaves the shallow end for the subs. And they are very exited
by subs, since all there is to view otherwise is tiles...

if you are just willing to adapt to their schedule, I'm sure you can work out
some form of symbiosis

[PaulC]

That's a good idea, Ronald!

That's a good idea, Ronald!