POOL BOARD: Fall 2011 Newsletter


A Letter From the President Of Arlington Forest Club

Rick Holt

Another year, another great season at Arlington Forest Club. Whether it was a spirited swim meet, a fun tennis match, a tasty cookout, or just a relaxing swim in the pool, we all have fond memories of last summer. As the weather turns cold, the Board and the larger Club community is already focusing on next season. Most notably, we are all excited that construction for the Bathhouse replacement is now underway.

Members can learn even more about what is going on with the Club by attending the Fall Membership Meeting on Sunday, Nov 13 at 7pm @ Calrin Hall.

One of the many reasons this meeting is to participate in the election of Board Members. This year’s slate of candidates is as follows.

President Rick Holt
Vice President Lander Allin
Treasurer Chris Austin
Secretary Michael Novak
Swim Tom Edwards
Tennis Doug Kruth
Communications Mark Alves
At Large 1 Ken Roberts
Building and Grounds 2 Susan Archer
Special Events 1 Renee Gorsky

Please join me in thanking the members rolling off the Board: Chuck Tobler, Kathy Bell, James Canfield, Sharon Beerman-Curtin, Tali Auble. All of these folks contributed greatly to the welfare of the Club while on the Board. An especially large thanks to Chuck – who has done a great job representing the AFC tennis community for many years.

At 57 years old, Arlington Forest Club is as vibrant as ever. It is exciting to meet people my age that tell me about their childhood memories of growing up at AFC. I hope (expect) my kids will have the same conversations in 30 years. But an organization like AFC can only thrive with an active, involved, and giving (in terms of money and time) membership. Please consider volunteering with the Club in some capacity.



Bathhouse Construction Update

By the time you read this, construction of the new bathhouse construction will already have started- -meaning, we will have a brand-new bathhouse, covered pavilion, family/3-season bathroom, and snack shack for the 2012 pool season. As stated in the October 3 update sent to the email distribution list, in the past weeks the Bathhouse Committee has:

Princeton has their work crews all ready to go, so work will proceed swiftly. Princeton is a top-quality firm, has experience with similar projects, and is very excited about this job. Additionally, our architect, the Laboratory for Architecture and Building (LAB), has really gone “beyond the call of duty” in working very hard to ensure both an elegant and functional overall design, as well as thoughtful details. The Bathhouse Committee is confident the Princeton/LAB team will deliver a beautiful new facility that will be enjoyed for many years to come. Construction will be completed by April 30, 2012.

Based upon our contract, the construction costs are within the total cost of $1.6 million that was approved by the membership. To date, the Club has spent approximately $100,000 on design, engineering, and permitting costs.

In association with the Bathhouse project, several trees will have to come out. All are on the hillside or by the basketball court behind the pump house. We hate to take out any of these trees, but they are either directly in the way of the construction or are too close to survive the digging that will occur around them. We have consulted with an arborist on all tree-related decisions, and no decision regarding trees was made lightly. If there's any consolation about the trees that will be removed, most are in poor condition now and are unlikely to survive for long even without the construction. Also note we will be planting new trees (up to 20) as part of the landscaping phase of the project.



Bathhouse Finance Update

On September 29, 2011, the Arlington Forest Club closed on a "construction line of credit/commercial mortgage" with Cardinal Bank to finance the new bath house. The $1.6 million loan has a fixed rate of 5.25% and a term of ten years. There is no prepayment penalty on the loan.

Consistent with projections last spring, each membership of the Arlington Forest Club can expect to pay approximately $3,100 for the new bath house, or $310 each year for 10 years. The first payment of $310 is due on November 30, 2011. It may be the case that some members will be unwilling or unable to pay this additional cost. If you are considering selling your membership, a membership transfer form can be found at on the Membership page.

Last spring, the membership of the Arlington Forest Club voted to fund the replacement of the bathhouse through annual certificate fee increases and assessments. Each annual payment of $310 is comprised of a certificate fee increase of $240 and an assessment of $70. Upon making the $310 payment, the value of your certificate will increase from $975 to $1,215. At the end of ten years, the value of your certificate is expected to increase to approximately $3,100.



Pool Management

Lynn Clark


AFC had another great season in 2011, managed by High Sierra Pools. Sam Bliznakov returned for a 4th year as Pool Manager, assisted once again by Jake Smout. We had many loyal, returning staff who contributed to our smoothest season yet. Anyone interested in lifeguarding at AFC should begin the process in January, 2012. Contact Lynn Clark for information at clarkmail@verizon.net.



Pool Rules

Tom Smialowicz


There have been no recent changes to the pool rules. However, with the completion of the new bathhouse, potential updates to the rules for the 2012 pool season are anticipated. As a reminder, the current rules can be found on the Rules page.

The Board is always interested in getting feedback from the Membership on the Rules. Please direct comments and questions to rules@arlingtonforestclub.org.



Dive Team

Tali Auble


Our season started out, sadly, with the loss of Coach Bobby's wife Gayle. Thankfully, Clare O'Doherty, our Assistant Coach, (with the help of Carl Buergler), kept the team on track during Bobby’s relatively short absence. The divers and parents (team & lessons) must be commended for their patience and support during this difficult time. Gayle is surely missed by all that knew her.

The Tiger divers had a winning season in Division 2, tying for second place with a 3-2 record. Seven of our 16 divisional divers qualified for All Stars. We haven't received official word yet, but it’s likely we'll be in Division 2 again next summer. We only graduated one senior diver this year, so we look forward to another strong veteran team next season with several promising young divers.

Despite the rain, our family fun meet and BBQ was a blast! We had an incredible turnout and some impressive parent divers. I see where the kids get their talent. And, as always, Bobby's BBQ was off the hook! I’ve said it before, but it bears repeating--I wouldn't have survived the season without the help of our many generous parents. I want to take this opportunity, once again, to thank all the divers and their parents for their time and assistance. Kathleen Murray will be your Dive Team Rep next season. I’m sure she’ll do an incredible job for us.

If your kids haven't yet experienced AFC's dive team, encourage them to check it out. We have a ton of fun and one of the most enthusiastic/devoted coaches around. If they want an off-season introduction to diving or to maintain skills already acquired, Bobby offers Winter group dive lessons for all levels of divers. Check out his website for details.

See you all next summer!!!



Swim Team

Tom Edwards


2011 Arlington Forest Tigers Swim Team had a great season. There were many changes in the coaching staff - Donald Martin took over as head and his three assistants Julie Gallion, Clare O'Doherty and Matt Allen were a terrific team and coached the 202 Tigers to many outstanding swims. We hope they will all be back for 2012. It was our second year in Division 9 of the NVSL and the team went 3-2 in the Saturday A meets. Chances are we'll be in Division 9 again next year. At our last dual meet of the summer against Kent Gardens, the Tigers set 9 team records in six individual events and 3 relays.


2011 NVSL Divisional Championships

Our season culminated with AFC hosting the 2011 NVSL Divisional Championships for only the second time in the 53 years of our membership in the League. Mary and Dave Allen were the Divisional Championship Coordinators and organized a nearly perfect meet. The five other teams from our Division were very impressed with our facility and organization. The coaches had the team well prepared for the meet and the Tigers delivered. Our swimmers won three events, finished second in 11 and produced 58 personal bests. Five Tigers qualified for the NVSL All Star meet: Zi Rattelman, Shea Messman, Natalie Martin, Kait Luncher and Bryn Edwards.


DRAFT - 2012 AFC Tigers Swim Team Important Dates

For planning purposes, a draft of our 2012 Swim Team Calendar is below. Rest up because there are less than seven months until the start of 2012 preseason practice!

May 21 First Day of preseason practice
June 16 Time Trials
June 18 1st B meet
June 23 First A meet
June 25 2nd B meet
June 30 Second A meet
July 2 3rd B meet
July 4 Todd Potts IM meet
July 7 Third A meet
July 9 4th B meet
July 11 Divisional Relay Meet
July 14 Fourth A meet
July 16 5th B meet
July 18 All Star Relay Meet
July 21 Fifth A meet
July 25 Holy Mackerel Invitational
July 28 Divisional Individual Championships
Aug 4 All Star Individual Championships


Beyond the Baseline: Tennis Recap

Ozgur Ozkan and Marcie Williams


Don Tomb Celebration and Award

We had a great day of “fun doubles” and a wonderful, club-wide participation as we celebrated and thanked Coach Don Tomb for his three decades of service, coaching, and leadership at AFC. Also, we dedicated a special award in honor of Coach Don to be given annually to a Junior Boys’ and Girls’ player. Finally, a special thanks to Mark Jones for organizing this picnic and award.


Annual Tennis Tournament Results

It was another successful year of tennis at the Club, capped off by our year-end tennis tournament and picnic. So, congratulations to our winners and runners-up (especially to the Hirama family who appears to be starting their family dynasty of the tournament!):


Men’s A Team - David Welsh

The A-Team finished a very exciting season in the NVTL’s 10-B Division, making it all the way to the final of the season-ending Prosper Hill Tournament. The eight regular season matches were very close, with us splitting our meetings against Highlands and Fairfax #3 (winning at home and losing away); barely losing both matches against friendly rivals Ft. Myer (3-4 both times); then, barely beating Reston #2 at home in two dramatic tiebreaks (way to go Rob Hobart and Michal Simek!). We had to go on the road to beat Reston #2 in the last match of the season, securing second place in the Division and a second seed in the Prosper Hill Tournament. We won the quarters and semis of the tournament, only to lose to Ft. Myer 2-5 in a hard-fought final on their Har-Tru. But in the world of not-that-important but fantastically-fun club tennis, we had a very successful season!


Men’s A Team - Doug Kruth

The men's B tennis team finished yet another enormously successful 2011 season doubling the team's winning average this year - yes we won two matches beating Cardinal Hill and Sudley! We also did not fall dead last in the group - we actually were second to last, surprisingly one place better than Cardinal Hill. We had full rosters, enthusiastic participation, great weather (except for one rainout), and eight fun matches. Our goal for next year will be to double our number of wins!


Women’s Tennis - Marcie Williams

The Women's tennis took a different path this past year by playing matches entirely "at home" against our own members. It seemed to be a more relaxed atmosphere and invited players who felt as if they weren't good enough to be on a team, to come out and enjoy an evening of tennis and meet new people with a similar interest.


Juniors - Marcie Williams

The summer of 2011 saw excellent participation, sportsmanship and competition by our AFC Junior Tennis players. Over 120 juniors, ages 5 to 18, took part in the five weeks of beginning, intermediate and advanced clinics, where they benefitted from the coaching of Wakefield High School varsity tennis players.

With regards to the four teams, we won both the girls and boys “10 & Under” divisions, led by Yamila Yus-Baez, Lucy Stanley, Elena Canon , Lilly Pond and Chrisine Siegal on the Girls side, and Jack Stanley, Dugan Messman, Will Montgomery and Sam Alves on the boys.

In the Girls and Boys 11-18A Divisions, the Girls finished second, and the Boys finished 4th. Fifty four total girls and boys players participated, led by Washington-Lee High School varsity player-coaches Devin O’Conor, Jalal Ahmed and Peter Thomas.

The first ever annual “Don Tomb Junior Tennis Award” went to Lucy Stanley on the Girls 10 & Under team, and Matthew Chen on the Boys 15-18 team. Both exemplify the leadership, sportsmanship, courage and creativity required of competitive players


T-Shirt Update

If you still need an AFC tennis tee-shirt, please email Ozgur Ozkan at emeraldcity1@msn.com.


Private Lessons

Please contact our Head Teaching Pro, Coach Gilbert Chen, at 703-623-6446 for details regarding scheduling private lessons.


Give Us Your Comments and Suggestions

If you have any comments or suggestions about tennis at AFC, please contact Ozgur Ozkan at 703-998-8488 or by email emeraldcity1@msn.com.



Special Events

Renee Gorsky and Sharon Beerman-Curtain


We had another successful year at Arlington Forest Club hosting several special events:

We now look forward for Fall, Winter and Spring seasons to go by really fast as we prepare for more fun activities next Summer.

Enjoy your holidays!



Treasurer’s Report

Chris Austin


We had a pretty good year. Income came in almost as budgeted but expenses were less than expected. Something to note is the fact that Lynn Clark has been able to keep our pool management fees flat for the past couple years. I do expect another $10-11,000 in expense before the end of the year. That will still leave us with a good net cushion for the season.



Buildings and Grounds

Ken Roberts and Ken Mathias


The trees at the Arlington Forest Club have received a lot of attention in recent months. We brought in an arborist to survey the health of existing trees and make recommendations about which ones needed to be removed for health reasons and which ones needed attention prior to the bathhouse construction to minimize any disturbance to their root systems and overall health. We also worked with Arlington County's Tree Canopy Fund to arrange for trees to be planted along Carlin Springs Road, both along the paved lot across from the upper tennis court and along the unpaved lot between the existing stand of trees and the corner of the property. The soil in the upper lot location will need to be un-compacted and amended to improve its quality and give the new trees the best chance to thrive. The plantings should take place at the end of November.

Work was also done in the corner of the paved parking lot to repair and reinforce the curb line that leads from the front gate to the corner of the wooded lot. As you may have noticed, all of the rainwater runoff feeds down to this corner, and over the years erosion has caused the corner to sink. This allowed runoff to overrun the curb and erode the hill leading down to the snack bar and pavilion area, weakening tree root systems and creating muddy conditions around the picnic tables and walkways. The muddy runoff was also finding its way into the kiddy pool. Now that the parking surface and curb have been raised, the water is being redirected down the hillside in the wooded area, and the runoff/erosion problem seems to have been abated. We'll keep an eye on things during the next round of Spring showers to make sure no additional work is needed.



Membership Update

Jan Skelton


AFC continues to have a lengthy waitlist with an estimated wait for a rental membership of at least three to four years for those in the priority area and at least 8-12 years for those outside the priority area. Once a rental membership becomes available, the estimated wait for a certificate is 3 years. The invoice for the 2011 certificate fee increase and assessment have been sent. Those who wish to receive email reminders when amounts are due to the club, as well as to receive other information disseminated by the Board should subscribe to the AFC email list; a link to this list is on the AFC web page. Members wishing to sell their membership, either to the club or in a private sale, should complete the membership transfer request on the Membership page.

Any questions regarding membership matters should be directed to membership@arlingtonforestclub.org.



Join the Board

AFC is run by member volunteers.
If you are interested in joining the board,
please contact our Board President,