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There’s always a ripple effect with a move as significant as the closing of the Voorhees branch of the Camden County YMCA.
But for the swim team that calls the facility home, the ripples seem more like tidal waves.
“It’s just a sad state of affairs,” said Peter Holcroft, coach of the South Jersey Aquatic Club.
Holcroft has been scrambling to find pool time for his team, which includes about 140 members from ages 6-18.
Holcroft said Camden County YMCA officials have indicated they will keep the pool at the Voorhees facility open until Friday, but the coach has no guarantees after that.
Holcroft said he has contacted several area facilities in hopes of arranging pool time, but most are booked by other clubs as well as high school teams.
Holcroft said more times should open at places such as GCIT in Sewell when the high school season winds down in late February. But in the meantime, the South Jersey Aquatic Club team, which includes swimmers such as Eastern High School star Jacquie Ward, is trying to prepare for the “Y” state meet in March as well as the national meet in April.
“Our big hope is that they will keep this pool open,” Holcroft said. “These are great young people who are being affected by this. They work hard, they don’t do drugs, they compete in sports and now they are being told, “By the way, you have to try to find some other place to swim because of bad decisions that were made.’ “
In announcing that the Voorhees branch would be closed Sunday, YMCA officials on Thursday cited decreased donor support, declining membership and the economic downturn.
The move comes less than a year after the YMCA closed its Camden branch, a development that Holcroft said forced the South Jersey Aquatic Club to cut loose more than 100 members.
“We had 250 kids last year and now we’re at 140,” Holcroft said. “When they closed that Camden facility, we had to cut 100 kids. And that pool (in Camden) is just sitting there while they try to sell the building.
“This is one of the richest swim areas in the entire country, and we can’t find a place for these kids to swim. It’s just sad.”
Reach Phil Anastasia at (856) 486-2424 or panastasia@courierpostonline.com

courierpostonline.com

While some South County schools plan to dismiss classes during the Nov. 4 presidential election over concerns about student security, vehicle and foot traffic, others see it as a learning experience for students.
Joseph E. Donahue, Democratic Director for the St. Louis County Board of Election Commissioners, said the commission made the suggestion last year that school districts consider rescheduling a previously scheduled Teacher Development day to the same date as the presidential election to accommodate increased voter traffic.Donahue said the commission expected an 85 percent voter turnout on Nov. 4 and said that in past national elections voters would turn away from the polls because they could not find a place to park at school polling places.
The districts that plan to dismiss classes on Nov. 4 include Ferguson-Florissant, Hazelwood, Ladue, Mehlville, Pattonville, Riverview Gardens, Rockwood, University City and Webster Groves.
“Historically, several of our buildings have been used as polling sites and as a government entity we like to cooperate with other government entities whenever possible, and we thought this was an opportunity to do that,” Terry Noble, superintendent at the Mehlville School District, said
Noble said the anticipated increased in voter turnout added safety concerns because “thousands of people could be walking through our school buildings while students would be in class.”
Mehlville has not determined the makeup date.
No ballots have been cast in favor of dismissing classes in the Lindbergh district, and Superintendent Jim Sandfort said students could actually learn from being close to the political process.
“We think there’s a lot of value since our kids are involved in the Kids Voting project, and their involvement brings them into the democratic process in a very special kind of way,” Sandfort said. “Another dimension of the process is for them to know that their building is being used by citizens who are also interested in the democratic process,” he said.
“I guess our feeling is that it is very appropriate that the kids be in school knowing that their school at that time is being used as a very special place and is a very special component of keeping our democracy strong, and knowing that their parents are coming to vote,” he said. “To me there is something unique about that.”
Sandfort said all the schools have safety plans in place which are reviewed after every election.
Kim Cranston, communications director for the Rockwood School District, said they too would close because of traffic and security concerns.
“We have had that request from parents in the past because most of our schools have polling sites” Cranston said. “Particularly in the national election because of the high volume of voter turnout, vehicle traffic, a lack of parking and building safety are concerns. We would have a lot of people there who are typically not in the buildings.”
Cranston said the district’s calendar committee traded April 13, 2009, which would have be part of spring break, to make room for dismissing classes on Nov. 4. That way they did not have to extend the calendar or have an extra day added to it, she said.
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