FBSP Volunteers featured in the Daily Texan

http://www.dailytexanonline.com/content/clean-allows-barton-reopen
By Clayton Wickham, Daily Texan Staff
Published: Thursday, September 16, 2010

About 60 volunteers came together Wednesday to help clean up Barton Springs Pool which was overrun with silt and debris from last week’s flash flooding, in an attempt to reopen the popular swimming hole by Saturday.

The pool closed after storms caused by Tropical Storm Hermine hit Central Texas. Victor Ovalle, Austin Parks and Recreation Department spokesman, said the staff has worked to clean up the pool since last Saturday, and the city hopes to reopen the pool by this weekend.

Friends of Barton Springs Pool organized the “Flash Flood Rapid Response.” The event began at 10 a.m., and volunteers worked in two-hour shifts until 6 p.m.

“We really do appreciate the effort,” Ovalle said. “The Friends of Barton Springs Pool are a great organization that helps the department with resources and volunteers, and we couldn’t do it without them.”

Volunteers at the pool used push brooms to scrub silt off the bottom of the pool floor, scrubbed walls and removed fallen trees limbs from the pool area. Along with bringing silt and debris, flooding damaged fencing and some of the railing at the pool.

“It was quite a flood,” said Robin Cravey, president of Friends of Barton Springs Pool. The Parks and Recreation Department is still exploring whether the Barton Creek bypass tunnel, a channel which carries water from several small springs alongside the Barton Springs Pool, received any damage.

Although Wednesday’s cleaning was scheduled as a response to Hermine, the Friends of Barton Springs Pool hold cleaning events regularly on the first Thursday of every month except for November and December. Volunteers with the organization work year-round to maintain the pool and advocate for improvements to it.

“Every year, attendance at the pool grows, and so we need first class facilities,” Cravey said.

Flash Flood Rapid Response: Need volunteers to clean the Pool this Wednesday, September 15

Friends-
As you know, the flood last week socked the pool hard.
We have scheduled an emergency pool cleaning party for this Wednesday, September 15. Please write to president@friendsofbartonspringspool.org to register for a shift. Two hour shifts will start at 10 am, noon, 2 pm, and 4 pm.

We have been working with Wayne Simmons, pool manager, to schedule this, and the staff is looking forward to our help.
Let’s get it done!
-Robin

Robin Cravey, president
Friends of Barton Springs Pool
www.friendsofbartonspringspool.org
robin@robincravey.com
512-236-9655

Barton Springs wants you! To fight to be free from algae!

Clean the Pool on Thursday, July 1st!
Our nation was created and liberated with a fine group of volunteers doing what they believed was right.  Never underestimate the power and influence of the volunteers! (To polish the pool for Fourth of July weekend, its biggest day of the year!)  And before this communique gets too sentimental, sappy and patriotic, this is a call to all volunteers who believe in Barton Springs’ inalienable right to be free from the algae and scum whose encroaching tyranny would destroy the most perfect union of cool spring waters, summertime heat and glorious beauty endowed by our creator!  Not to mention that there is probably no finer way to spend a hot summer day frolicking with a scrub brush down at the pool, and we only get to do it once a month.
So, ye call to arms has been cried.  Join us this Thursday, July 1st for a  2 hour shift starting at 10 am and continuing until 6 pm.  Glory will be yours forever!

Please contact Jonathan Beall, service chair to sign up for your shift today! service@friendsofbartonspringspool.org

Cleaning algae from the Pool on Earth Day
Cleaning algae from the Pool on Earth Day

Volunteer for a Pool Cleaning Party on Thursday June 3rd

Free Swim Pass!
Summertime comes in blazing glory! The city of Austin will be celebrating the beginning of the summer season with a free swim day, Saturday June 5.  The Friends of Barton Springs will be celebrating the same occasion on Thursday June 3 with a full body of water scrub down on our beloved pool for a much needed cleaning and optimum sparkle.

Everyone and everything loves the heat when you’re soaking in the Springs.  It brings out the best and the worst in our pool – beautiful bathers and obnoxious algae.

*ALL VOLUNTEERS WILL RECEIVE A FREE SWIM PASS redeemable Saturday June 5 for an extra satisfying soak in the pool knowing you made it look sooooo goood!

Please contact Jonathan Beall, service chair with any questions. service@friendsofbartonspringspool.org

Volunteers cleaning algae in March
Volunteers cleaning algae in March

Membership Meeting will be on June 19th

DOOR PRIZES!     FUN!     FOOD!    FRIENDS!   T-SHIRTS!     AWARDS!

On June-teenth, June 19, 2010, you and your friends are all invited to the FRIENDS OF BARTON SPRINGS POOL ANNUAL MEMBERSHIP MEETING AND PARTY EXTRAVANGAZA!  Food, Fun, and Friends for everyone!

Get one of our cool new T-shirts, free to new and renewing members.

If you’re not a member, you can join!  As a member, you can have the satisfaction of knowing you are a member of one of the most active organizations promoting the upkeep of Barton Springs Pool.  YEAH!

Learn and celebrate!

Join the FBSP in celebrating our many accomplishments this year, including

  • Giving the Austin Parks Foundation Tree Maintenance Program over seven thousand dollars gathered from the highly successful TREEATHLON, a fun race held this last March.

We have also made progress on implementing other short-term projects in the Barton Springs Pool Master Plan.

  • Winning approval and scheduling removal of the gravel bar that is filling up the pool;
  • Promoting repair of the damaged Bypass Tunnel that funnels water from Barton Creek around the pool.

This is your big chance this year to get together with other civically motivated people who LOVE BARTON SPRINGS POOL!

Visit Barton Springs of the Future!

AND HELP DECIDE HOW BARTON SPRINGS WILL LOOK. You have the unique opportunity to tour the grounds and listen to our wonderful, famous, highly motivated City of Austin staff explain the grounds improvement program as we tour the areas to be affected.    The grounds improvement will include:

• burying overhead power lines
• electrical power upgrades to provide more lighting and power for cleaning
• pump improvements to facilitate pool cleaning and irrigation
• landscaping, removing exotics, and protection from runoff
• an access path from the south gate to the pool deck
• tree court landscaping improvements near the main gate
• a new fence to surround the pool

Afterwards, you will be able to provide your written opinion in a design workshop that will be used by the City of Austin to decide how Barton Springs will look.

Get in on the action!

You can meet the members of the FBSP board and ask questions as you munch down on free food and drinks.

You can learn about new volunteer opportunities.

We will hand out awards to exceptional volunteers who have worked to make Barton Springs what it is today, the most unique swimming pool in the Universe.

We are also collecting your favorite stories about Barton Springs to become part of the historical record.  What can be better than that?  But wait, there’s more!

Relax with a brew!

Later on that afternoon we will move the party to Uncle Billy’s Brew & Que on Barton Springs Road so that you can meet other fellow FBSP members and fall in love all over again.  DON’T MISS OUT!  BARTON SPRINGS FOREVER!

Thursday, May 6th Pool Cleaning Event

May Day, May Day!  S O S…  Do you copy?

The First Thursday in May is coming in on us like a chopper full of wounded soldiers in an episode of M.A.S.H. and we are going to need the entire cast and crew out there to fix things up.  Ok, so it’s not wounded soldiers.  But it’s our pool, and it needs our attention.

The enemy algae never rests and we need your vigilance!  A rose bush also needs to be planted, to remind us of flowers and peace.  So, if you want to get wet and attack the algae, or you want to play with flowers, sign up for a shift!

2 hour shifts beginning at 10 am and continuing until 6pm on Thursday, MAY 6.

Bring appropriate apparel, a hat, and your medic bag to doctor up the pool.

Please contact Jonathan Beall, service chair with any questions. service@friendsofbartonspringspool.org