Fourth in a series
Re “School District’s Perfect-Storm Summer”
Former School Board candidate Robert Zirgulis is nowhere in sight this autumn. The ghost of the persistent Mr. Zirgulis, however, is roaming about the Culver City High School campus as the present School Board campaign roars into its final two weeks.
Like a vividly colored banner, Mr. Zirgulis waved the potential reopening of the tomblike Natatorium in each of his long-distance campaigns.
He was chattering about a dream, not reality, Mr. Zirgulis’s noisy critics claimed.
Wouldn’t you know it? The one year Mr. Zirgulis decides not to compete for the School Board, the reawakening of the ex-swim pool hovers into view.
Supt. Dave LaRose has confirmed that in the not-too-cloudy future, the Natatorium – dark for more than 20 years — could accommodate the Culver Park continuation school.
“I see that as serving our Culver Park students as well as many other goals and objectives,” he said.
“The Natatorium is a multi-purpose facility that is 21st century, high technology that it builds in multiple uses.
“It is a very flexible, innovative, creative space that can be for teaching and learning during the day, and for the community in the evening.
“The Natatorium can be a showcase venue, a professional development venue, multi-purpose space,” Mr. LaRose said.
“One of our primary commitments…we first talked about it three years ago… was finding a permanent home for Culver Park. This provides an opportunity for us.”
Who knew?
(To be continued)
What’s the point of doing anything when the fix was in!
I pointed out over two years ago that the district was going to waste over $10 million turning the Culver City school pool Natatorium into a multi-purpose bldg. that would accommodate 60 students from Culver Park when it could have refurbished the Natatorium for $3 million and service over 6,500 students plus have senior citizens and the general public use the pool after school hours.
I brought up the issue of the Natatorium to the school board candidates at the Culver City Democratic Club endorsement meeting and the candidates didn’t seem to think it was an important issue for them.
All the school board members and candidates have said they are concerned about health and safety issues when it comes to spending the $106 million bond money. It falls on deaf ears when you tell them that not learning how to swim and drowning is one of the main causes of death for young children.
Currently, state mandated teaching of swimming in Culver City School system consists of simulating a breath stroke on a medicine ball. You’d think that it would be obvious that having the Natatorium refurbished would be great for teaching our students how to swim.
But it seems common sense doesn’t apply here.
Robert Zirgulis
No moderation. that’s what I want to say!