POOLING RESOURCES FOR KIDS CITY GRANT PROVIDES SWIMMING LESSONS FOR GIRL SCOUTS.Byline: Susan Abram Staff Writer VALENCIA - For some girls, the heated pool inside the YMCA YMCA in full Young Men's Christian Association Nonsectarian, nonpolitical Christian lay movement that aims to develop high standards of Christian character among its members. seemed too big, its powder blue waters <includeonly></includeonly> Blue Waters, also known as ASP Blue Waters due to sponsorship reasons, are a Namibian football (soccer) club from Walvis Bay. They play in the country's highest division, the Namibia Premier League. a little deep. But after a few playful play·ful adj. 1. Full of fun and high spirits; frolicsome or sportive: a playful kitten. 2. splashes and games, swimming suited them just fine. About 40 girls from various local Girl Scout troops participated in the first in a series of free swimming lessons on Tuesday, made possible through a $4,500 grant by the city of Santa Clarita Santa Clarita, city (1990 pop. 110,642), Los Angeles co., S Calif., suburb 30 mi (48 km) NW of downtown Los Angeles, on the Santa Clara River; inc. 1987. Situated in the Santa Clara valley and nearby canyons, Santa Clarita includes the former towns of Canyon Country, and coordinated through the Girl Scouts Girl Scouts, recreational and service organization founded (1912) in Savannah, Ga., by Mrs. Juliette Gordon Low (1860–1927). It was originally modeled after the Boy Scouts and Girl Guides, organizations created in Great Britain by Sir Robert Baden-Powell during Joshua Tree Joshua tree: see yucca. Council. First-time swimmers and many nonbeginners took to the waters like fish, splashing splashing an abattoir term for large areas of hemorrhage in the form of brush marks or groups of spots, usually evident in muscles and under serous membranes. their feet, diving for colorful rings at the pool's floor, and learning the importance of water safety. Parents stood behind fogging windows and took pride that their little girls were learning a skill for life. Mothers Azucena Aladvena and Hortencia Avila said it was the first time their daughters had the opportunity to take swimming lessons. ``To learn to swim is important, especially if there's an emergency,'' said Newhall resident Oralia Betancourt, as she watched her three daughters, ages 5, 9, 12, swim by. ``They can save themselves, or someone else.'' Giggling first-timers, many as young as 5 and 6 years old, gripped the pool's edge, their heads bobbing up and down in the water as instructors lured them deeper into the pool with Boogie boards and games. Many of the girls said they had been swimming a few times already, and that they'd like to keep it up. With the grant, the girls were treated to bathing suits, a tour through Whole Foods Market to learn about nutrition, and a lesson in exercising. ``We want to teach them the importance of taking care of themselves,'' said Gail Davis Gail Davis (born October 5, 1925; died March 15, 1997) was an American actress. The daughter of a small town medical doctor, she was born Betty Jeanne Grayson in a hospital at Little Rock, Arkansas. , regional manager for the Girl Scouts' Joshua Tree Council, which oversees troops from various cities. Nora Hutten, who coordinated the event, said many of the girls are from low-income homes within the Hispanic community. They may not otherwise have an opportunity to have a swimming lesson when they are still young. Susan Abram, (661) 257-5257 susan.abram(at)dailynews.com CAPTION(S): 2 photos Photo: (1 -- 2 -- color) Girls splash city lifeguard Sarah Schoepfer at the Valencia YMCA pool, above, while Ana Karen Ochoa, 8, surprises Schoepfer with a ring she fetched from the bottom of the pool. About 40 girls took part in the free swim lessons. David Crane/Staff Photographer |
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