This is to Chris Blackwell and all the other alums who worked extremely hard under really crazy conditions to get the pool built and gunnited and working. (When was that; 1976?)

It really is a great thing to have the pool there, and makes the heat and the hard work bearable. I remember when we had to go to Orme school to use their pool, after working all day building Crafts 3 and West Housing. Now, during the reunion two weeks ago, my 12 year old was using the pool along with Peter's son, and Paolo's grandchildren. Really nice.

It's 103 here outside of D.C., and the humidity is above 90%. Thanks to all who worked on the cool pool! -- George

George. That was nice. Thanks! Many incredible and amazing stories emerged from the building of the pool, my first actual building project as manager or superintendant or whatever we were called then. And at the tender age of 22. 1977 The staff meetings, for instance, where we allocated the new workshop labor and the resources. The pool had a distinct advantage, in that I could say, "well, I guess if we don't want to swim this year, all that plywood and those skilled workshoppers could go over to Crafts 3........" "I'll give you 4 sheets of 3/4" formply and 10 2 x 4's, in return I want your 2 skilled carpenters for three days and those two coeds for the rest of the workshop." No way, man, well O.K., 1 carpenter for 3 days and 1 coed for a week..........deal.

And, it's a fact that I slept on top of my bunk of 280 new 2 x 4's inside the pool shell on my standard issue sleeping mat to guard against nighttime theft by other project managers. And then, there was the filling of the pool with the water truck from Mayer, 20 hours of round trips from the wellhead up the hill.

Yes, plenty of pool stories. Later, perhaps, we'll tell the story of the crew that tiled the pool. Mary should remember them, she found Joe and his boys in Phoenix. Frankly, an awe inspiring and truly professional display of, and capacity for, substance use I have seen neither before nor since, climaxing, naturally, in a fairly gruesome scene at the Copper Star. Then, there was the gunite crew,, aa aand the Plaster crew........ well, it goes on and on.

****** Been ballin' that shiny black steel jackhammer, been bustin' up rocks for the S.O.D. Ralph says I gotta keep ballin' that jack, If I work five years I'm gonna bust my back. And Paolo keeps a talkin' nobody hears a single word that he says. ****** (to the music of "EASY WIND," Workingman's Dead)

Thanks for thinking of us - it's been awhile.........we had a great time rebarring pool buttresses in the summer heat of 1977. I've seen photos of the pool and can only imagine the feeling of refreshment that you all have enjoyed all these years (nearly a quarter century)........on behalf of pool alums everywhere in the universe.....enjoy

Edd Vitagliano 17 Eastburn Street Brighton, MA 02135 evassoc@worldnet.att.net