The Rich Tradition of the Mariemont Pool

By Matt Ayer

Did you know that in the Mariemont Company’s plan for our Village a swimming pool was envisioned where the lower tennis courts on Plainville Road were eventually built? Decades later, in February 1955, a citizens committee of residents recommended to Mariemont Village Council a tax levy to build a swimming facility.

Lifetime resident Suzi (McKee) Vianello recalls her engineer dad cutting through the undeveloped property at the foot of Mariemont Avenue with his sickle and taking measurements to demonstrate that the site was suitable. Voters approved a $160,000 bond issue at a cost of 0.65 mills. At a typical assessed value of around $10,000, a homeowner paid $6.50 per year in new taxes to construct what we now call our “main” or “family” pool, wading pool, refreshment stand, bath house, filter plant, and parking lot.

Mariemont hired the legendary high school coach Doc Kusel to serve as pool manager. Suzi recalls, “Nearly all the kids, whether 5 or 14 years old, did not know how to swim until the pool opened and lessons began.” At the end of the season, the pool would conduct races. Excitement grew around the racing events and the logical next step was to start a swim team to compete with other community pools.

Doc tapped a three-sport (football, basketball, and track) athlete and MHS graduate, Dave Coffman, and asked him to be swim coach. Dave responded, “I am not even a good swimmer, how am I going to be a coach?” Doc assured Dave that he was the man for the job, and he accepted the position. First, Dave read the only book on swim coaching (dated sometime in the 1940s) he could find. The following summer, he attended a clinic at Indiana University where the legendary coach Jim Counsilman gave him plenty of pointers.

Shortly thereafter, Danny Garteiz joined Dave to serve as diving coach. National diving champion, Danny had represented his native Cuba in the 1958 Pan American games. His family had escaped to America just as the country was falling into the hands of the revolutionaries. Military agents seized any money that emigrants took. The Garteiz family had carefully hidden their cash inside the folds of a newspaper “in plain sight” and managed to slip through undetected.

This Coffman & Garteiz duo became best friends and, with the boundless enthusiasm of the Mariemont kids, went undefeated in their first three years of competition as they competed with other regional community clubs. In a recent interview, Coffman fondly recalled his team and remembered each kid in a team photo. cont'd on next page

He described one Sunday workout when “Big Bob” Alsfelder brought the then UC swim coach to see the developing talent of son Bobby, swimming one mile, all butterfly, at ten years old! On bus trips to “away” meets, young Bobby also enjoyed blasting out a battle cry on his trumpet and the Mariemont team yelled, “Charge!”… as opposing teams knew, “Uh oh, here comes Mariemont!” Later, Alsfelder swam for Counsilman at IU and earned All American honors in the 100-yard butterfly.

Bobby put me in touch with Dave Coffman for this article, and he also recounted the Fourth of July pool festivities featuring a clown diving show put on by Garteiz. Back then the pool also released a couple hundred goldfish into the pool for the kids to have great fun catching for a likely short life as pets. Of course, the greased watermelon contest was another highlight.

The Mariemont Pool (from previous page)

With the swim team’s success and the popularity of the pool, the Village added the lap pool in the late 1960s, where the Mariemont team continues to host meets.

Dave Coffman continued coaching as a graduate assistant and an assistant coach for four years at the University of North Carolina. After earning his masters and doctorate and a lengthy stint in business, he returned to coaching at St Xavier High School. Garteiz, whom Dave described as “absolutely brilliant,” earned a PhD in Chemistry at UC and had a distinguished career in academia and as an entrepreneur.

When asked about his philosophy of coaching, Dave reflected that he always believed that the experience had to be enjoyable. Kids wanted to succeed. His job was to provide encouragement and to put each one into a position to be successful. The focus was always on improvement.

Suzi Vianello remembers a time before families were so booked, and kids had fewer sports and activities. “Summer was the pool and swim team.” She loved Tuesdays, when after a meet the kids would gather at Frisch’s. “It was a special time. From youngest to oldest, we were all so close.” We wrapped up our conversation as she needed to meet her lifelong friend and teammate Sally Alsfelder for a swim.

Traditions continue to this day, as a volunteer resident committee (the Pool Commission) supports the pool’s operation and maintenance. MHS graduate and schoolteacher

Mike Lockhart just completed his first year as pool manager and by all accounts did a superior job. Suzi’s daughter, Becca Hlad, helps with the swim team, too. We have talented swimmers serving as lifeguards and trained as instructors.

The Pool just wrapped up a great year. The Pool Commission, and our Village Staff and Council are planning a series of upgrades to enhance the pool experience. Watch for details in future issues and get ready for another fun pool experience next summer as Mike Lockhart returns for his second year as our pool manager.

Wrapping up the interview with Dave Coffman, when advised that he could always come back, at 83 years young he enthusiastically responded, “I’d love to come help!”

Everybody Out of the Pool!

By Matt Ayer

The Mariemont Pool officially opens Memorial Day weekend with hours until 8 p.m., but did you know that hundreds of visitors arrive pre-season or after hours for a nighttime dip?

For over 25 years, a resident volunteer faithfully arrives early each morning to rescue these rascal amphibians. Roughly 80 percent are American Toads (often toadlets that may be only the size of a nickel). Northern Spring Peepers are recognizable by their call that beckons Spring. These small tree frogs comprise another 15 or so percent of our nocturnal guests. Our volunteer lifeguard carefully retrieves them and returns them to their adjacent woodland habitat. An occasional American Bullfrog or Northern Green Frog is rescued and released near Whiskey Creek in the South 80.

“The water, lights and insects attract them, and from there they jump or fall in, and can’t get out,” explains our morning rescuer. “I have long been active in a local reptile rescue organization and also enjoy saving these toads and frogs.”

For science class review, what’s the difference between toads and frogs? A toad is warty, covered in small bumps, with dry skin, and has short legs used primarily for crawling. Frogs are smooth and sleek, appear wet, and use their long legs for their proverbial hopping.

The more you get to know Mariemont, the more you realize how special our Village is due to its residents, often anonymously, volunteering their time and talents behind the scenes. Or in this case, behind the fence.

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