Perfection Personified
Pleatco announces Perfect Pool Guy and Gal
"This contest has caused a lot of excitement among the service people who are out doing hard work every day," says Kleiner. "The pool guy is not a glamorous job. Most days I come home filthy, dirty and very tired. So it's nice to know someone has noticed. Winning this contest has made me even more proud of my work, and it will continue to make me even better in my day-to-day work."
Tillett agrees: "When I saw the nominations posted on the vote page, I couldn't believe it. Since I've won, I've gotten so many nice responses from all of my customers. It's the most reassuring feeling in the world. I'm a tiny person, but this feels like a whole new world to me!"
2008 Award Winners
Perfect Pool Guy
Kirt Kleiner | KMK Services, Pennsylvania
Perfect Pool Girl
Jill Tillett | Nags Head Pools, North Carolina
Best Entry
Paul Heschmeyer | Heschmeyer Pools, Kansas
Big Heart
Ken Wyatt | The Pool Doctor, Alabama
Next Generation Leadership
Ron Swonger | Ron's Pool Care, California
Lifetime Achievement
Terry Lawson | JT's Pool Service, Oklahoma
Gary Post | The Pool Store, Virginia
Mike Pohl | Mike Pohl's Pool Service, Florida
Keeping The Furry Critters Safe
There's more to pet pool safety than you think
Here are some tips to keep man's best friend safe around the pool, courtesy of Petvideo.com:
- Never throw a dog into a pool. Dogs don't necessarily know how to swim naturally. Throwing them in a pool can hurt them or cause them to panic.
- Don't let a dog drink pool water. The chlorine can make them sick.
- Teach a dog over and over where the pool steps are located. This repetitive exercise can help it find its way out in case it falls in.
- Hose a dog off with fresh water once it gets out of the pool. The chlorine can dry out a dog's skin.
- Look for signs of over-heating or too much sun exposure. A along, happy, wagging tongue lets you know a dog is hot.
- Keep fresh water near and bring dogs to a shaded area if they need a break from the sun. Heat stroke is a real danger to dogs.
- Put sunscreen on a dog's nose, ears and stomach. Certain breeds of dogs are more susceptible to sunburn than others. Most pet stores carry dog sunscreen.
- Install a pool fence and alarm. If a dog falls into a pool, it can panic, become disoriented and drown.
Splashing For A Good Cause
BioGuard hosts Splash for CF day
The stores hosted a variety of events, from donating a percentage of that day's sales to all-day family events, like the one put on by Zagers Pool & Spa in Jamestown. Zagers provided food, games and raffles to win a year's supply of BioGuard products.
Sixty percent of the $1,200 donation proceeds are staying in Western Michigan to benefit the CF Care Center at Helen DeVos Children's Hospital; the other 40 percent will go to causes such as the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation.
Voted One Of The Best
Forbes Traveler picks the world's best hotel pools
Las Vegas is known for bright lights and over-the-top shows, so building a pool that features a 200,000 gallon aquarium wasn't that far off the mark for this city.
The Tank at the Golden Nugget recently received a $100 million makeover - $30 million of which was dedicated to the pool alone - to include a three-story pool complex complete with waterfalls, a waterslide, a poolside bar, live gaming tables, private cabanas, daybeds and the shark tank, which houses five species of sharks and various game fish.
"People will line up against the acrylic glass with their hands next to their face and watch the giant 8-foot sharks swimming by," public relations manager Justin McVay told Forbes. "People come from all around to see The Tank. I have people calling just to ask, 'Can we come just to look at the pool?'"