Community

McClymonds Makes A Big Splash with Pool Reopening

Published

8 years ago

November 6, 2015

McClymonds High School is making new waves with the reopening this week of its school pool this week, which has been shuttered for eight years.

For community members who have mobilized to preserve the legacy of McClymond’s sports and academic programs, this week’s pool reopening signifies the Oakland Unified School District’s (OUSD) commitment to invest in students at the West Oakland school.

For 25 years, McClymonds has gone without a swim program. Now, with new swim director Leon Sykes, the pool will become a regular resource for students and the community.

On Tuesday, OUSD Superintendent Antwan Wilson joined students, community members and school principal Tinisha Hamberlin to celebrate the pool’s reopening.

Also attending the Nov. 3 event was Council President Lynette Gibson McElhaney, Assemblymember Rob Bonta, Alameda County Supervisor Keith Carson’s office, and School Board Director Jumoke Hinton Hodge.

Cutting the ribbon (L to R): OUSD Superintendent Antwan Wilson, student Jared Utley, student J’mya
Gray-Martinez, principal Tinisha Hamberlin, student Anthony Beron, and Council President Lynette Gibson McElhaney. Not shown: School Board Director
Jumoke Hinton Hodge and Charles Smith with OUSD Building and Grounds. Photo by Ashley Chambers.

“This is the best pool the city has, and for it to be open, it shows why West Oakland is so great,” said Sykes. He said it offers “a healthy exercising alternative” at the school.

Students Jared Utley, J’mya Gray-Martinez, Anthony Beron, and Allen Laurenson-Reed – excited to take advantage of the new opportunity and jump in the pool on Tuesday – spoke about how this will impact them and the West Oakland community.

“Opening this pool is a message of hope for these kids, and it’s saying that the school district is fighting for (us). As long as we know that you’re fighting for us, we’re going to…do everything that we can,” said Utley, a senior at McClymonds.

From left to right: Superintendent Antwan Wilson; Council President Lynette Gibson McElhaney; School Board Director
Jumoke Hinton Hodge; Leon Sykes, manager of the McClymonds High School pool; and Charles Smith, OUSD Buildings and Grounds. (not shown: McClymonds principal Tinisha Hamberlin). Photo by Ashley Chambers.

For junior Gray-Martinez, who has been swimming since the age of 6, this is another way to cultivate community. She said, “It’s a way for West Oakland to be able to reconnect with each other.”

Superintendent Wilson said investing in such school programming will help students achieve success.

“Being exposed to this type of facility and having programming that allows them to be here around adults who care for them in a program where they can thrive…that’s what it’s going to take to ensure that our young people are successful,” he said.

Supervisor Keith Carson was instrumental in helping to reopen the pool so students can have the opportunity to take swimming lessons.

The pool’s reopening is just the beginning of building up the sports programs at McClymonds, said School Board Director Hinton Hodge.

“We should have a viable strong sports program, (including) sports management, sports medicine. Let’s build out the careers and the opportunities that are linked to this,” she said.

“We can create a culture and mentality around health and around fitness and around wellness, and coming together as community.”

Oakland Post

Posts by Oakland Post

Up Next

High-Priced Consultant Still Earning $30,000 a Month at Oakland Unified

Don't Miss

Henderson’s Family Files Suit Against Emeryville

Oakland Post

Click to comment

Activism

WOMEN IMPACTING THE CHURCH AND COMMUNITY

Published

20 hours ago

April 17, 2024

Oakland Post

Juanita Matthews

Sister Juanita Matthews

55 Years with Oakland Public School District

The Teacher, Mother, Community Outreach Champion, And Child of God

Juanita Matthews, better known as “Sister Teacher,” is a walking Bible scholar. She moved to California from the great state of Arkansas in 1971. Sister Teacher has a passion for teaching. She has been a member of Bible Fellowship Missionary Baptist Church since 1971. She followed her passion for teaching, and in 1977 became the lead teacher for Adult Class #6. Her motto still today is “Once My Student, Always My Student”.

Beyond her remarkable love for the Lord, Sister Teacher has showcased her love for teaching by working for the Oakland Unified School District for 55 years, all but four of those years spent at Emerson Elementary and Child Development School. She truly cares about her students, making sure they have the tools/supplies needed to learn either at OUSD or Bible Fellowship Missionary Baptist Church.

She’s also had a “Clothes Closet Ministry” for 51 years, making sure her students have sufficient clothing for school. The Clothes Closet Ministry extends past her students, she has been clothing the community for over 50 years as well. She loves the Lord and is a servant on a mission. She is a loving mother to two beautiful children, Sandra and Andre. This is the impact this woman of God has on her church and the community.

Oakland Post

Posts by Oakland Post

Bay Area

Vivian Coit, 98

Vivian Coit, a proud Dallas, Texas native made her way to the great state of California in 1943. She was a mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, and great-great grandmother.

Published

20 hours ago

April 17, 2024

Oakland Post

Vivian Coit

Celebrating A Life Well Lived

Sept. 15, 1925 ~ March 30, 2024

Vivian Coit, a proud Dallas, Texas native made her way to the great state of California in 1943. She was a mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, and great-great grandmother.

In her 98 years, she had various jobs – San Francisco Naval Shipyard, elevator operator, housekeeping, a salesclerk, and supervisor for the United States Postal Service. After 27 years of service with the United States Postal Service, she retired with numerous commendations. She was a lifetime member of the National Council of Negro Women. and a devoted member of the Washington/Lincoln Alumni Association of Dallas, Texas.

On April 20 at 10:00 a.m., a life well-lived will be celebrated at Beebe Memorial Cathedral CME Church, 3900 Telegraph Ave., Oakland, CA under the leadership of Rev. Antoine Shyne.

Oakland Post

Posts by Oakland Post

Commentary

Opinion: Surviving the Earthquake, an Eclipse and “Emil Amok.”

Last Friday, a 4.8 magnitude earthquake shook New York City, reported as the “biggest earthquake with an epicenter in the NYC area since 1884” when a 5.2 quake hit. A bit bigger. The last quake similar to Friday’s was a 4.9 in 1783.Alexander Hamilton felt it — 241 years ago. That’s why New Yorkers were freaking out on Friday. They were in the room where it happens.

Published

20 hours ago

April 17, 2024

Oakland Post

In New York City, the eclipse was about 90 percent visible. Good enough for me. Though a full solar eclipse is a celestial rarity, blockages of any sort aren’t generally celebrated. My one-man play is about growing up with the eclipsed history of American Filipinos and how I struggle to unblock all that.

By Emil Guillermo

I’m a Northern Californian in New York City for the next few weeks, doing my one-man show, “Emil Amok, Lost NPR Host, Wiley Filipino, Vegan Transdad.”

I must like performing in the wake of Mother Nature.

Alexander Hamilton felt it — 241 years ago.

That’s why New Yorkers were freaking out on Friday. They were in the room where it happens.

And it just doesn’t happen that often.

Beyonce singing country music happens more frequently.

When I felt New York shake last week, it reminded me of a time in a San Francisco TV newsroom when editors fretted about a lack of news an hour before showtime.

Then the office carpeting moved for a good ten seconds, and the news gods gave us our lead story.

On Friday when it happened in NYC, I noticed the lines in the carpeting in my room wiggling. But I thought it was from a raucous hotel worker vacuuming nearby.

I didn’t even think earthquake. In New York?

I just went about my business as if nothing had happened. After living near fault lines all my life, I was taking things for granted.

Considering the age of structures in New York, I should have been even more concerned about falling objects inside (shelves, stuff on walls) and outside buildings (signs, scaffolding), fire hazards from possible gas leaks, and then I should have looked for others on my floor and in the hotel lobby to confirm or aid or tell stories.

Of course, as a Californian who has lived through and covered quakes in the 4 to 6 magnitude range, I tried to calm down any traumatized New Yorker I encountered by taking full responsibility for bringing in the quake from the Bay Area.

I reassured them things would be all right, and then let them know that 4.8s are nothing.

And then I invited them to my consoling post-Earthquake performance of “Emil Amok, Lost NPR Host…”

It was the night of the eclipse.

ECLIPSING THE ECLIPSE

For example, did you know the first Filipinos actually arrived to what is now California in 1587? That’s 33 years before the Pilgrims arrived in America on the other coast, but few know the Filipino history which has been totally eclipsed.

I was in Battery Park sitting on a bench and there was a sense of community as people all came to look up. A young woman sitting next to me had a filter for a cell phone camera. We began talking and she let me use it. That filter enabled me to take a picture of the main event with my iPhone.

For helping me see, I invited her and her boyfriend to come see my show.

Coincidentally, she was from Plymouth, Massachusetts, near the rock that says the year the Pilgrims landed in 1620.

In my show she learned the truth. The Pilgrims were second.

History unblocked. But it took a solar eclipse.

Next one in 2044? We have a lot more unblocking to do.

If you’re in New York come see my show, Sat. April 13th, 5:20 pm Eastern; Fri. April 19, 8:10 pm Eastern; and Sun. April 21st 5:20 pm Eastern.

You can also livestream the show. Get tickets at www.amok.com/tickets

About the Author

Emil Guillermo is a journalist and commentator. He does a mini-talk show on YouTube.com/@emilamok1. He wishes all his readers a Happy Easter!