In Memoriam…Bill Watson
The swimming pool industry was saddened on August 15th with the passing of Bill Watson. Bill was the founder of Watson’s here in Cincinnati But he far surpassed being a local icon and was respected nationally, and was a major force in developing successful selling and marketing strategies that took the pool and spa industry to new heights. Retailers all over the country copied his style and methods. Bill sold Watson’s many years ago but continued to be active, establishing several new companies. He was after all, the consummate salesman and as such, he HAD to keep working and perfecting his trade. It was his nature and selling was in his blood. About twelve years ago, he shared his knowledge and expertise, doing training classes for us here at Eastgate Pools & Spas. He was in a word, superb and listening to him was like being a small child sitting next to an old time baseball player, attentively listening to him tell stories from the past.
When I first starting doing our television commercials years ago, I received a call from Bill Watson. He just wanted to tell me that he liked the job I was doing. He said I came across as honest, friendly, and believable. I was always impressed and honored that he took the time to make that call and I remember it fondly.
Thank you Mr. Watson for your service to the industry and thank you for sharing your wisdom. You will be missed.
On behalf of everyone here at Eastgate Pools & Spas, we send our deepest condolences to Bill’s family and friends. –Max
Going Green
These days many people are looking for ways to “go green.” As a science teacher, I am constantly trying to positively influence my students, and teach them ways to be environmentally friendly. The “3 R’s” are a great first step: Reduce, Reuse, Recycle. Recycling paper, plastic, aluminum, and glass is a great start. Did you know that glass will never “go bad?” It’s true. Glass can be melted down to form new glass containers as many times as we’d like. It will never break down, like plastics can. You can even recycle all of those old cell phones that are broken or that you no longer use (just take them to the Cincinnati Zoo and drop them in the bins by the gorilla habitat). You can help save wildlife so we don’t have to destroy their habitats looking for more of the minerals that go inside our cell phones. Recycling isn’t the only thing we need to do, though. A lot of times people will think “well, I recycle so I can use as much as I want.” Even recycling can produce toxic waste (albeit much less than normal garbage disposal processes). The other 2 R’s are just as important, if not more important, than the recycling step. We all need to try to reduce our usage (therefore reducing our amounts of waste). You can reduce the amount of electricity, fuel, paper, plastic, and metals that you use in order to help be environmentally friendly. Find alternative energy sources for your homes (solar power, wind power, water power, etc. Ask us about our solar pool heaters!) Form a carpool or take the bus to reduce fuel usage. Turn your computers off when you finish using them. Walk to the local store that is a mile away instead of driving. Turn the water off when you brush your teeth. Don’t run the dishwasher until it is full. Anything you can do to reduce the amount of materials you use is a good thing. Reusing is also an important part of reducing your carbon footprint. Work on both sides of the paper. Reuse the spaghetti sauce jar for canning vegetables or for an ice-cold beverage. Stop using paper plates and plastic silverware for small parties and use reusable dishes. There are so many ways that you can help our environment, you just have to be a little pro-active about it.
Now if your pool water is “going green,” that’s a different issue. Stop in to the store and we can help you get your water straightened out.
Springtime Mud
When most people think of spring they think of warmer weather and blooming flowers. When I think of spring I think of something a little different. Mud. That’s right I said mud, and I have to say it really bothers me. According to scientists there are three main states of matter and some believe that a fourth exists. I know for certain that there are 5 states of matter since mud doesn’t fall into any of the other categories. It is obviously not solid. Some could argue liquid but it just doesn’t fit. We know its not a gas and since we aren’t sure what is or isn’t a plasma it falls short there as well. Since it doesn’t fit anywhere else I feel as though it should be classified as its own state of matter. That’s just my opinion but it seems to me that I must be right.
Thomas
