McLaughlin: DeNunzio's chem major

It's midmorning and the slanting rays that filter through the large windows add to the quiet peace that usually pervades DeNunzio Pool this time of day. Mike McLaughlin, the pool operator and aquatics assistant, gestures to each of the lanes in which middle-aged to elderly swimmers are completing a few laps during this brief free-swim time.

"These are the regulars," he said. "She's from town. He's a professor. He's from town — he's training for the Ironman. You get to know everybody."

But these quiet moments stand in sharp contrast to the frenzied atmosphere of swim meets that finds McLaughlin standing alertly by the deck throughout the weekend, ready to change a faulty touch pad or a malfunctioning wire.

"Swim meets are more work than polo games," McLaughlin explains, "just because we have the touch pads and when you're working with electricity and water, things are prone to going wrong. But there isn't enough wattage to be dangerous."

Recreational swim hours and varsity swim meets are two extremes that McLaughlin might encounter in a work week.

"I arrive at 6:30 a.m. I usually make sure there aren't any leaks in the chlorine line because a lot of things can happen overnight. I make sure the pool is set for the team, be it flags or goals. Checking the chemistry and pH and making sure those things are all right."

Part of the day's work includes checking the gutters for goggles, caps and various other items that have strayed into the filtering depths of the system.

"I think the strangest thing we found in there has been someone's eyeglasses," he said. "We now have a screen in front of the pumps because one time a towel went all the way down into the pumps and blocked them."

McLaughlin has been around pools for most of his life and was first introduced to pool maintenance during his summers as a lifeguard outside of Hopewell.

"The lifeguards there were also in charge of the chemistry and calibration of the pool so from the age of 14 on I have had know how to take care of backwash, shock and the chemistry of the water," he said.

But DeNunzio isn't exactly your backyard pool. Built in 1990, the 50-meter pool ranges in depth from nine to 17 feet and holds a whopping 1.3 million gallons of water.

"I've found that once you get it right, it's almost like a little child. You can't turn your back on it," he explained. "I'm down there every two hours making sure everything is well, just making a little tweak here and a little tweak there."

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No one knows the details about keeping this pool running better than McLaughlin.

"I've been here for almost 15 years," he said. "When they built the pool they called me up, so I've been here since the beginning. All the little tricks no one taught me," he explained, proudly holding up a bent hanger used to raise the manhole that leads to the pumps.

McLaughlin's talents extend beyond pool chemistry. He's also in a band.

"He's a masterful guitar player," junior swimmer Alan Fishman said.

The athletes hold him in high regard, both for his hard work and good humor.

"One time he jumped from the upper railing of the pool ceiling into the pool," senior swimmer Scott Bynum recalled. "He knows the pool like the back of his hand. He's a really funny guy and really nice, too."

"Sometimes you're just not ready for practice and all you really want to do is go to bed," senior water polo player Sean McIntire said. "And he's there smiling, asking how your day is going. He's the friendliest guy ever."

It is this type of appreciation from the people who use DeNunzio that make his job so great.

"Last October when the swim team went down to Florida to train, they sent me a postcard back saying that they could really use a guy like me down there — and that's just priceless," McLaughlin said. "And the Christmas cards you wouldn't believe!"

He smiles broadly at the prospect of another academic year that will keep him on the deck long hours, nights and weekends.

"The summer's here are way too slow," he said. "I'd rather be setting up the meets and stuff."

With a varsity team practicing and playing in DeNunzio all three sport seasons, McLaughlin is sure to have more than enough going on to keep him busy and, of course, smiling.