Oakland Saves The Jack London Aquatic Center

Boy Scouts, Laney College students, sailing enthusiasts, avid paddlers, dragon boat operators, and members of the UC Berkeley Women’s Lightweight Crew Team need not worry any longer. A month after non-profit group the Jack London Aquatic Center announced it would rescind management at its waterfront facility, Oakland has come to the rescue, the Trib reports. Today the city announced that it will commandeer operations at the center, which it built in 2000 and ceded to the Aquatic Center in 2002. The center will continue to offer boating classes at a sliding scale rate, though staff who were laid off amid the turmoil will need to reapply. Still, that’s great news to the number of water sports participants who wrung their hands after the group lost its $170,000 subsidy, and was unable to compensate with outside donations and grants.