SS Santa Claus (in July) Wins Boat Race

It was two parts race, one part pool littering, no part Olympics.

Camps and rec programs of the city of Walnut Creek on Friday afternoon staged their annual boat race at Clarke Memorial Swim Center at Heather Farm Park. The seven, mostly themed racing boats were constructed by campers and counselors out of paper, cardboard, tape and glue only (papier mache is OK). And as they sliced through the pool, they left streamers of paper and tape floating behind.

When it was all over, the Clarke lifeguards won but were disqualified (which is an annual event). They were supplanted in first place (with their name scrawled on the paper and cardboard trophy) by the "SS Santa Claus" designed by the Specialized Rec Camp program from Civic Park.

After the race, judge Wes Allnutt, program coordinator for Walnut Creek Arts, Recreation and Community Services, went at the various craft with a box cutter to make sure there were no foreign substances included in the construction.

The award for best theme went to the preschool programs at Heather Farm Park for their 'Lion King" boat.

Boat projects, before they were splashing and disintegrating affairs, were educational collaborations. "We kind of built it and the kids helped with the papier mache," said counselor Danny Dodge of the Triple A (Arts, Academics and Adventures) Camp at Walnut Creek Intermediate School of their Super Mario go-cart construction.