By JAN McLAUGHLIN
BG Independent News
While other community pools are desperately searching for enough lifeguards to stay afloat this summer, Bowling Green City Pool is doing swimmingly.
The Bowling Green Parks and Recreation Board was updated Tuesday on the upcoming pool season by Josh Chatfield, fitness and aquatic manager for Bowling Green Parks and Recreation Department.
A minimum of 25 lifeguards are needed to staff the pool through this summer – though 28 would be ideal, Chatfield said. He already has 23 signed up for the season, and is looking for another five.
Bowling Green City Pool is known for being a place where employees return year after year to summer jobs. This year, half of the staff members hired have worked at the pool in previous years, Chatfield said.
That 50% retention rate is “phenomenal,” BG Parks and Recreation Director Kristin Otley said.
It also helps that all the lifeguards have gone through training in-house at BG City Pool for at least the past 10 years.
Chatfield believes that’s why the Bowling Green pool hasn’t been hit by the lifeguard shortage. That and “pool rats” who spend their summers swimming often grow up to be lifeguards, Otley said.
Now all the swimming season needs is sunshine.
“We’ll keep our fingers crossed that we have a lot of hot days,” Otley said. “And no wildfires in Canada.”
Pool passes are currently on sale, with 20% off through the end of April, and 15% off through May.
“Hopefully that helps sell some passes for us,” Chatfield said.
A lot of work still must be done to prepare the pool for people, he said. “It’s pretty swampy,” and must be drained, power washed and have all the pumps and filtration systems checked out.
Otley and Chatfield cautioned that the honeymoon period for the pool has passed, with the “new” facility starting its 11th year.
“It’s not new anymore,” Otley said.
And that means big maintenance needs may be looming, Chatfield said.
It was also reported that it is Bowling Green City Pool’s turn to host a CHAMPS swimming tournament this year, on July 13 and 14. In addition to Bowling Green Swim Club, six other teams will participate. The pool will collect revenues from the concession stand sales that weekend.
Also at the meeting, Otley spoke about the service of Sandy Rowland, who died on April 17.
As a Bowling Green City Council member, Rowland served on the committee overseeing parks and recreation. After leaving council, Rowland then served as a trustee on the Bowling Green Parks Foundation.
“Her love and support of parks and recreation was incredible,” Otley said. “Anytime we needed something, she would step right up.” That included working on two levy campaigns for the parks.
“She loved her community across the board, but especially the parks,” said Parks and Rec Board member Phil Simmons.
In other business Chatfield reported that fitness class sign ups at the community center have reached the highest numbers since 2018.
“That’s really good to see,” he said.
