By JAN LARSON McLAUGHLIN
BG Independent News
The lounge chairs are lined up in rows, the snack bar is stocked, the lazy river has been activated, and the inner tubes are inflated.
And even better – the weather forecast for Saturday is calling for a sweaty 88 degrees – perfect for taking a dip in Bowling Green’s city pool on its opening day for the summer. The forecast also calls for a chance of rain, but according to the white board on the wall by the pool entrance, there’s a “148 percent chance of having fun.”
“Finally, good weather,” said Kristin Otley, director of BG Parks and Recreation, who has been knocking on wood for weeks in hopes of a hot weekend opening for the pool.
Flotation devices stacked for the lazy river.
This will be the third year for the new aquatic center, complete with a water park, slide, diving boards, lazy river, and picnic pavilions. The pool, located in City Park, opens for public swimming at 11 a.m.
Josh Chatfield, manager of the pool, said the preparations went smoothly this year.
“We’re ready. Everything fired up really well,” he said.
And unlike some other community pools in the area, Bowling Green is not seeing a shortage of lifeguards, Chatfield said. “We have an abundance of people” to staff the site, he said.
Last year, the pool lured more than 30,000 swimmers and more than 450 kids for swimming lessons. “We had kids on wait lists we had to turn away,” for lessons, Chatfield said.
Otley is hoping for similar – or even better – numbers this summer. But the variables are out of her hands.
“Any outdoor recreation operation is so dependent on the weather,” she said. But so far, the signs are good. “It looks like it might be a nice hot summer. Hopefully the people will come.”
While the attendance affects the revenue end of the pool operation, the expenses don’t vary much with the number of patrons, Otley explained.
“We have to be staffed a certain way regardless of whether we have 20 people or if we’re packed.”
Shallow water park area for younger swimmers.
This is the first in many years that the pool won’t have to close down after Memorial Day because lifeguards and swimmers are still in school. “This year when we open, we can stay open,” Otley said.
When the new aquatic center first opened, the newness attracted a lot of swimmers. Now in its third year, the department is planning to use Facebook more for marketing, and the crew at the pool is looking for ways to draw in more patrons.
“We’re looking forward to a good year,” Otley said.
