If Temps Are High, Pools Should be Open
With the mercury moving toward 105 degrees today, I’m wondering why the Highland Park Swimming Pool and University Park’s Holmes Aquatic Center need to stick with the traditional lock-the-doors-on-Labor-Day schedule. As long as the conditions are optimal for swimming, the pools should stay open on weekends. You telling me the teenage lifeguards wouldn’t want to keep pulling in money for Saturday shifts, even with school back in session?
Well, first of all, the city doesn’t know what the temperatures are going to be in time to line up lifeguards. Also, it is supposed to be in the 80’s this weekend. And, the teenage lifeguards are likely now involved in school sports and other committments on the weekends.
Great idea. Taxpayers have already paid for this asset, why not get full use of it? There are several weeks if not months in Spring and fall that it could be used. How about some adult only times when kids are in school?
I’ve often wondered the same thing. I’d sure be there this weekend if they were open.
There were some years when the DCC pool was open on September weekends, weather permitting. It only makes sense, if staff is available.
Lap swimming for adults only for a few weeks at this point after signing liability wavers would be a fantastic situation.
I couldn’t agree more. Silly to close them down.
Have to agree. This is Texas. Plenty of swimming weather in all but the coldest couple of months, really. Maybe you’d have to find lifeguards elsewhere than the school system, but why not SMU students, or just some plain ol’ adults? Seems silly for such a fantastic facility to sit wholly unused 75% of each and every year.
That is why I love Town North Y. Their outdoor pool and splashground are open until mid-October.
I think the first thing you need to find is the money to pay the lifeguards and other staff needed to keep the pool open.
Here’s an idea that solves two problems at the same time. Let’s have the Park Cities YMCA build their new facility at Curtis Park and include the UP Pool as part of their facility. The site is way larger than the current Y site and there are fewer houses nearby since UP Elem is across the street. That way it could stay open nearly year-round and the Y would have a real outdoor pool instead of the glorified outdoor wading pool they have now. The current Y site could be turned into a baseball/softball field to replace the one at Curtis. Might cost a little more than the current plan, but just might work.
the pool cant stay open b/c it cant be staffed as all the lifeguards are back in school (high/college)