Scott Swanson
Of The New Era
In an effort to increase community participation, Sweet Home Community Pool is taking things to a new level.
This week a rope swing is being installed, with plans to have it ready in time for the community open swim session at 7 p.m. Friday, Feb. 23.
Aquatic Director Andrew Schmidt said he’s hoping the 18-foot swing will increase the opportunities for entertainment the pool offers and bring swimmers in to have fun.
“It will increase the enjoyment of patrons and increase their participation,” he said.
Plans for the rope swing, which will hang from a beam above the middle of the pool, has been checked by an engineer and will meet health regulations, Schmidt said. The swing is costing $1,500, he said.
Schmidt, who came to Sweet Home with a background in swimming and apartment management, said he wants to boost use of the pool by adults.
“Normally, we’ve had a lot of younger patrons who like the pool,” he said. “We’re just trying to get more people out to the pool. We’re actually really surprised at the low participation rate.”
Schmidt said he’s become aware, since taking over the pool management last summer, that “many” people in the area are not aware there’s an indoor pool in Sweet Home. The Sweet Home pool, which cost $29,000 and was built largely with funds raised through the Frontier Days Festival, was completed in 1952.
Schmidt said awareness of the facility has increased with the number of programs and training sessions based at the pool, such as Oregon State Marine Board boating certification classes, American Red Cross lifesaving and water safety classes, and water aerobics classes. He said he plans to work with private groups, such as the Boy Scouts, to get them involved in pool activities as well.
He has also introduced some new birthday packages that allow people to hold parties at the pool. They range from a basic group pool party for $30 an hour to a package that includes two large pizzas, a cake and gifts for participants, which costs $65.
The pool parties are growing in popularity, he said.
“I focus a lot on programming,” Schmidt said. He teaches classes “all day long” in swimming and water safety, to a wide variety of grades, which is increasing the use of the pool, he said.
“Many people are impressed with the fact that this school district, this community is able to support an indoor pool,” Schmidt said.
He has already installed fans above the bleachers to reduce humidity for spectators at pool events, and has increased the toys and exercise equipment on the pool deck to make them more convenient for pool users, and has done “a lot” of maintenance work and painting around the facility.
Schmidt is interested in making more improvements, he said, including possibly replacing the 1-meter diving board that was removed about 20 years ago, installing a small water slide, putting in windows to allow more natural light, putting showers on deck and improving drainage on the deck, and installing a hot tub, which, he said, is “one of the biggest interests right now. Frankly, the pool is kind of cold.”
The cost of installing a diving board, if all the necessary structural equipment needed to be purchased, would be between $6,000 and $10,000, he said, and the installation may require removal of some bleachers.
“All pools are like human beings — they all have quirks and problems,” Schmidt said. “This pool, bar none, is one of the most complex facilities I’ve worked at, not the amenities, but the number of programs run through the pool. It was built over 50 years ago, it’s supported with community funds. It’s very unique.”
And he wants the public to use it.
General admission cost for the pool is $2 for students 17 and under, and $2.50 for adults to age 65.
Friday’s open swim will be from 7 to 9 p.m.
“People joke that the lifeguards are babysitters, but in reality it’s one of the best supervisions for kids you can get,” he said. “Two hours of fun times for kids, supervised by professional lifeguards. I can’t get a babysitter for that.”
For more information about the pool and its programs, contact Schmidt at 367-7169 or e-mail him at [email protected].