Palmer Community Pool Opens This Weekend

The is set for another summer.

With the pool opening for the season Saturday, township officials have gone through the usual off-season maintenance by sandblasting and painting it.

Over the past week, the pool -- which holds 380,000 gallons of water -- was filled.

"We're ready to go," said Dan McKinney, director of the Charles Chrin Community Center, which oversees the pool.

The pool opens from noon to 8 p.m. Saturday for the Memorial Day weekend and usually doesn't open weekdays until the conclusion of the year.

But this year, the school year ends June 7, two weeks earlier than usual because of a lack of snow days from a mild winter. So officials need to get ready for the onslaught of poolgoers who should start arriving on June 8.

"That's very odd," McKinney said. "Things happen here very quickly. And the pool is a big part of it."

McKinney said that Camp Palmer opens June 11 and children go to the pool three days a week.

The recreation department will also hold its second year of Family Nights and Movie Nights at the pool.

Family Nights are scheduled this year on July 13 and July 27. The pool stays open until 11 p.m. and a DJ plays music. Two Movie Nights are also slated for  June 29 and July 20.

During the week, the gate cost is $6.50 for adults and $5 for children. A family membership is $145. The pool usually has between 650 and 700 family memberships each season.

"The pool has been going for a long time," McKinney said. "It's a great deal for the whole family for the whole year."

For a schedule of 2012 pool fees, visit: http://palmercommunitycenter.org/newDesign/UntitledFrameset-51.html

Palmer Township Supervisors Chairman Dave Colver said the pool, which opened in 1965, is "a great asset to the community."

"We got it from the Palmer Township Lions Club," Colver said. "We've been able to operate it and pretty much break even each year."

Colver said it costs between $120,000 and $130,000 for the pool each year in terms of maintenance and paying the salaries of the 38 teenagers, 10 adults and 17 lifeguards who work there.

Colver said that since the pool is aging, the township is looking at options to make some upgrades.

"We'd love to expand the water features," he said. "We just don't have the funds."