Hot Fun in the Summertime
Swimming, exercises, sailing lessons take advantage of pool repairs
STORY AND PHOTOS BY DAN PARKER SOUTH JETTY REPORTER

Paddle race Ten-year-old Port Aransan Kristen Mouton, foreground, and Jeanna Vetrone, 9, of Magnolia, compete in a paddle race on Saturday, June 16.

Freshly refurbished, the Port Aransas Community Pool is splishing and splashing with activity as the sun heats up this summer.

The pool is hosting everything from swimming lessons to surfboard paddling races.

"I think we've got one of the best facilities in the area, and I credit that to the staff," said Gary Mysorski, director of the Port Aransas Parks and Recreation Department - the agency that runs the pool. "We do a good job of taking care of it. The pool looks very good. The water is clean, and the guards are on duty and alert."

A few facts and figures:

- The pool opened in May 1999.

- The pool covers 6,500 square feet and holds 200,000 gallons of water.

- Last year, the pool attracted 13,142 visitors during the warm-weather months, from April 1 to Sept. 30.

- Eight to 10 lifeguards and swim instructors are on duty most mornings. Five or six lifeguards generally are on duty during the afternoons.

Making a splash Several children compete (above) to see who can make the biggest splash - one of several activities in a "water wackiness" event organized at the pool by the Port Aransas Parks and Recreation Department on Saturday, June 16. The next one is scheduled for July 7.

- Admission is free for children under 2; $1 for youths 2 to 18; $2 for adults 19 to 59; and $1 for adults 60 years and older. Six-month passes and summer passes may also be purchased.

The pool closed April 2 for refurbishing and re-opened in late May. Costing about $98,000, the work included resurfacing the concrete around the pool; re-plastering the pool's interior; installing new tile and adding larger grates.

The pool's diving board was removed and won't be replaced, due to new state regulations on how a pool's dimensions relate to a diving board's dimensions.

Two slides were removed because they had deteriorated. Mysorski said he plans to replace the slides but that it won't happen this year because the money isn't in the budget.

Glub, glub … Below left, Carl Schiele of Port Aransas swims laps at the pool. Below, wading through the pool, Parks and Recreation Department Director Gary Mysorski and lifeguard Bobbie Edwards give a sailing lesson to Andrew Garrett, 11, and Cole Longanecker, 10, both of Port Aransas, in the boat at left; and, in the other boat, Ryanna Garcia, 10, of Rockport, and Payne Kloc- Edwards, 10, of Port Aransas. Bottom, Four-year-old Pablito Snow of Port Aransas poses for a photo under water.

The big, colorful buckets that hang at the top of a tall pole and intermittently dump water on swimmers below were removed to make room for the refurbishing work. Also removed for the same reason was a large, mushroom shaped structure that rains water into the pool. Both structures were re-installed this month.

The Parks and Recreation Department is holding a number of special activities for children and adults this summer. Events have included surfboard paddle races and even sailing instruction on small boats. For details on what's coming up, call the pool at 749-2416 or see the pool's section of the City of Port Aransas Web site, http://www.cityofportaransas.org/ Swimming_Pool.cfm
POOL HOURS
- Open Swim is held Tuesday
through Sunday, 1 p.m.
to 6 p.m.
- Lap Swim is Tuesday
through Friday. The pool is
restricted to lap swims only
from 7 a.m. to 8 a.m. and
noon to 1 p.m. Shared time
between lap swimming and
other activities is 1 p.m. to 6
p.m.
- On Saturdays and Sundays,
the pool is restricted to
lap swimming from noon to
1 p.m. Shared time is 1 p.m.
to 6 p.m.
- Water exercise classes
are 8:15 a.m. to 9:15 a.m.
and 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesday
through Friday. Cost is
$1.50 per visit.
- Family swim time is 7 p.m.
to 8:30 p.m. Fridays.
- Youth swim lessons are
available this summer, but
classes are filling fast. For
information, call the pool at
749-2416.

Colorful lifeguard Colorfully sunblocked Clay Hagedorn is one of about a dozen lifeguards who work at the pool.