Touchet Valley Pools Open Letter to the Editor

PRESCOTT- Summer vacation starts Friday for hundreds of kids in the Touchet Valley.

It will be a time filled with family outings, youth programs, sports camps and many other activities, but one summer pass time still is more popular in the valley than any other: swimming.

"Our swimming pool is extremely important," Dayton City Clerk Trina Cole said. "This is something the children look forward to."

Valley pools are even popular with families in Walla Walla, which no longer has a functional outdoor swimming facility.

Pools here have undergone some changes in the recent years, trying to keep their operations afloat if not less of a drain on tax payers' money.

After being closed for a summer, the Prescott pool is open again with a new funding approach. Dayton's pool has had extensive renovations for more than a year with three quarters of it done. And Waitsburg is cutting back its days and hours to "lose less money," as deputy city clerk Kelly Steinhoff puts it.

What follows is a roundup of what valley residents should expect at their favorite place to play and stay cool.

Prescott Opens June 10 Admission: $3-$4/day Hours: 1-5 pm & 6-9 p.m. M-Sun 509-849-2214

Grab your sunscreen and floaties and head on out to the Prescott public swimming pool for the season opener Friday, June 10, at 1:00 pm.

Pool supervisor Sara Tomalinson and her crew of lifeguards and volunteers have been working for several weeks to prepare the grounds for this year's reopening.

Maria "The flower lady" has been volunteering for the past eight years weeding and planting flowers that add just a touch of color. Local teens have been mowing and fighting weeds to earn themselves free summer swim passes, lifeguards have been filling in cracks, cleaning out drains, and painting the pool walls all to ensure that your swimming experience is everything you deserve.

Due to a lack of funds for the 2010 season the pool was not able to open and families were left looking for other options to beat the heat. The Board of Commissioners for the Prescott Parks and Recreation has now changed their funding strategy to an annual levy process that they hope will eliminate any future issues that may arise with the parks operation costs.

"We were advised from state attorneys that giving the public a chance to vote annually on the funding of the park would likely generate a more positive outcome," said board commissioner Doug Venn. "In the past it has been a twoyear levy. By changing that, it gives us the opportunity to be good stewards with the voters' money so that we can remain operating every year."

The Parks and Recreation Committee has also had students from Walla Walla Community College's turf and management courses evaluate the landscaping, while an engineering student from Walla Walla University collaborates with them on water usage and structural integrity. The students are able to use this in part of their studies and the public benefits from their knowledge and suggestions.

Tomalinson will head a group of 14 lifeguards this year.

"We have a large group to work with and I've certified all of these kids," Thomalinson said. "We plan on having a community barbeque and swim day in the beginning of the season and running a "Dive-in" on Saturday nights where we will have relaxed night swimming while showing a movie."

Venn said the board is pleased to have Tomalinson on board.

"We're very grateful to have Sara for this season," he said. "With her we have a strong foundation for a good program. She's been the pool supervisor at the YMCA and is involved with the Walla Walla swim club. She has great ideas for extra pool activities."

Whether you can barely tread water or will be the next Olympic hopeful, the staff will have a swim lesson to fit your needs. Monday through Friday's adult water aerobics and lap swims will be available to help sustain that swimsuit physique.

Young teens who need their life guard certificate for future employment, can get help from Thomalinson as well.

The shaded baby pool is a spot where parents can introduce toddlers to the aquatic world. The 12-foot diving area with springboard is a chance for divers to show it who's boss, and plunging down the water slide is bound to make you splash and shout.

The park has plenty of shade trees and picnic tables for an afternoon sun break and a wide assortment of playground equipment for all ages.

Open swim will be daily: 1-5 pm and 6-9 pm with admission for youths and seniors $3 and adults $4(18 and over). Children under five are free with a paying adult. For the ones who were born with fins instead of feet, you may purchase an individual season pass for $55 or a family pass for $110.

Schedules for swim lessons and activities will be available on the pool bulletin board. Questions can be answered by calling the pool at (509) 849-2214 or the office at (509) 849-2314.

The park is located on Highway 124 at B Street on the west end of town.

Waitsburg Opens June 13 Hours: 1-5 p.m. & 6-9 p.m., M-F Admission: $1.50/day 509-337-6371

If you're used to swimming laps or swimming on a Saturday, you'll see some changes at the Waitsburg pool.

City officials debated whether to cut back weekend hours or night swimming in an effort "to lose less money," deputy city clerk Kelly Steinhoff said.

"We lose a ton of money every year," she said. "But we also feel the pool is a great thing to have."

In the end, Saturday afternoon hours went by the wayside, closing the pool at a time when many families make weekend outings anyway.

Lap swim hours may also change. The city experiment for two weeks with the lap swim times from last year - noon - 1 p.m. and 5 - 6 p.m.

"If turnout is as low as it traditionally has been (up to three swimmers), then it (either lap swim schedule) will be canceled for the rest of the season," Steinhoff said.

At least 10 people need to show up for each time slot to keep the lap swim hours going. Even with those numbers, the city covers only half the cost of having a life guard on duty, she said.

The pool, which opens Monday, June 13, will function without an on-site manager this year, requiring users to come at city hall for season passes, swim lessons and rental arrangements - all handled by Steinhoff as the manager. It has a low dive and kiddy pool.

John Hockersmith, Sierra Henderson, Zac Brown and Taylor Moon have been hired as life guards , while Zac Alexenko will be doing the lessons.

Pool hours will be 1-5 p.m. and 6-8 p.m. Monday through Friday. Rates will stay the same at $1.50 per day; $40 for individual season pass and $75 for a family of up to five. For additional family members the extra charge will be $10 instead of last year's $5.

" The main goal is to make it affordable for everyone," Steinhoff said.

Dayton Opens: Friday, June 10 Hours: 1-5 p.m. & 6-8 p.m., M-Sat Admission: $1.50/day 509-382-2441

While the City of

Dayton has had to put a significant amount of money into swimming pool upgrades, council members haven't had the heart to increase admission fees. During a meeting last month, council members decided to decline a proposal from the city's Board of Parks Commissioners to raise rates by a third to $2 from the current $1.50 for daily entry.

They figure a swimming pool is a community asset they'll need to subsidize to a large extent for the foreseeable future. Pool passes have not been raised in six years.

Meanwhile, the city launched a $90,000 program to make improvements to the pool based on an engineering report that recommended upgrades to the heating system, concrete apron, pumps, flow meters, solar panels, filters, bathrooms and other aging portions of the facility.

The most visible change swimmers will notice is the new tile around the pool. They can continue to count on nice warm temperatures (78- 84 degrees) in June when the weather isn't yet warm enough to keep the water comfortable.

City clerk Trina Cole said the city is done with three quarters of the renovations.

The Dayton pool, which has a high dive, low dive and kiddy pool, is open six days a week. Monday through Saturday from 1-5 p.m. and 6-8 p.m. The facility is open on Sundays for rentals only. Lap swimmers can access the pool 7-8 a.m. on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, and 8 - 9 p.m. Monday through Friday.

Aquacize is Mondays through Fridays noon - 1 p.m. and 5 - 6 p.m.

Dear People Of Waitsburg:

F or the past few months, you have dealt with the trucks carrying wind tower components through your community to the Lower Snake River Project near Pomeroy.

It's challenging for us to safely move these loads on two-lane roads and through communities. Some of the trucks weigh more than 220,000 pounds and some measure more than 200 feet in length.

Although our first priority is to protect you and other motorists, we know that we may sometimes seem abrupt or inconsiderate. This is definitely not our intention, although we have to react quickly and assertively in order to protect people or property from being harmed by the oversized loads.

We want you to know that we understand the impact on your lives and schedules. We know that many of you are a lot like us, although you may not realize that many of us are like you.

We are moms and dads, grandmas and grandpas - even a great grandma. We understand that you have busy lives and that you need to get your children to and from ball practice or music lessons. We know that you have to get to work on time or to your doctor's appointment and we apologize for the inconveniences.

We hope that the frustration will be worthwhile when clean energy projects serve you and your families for many years to come. Thank you for your help and consideration. We sincerely appreciate it.

From the drivers and pilots from:

Anderson Trucking Turner Brothers Sentinel Pilot Services Linda's Pilot Services Utalla Pilots Herring Pilots