WAUSA – The 2024 season has gone swimmingly so far for the Wausa Municipal Swimming Pool since its delayed opening day.
That is according to facility manager Dawn Baue, who was happy to see people enjoying the water during a hot and humid summer day on June 24, with temperatures in the upper 90s.
“Things have been going really good,” Baue said. “The pool’s been good. The kids have been coming down. It’s been a good year so far.
“It’s so much fun to see all these kids here,” she said. “This is why I do this. I love having kids here. It’s a lot of fun.”
Group swimming lessons were held June 10-14 each morning, thanks again to a grant from the Wausa Community Foundation Fund. All Wausa children again received free group swimming lessons.
“Swimming lessons went really well,” Baue said. “I believe we had 65 kids in swimming lessons. We had just a couple from out of town, with the majority from Wausa.”
Temperatures in the upper 70s on May 29 warmed up the water enough for the swimming pool to open up for the season that day.
However, the facility’s original opening day for the season had been scheduled for May 25, in time for the three-day Memorial Day weekend.
That did not happen because the swimming pool’s heater needed a new heat sensor.
“We did open without the heater,” Baue said, recalling the temperature of the water was in the upper 60s at that time. “We had swimmers. It was a little chilly that day, but that was OK.
“We decided to try it,” she said. “We had a lot of phone calls and kids asking. I thought, ‘Let’s try it.’ And they came and, you know what, it wasn’t too bad. It made us think of back in the years when we didn’t have a heater.”
Once the unit’s new heat sensor came two days after the swimming pool opened, then the facility’s numbers increased a lot.
The regular open hours for the facility are 1-5 p.m. and 6-8 p.m. Monday-Friday, as well as 1-6 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.
Adult-only swimming is available daily from 12:30-1 p.m. before the swimming pool opens, though the evening time will change to 5:30-6 p.m. Monday-Friday starting on July 8 and continuing through the end of the season.
Water aerobics are set to start sometime in July, as well. In addition to Baue, the facility has on its staff the following: Assistant managers Tyler Baue, Amy Johnson and Addison Smith; returning lifeguards Olivia Barta, Colton Baue, Jayden Gillilan, Braydon Hoesing, Holly Johnson and Kendall Story; and new lifeguards Taylor Dawson, Rogan Hoesing, Gaven Nipp, Avery Stevens, Tate Stolpe and Lexi Wright.
“It’s nice having that many because they are so active in school and with vacations that we can still keep a full staff,” Dawn Baue said. “They’re a good group to work with. I’ve enjoyed it.”
She noted this year marks the highest number of lifeguards she has ever had on her staff while she has been the facility’s manager.
“When we had our old pool years ago, I think we maybe hired seven or six because we only guarded with three to four guards at a time – that was it,” Baue said. “Now we have to have five guards – four on duty and one in the office. We have to have five here every day.”
The swimming pool, which holds about 200,000 gallons of water, is set to host a fun night event toward the start of August before the facility closes for the year.
The last day of the season for the swimming pool is scheduled for Aug. 7, right before the 2024 Knox County Fair, set for Aug. 8-11 in Bloomfield.
“With kids going to college and sports starting, that’s what we usually do,” Baue said.
People are encouraged to follow the facility’s Facebook page for updates throughout the rest of the season.
