KAMSACK — “The pool has a new manager, new assistant manager, lot’s of new staff, new slide, new rates, everything is new this year,” said Fitz Shaw, director of Recreation and Community Development at the Town of Kamsack.
Jori Zaporosky, pool manager, said “We’re really excited to put the slide up.” The slide was paid for by a grant from Affinity Credit Union.
The pool opened on June 13. Swimming lessons started on Monday, June 15. Pool hours are Sunday to Thursday 1 to 3 p.m., then 4 to 7 p.m. and extended hours on Friday and Saturday, 1 to 4 p.m. and 5 to 8 pm.
“There’s been a big request from the community to have the pool open a little later,” explained Shaw, “so we’re experimenting this year with later hours on Fridays and Saturdays to begin with and if that goes well, we’ll consider extending the hours later on other days”.
“This year we have reduced the prices to get more of the community, we made a flat rate of $5 for everybody,” said Zaporosky. “Last year it was $25 for a family, this year its $20, we also reduced the season’s passes significantly this year”.
“Our goal is just to get more of the community to come in and swim. We’re in talks of getting some programming done,” she noted, “like a crafts day or a themed swim.”
The process of getting the pool swim ready for the summer involves draining it completely, then workers from the Town pressure wash it. After that, the pool staff come in and “we start filling, and balance all the chemicals and make everything look pretty and nice,” said Zaporosky. Staff do pool tests every three hours to check the chlorine and pH levels.
Working with Zaporosky is Emma Werle, assistant pool manager. The lifeguards for the pool this year are: Keri Lindsay, Shelley Gunn, Eden Rushton, Anna Bulych, Clark Culham, Alaina Fesik, Taya Leis, Keauna Heimbecker, Olyvia Heimbecker. Lindsay, Gunn and Rushton are also swim instructors.
