Sunny days ahead: BOPARC opens new Marilla Pool with 'first splash'

Dominion Post

23-05-2025

MORGANTOWN — Clouds are primarily composed of water — and yet they hate a pool party.
Everybody knows it.
But now they've gone too far.
In a truly pathetic display, they parked themselves over Morgantown on Thursday and sprinkled on BOPARC's First Splash at Marilla Pool event in upper Marilla Park.
But fall-like temperatures and the pitter-patter of petty raindrops was little match for the tropical tap-tap of the CB Studios Steel Drum Band, the rhythms of which built excitement as a pair of intrepid youths – Henry Lemasters and Connor Trumble – donned swim trunks and gave each of the facility's new water slides a test run in full view of a damp, adoring audience.
The festivities ended a year's long effort to replace the 65-year-old Marilla Pool in lower Marilla Park with what is essentially a mini-water park in its upper section.
'I am overwhelmed. I'm overwhelmed with the work that was done and all the folks who worked on this, either directly or by helping get it funded and working through the process,' BOPARC Executive Director Melissa Wiles said. 'I'm just overwhelmed and very happy that we have come to the point that we're going to be able to offer this beautiful facility to the community.
The project has been financed through BOPARC's portion of the city sales tax. It receives a quarter of the sales tax revenues received by the city – $2,522,673.63 in the fiscal year that ends June 30.
Wiles said BOPARC is probably a month away from the final invoices coming through, but she's confident the project will be delivered at or under the original $14 million estimate.
BOPARC President Danielle Trumble and member Jenny Selin are also members of Morgantown City Council.
Looking out over the new amenities, Trumble explained it wasn't long ago that BOPARC was before council, hat in hand, asking for a few thousand dollars to replace a liner in a retirement-age pool.
'It's been something to watch how a park system can be transformed with just a quarter of the sales tax. It's pretty remarkable. People get back what they put in as far as tax dollars go,' Selin added. 'To have the ability to have a sales tax and put it into action makes a huge difference for people's daily lives. All summer long, kids and families, young adults, older adults, people coming here for classes and exercise, they're going to love it. It's just a fabulous facility.'
And it's just the beginning.
A stone's throw from the pool complex, the finishing touches are being added to a new, 7,400-square-foot, $620,000 playground.
Down the road, the much-discussed improvements to the Morgantown Ice Arena are in progress and slated for an October completion.
Next month, a total reimagining of lower Marilla Park – including a new, centrally-located action / skate park in the former pool footprint – goes out for bid.
'Projects like this are an example of money well spent and a good use of taxpayer dollars. This is going to add enjoyment to the city of Morgantown and the quality of life of residents for decades,' Trumble said. 'And there are a lot of big projects coming down the pipeline. It's a great time to live in the city of Morgantown.'
But what about her son's decision to brave the elements in search of first-splash glory?
'He and [Henry] knew about this opening weeks before we learned the weather was going to be so bad. They're 11-year-old boys. There is no changing direction once they get their hearts set on something.'
According to Wiles, her 23 years in parks and recreation has taught her that there's less than coin-flip odds that West Virginia's Memorial Day weekend weather will chase crowds to the pool.
Even so, BOPARC's pools will be open Saturday, Sunday and Monday.
'We're not letting the weather dampen our mood,' she said. 'There's plenty of sunny days ahead.'
For more information, including admission rates, season passes and rental opportunities, check out boparc.org/pools.