3 days ago
Sunny skies, high temps attract children to the area's few swimming pools
Children of all ages splashed in the pool Tuesday afternoon as the thermometer broke 80 degrees.
The swimming pool at Heise Park in Galion had nearly 200 guests within the first hour of the day, according to Emily Ball, one of the pool's managers.
"For hot days, that's pretty normal," Ball said.
The pool's season began Monday after cool weather pushed it back, said Cindy Bays, director of operations for the Galion YMCA.
"The temperature needs to be 71 to open, so we got delayed," Bays said. "We had 169 people yesterday, so it wasn't bad."
With a forecast into the 80s on Wednesday and then the high 70s for the foreseeable future, pool staff expect their summer rush has arrived.
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Galion's swimming hole is one of only a few community pools in the area to be open this summer.
"We are very fortunate that the city basically funds it and we manage it," Bays said. "We enjoy managing it and running it."
Mansfield and Crestline lost their pools to disrepair in recent years, and Shelby's pool is closed so that a leak can be fixed sometime this summer.
With no community pools open in Richland County, residents can either drive west to pools in Galion and Bucyrus or east to Ashland.
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Galion's pool is popular for its giant waterslide, diving board, kiddie pool, splash features and snack bar.
"We have more attractions than some surrounding pools do," Ball said. "Especially the slide. A lot of kids really like that."
The pool at Heise Park in Galion is open 1 p.m. to 7 p.m. Monday-Friday and 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.
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Admission is $1 for children 5 and younger, $3 for children 6-17, $4 for adults 18-54 and $3 for anyone 55 and older. Anyone visiting to supervise children can enter for $1.
Season passes are available as well.
Resident season passes are $42.50 for children 5 and younger, $50 for children 6-17, $70 for adults and $110 for families.
For those who live outside Galion, season passes are $85 for children 5 and younger, $100 for children 6-17, $140 for adults and $175 for families.
The pool is available for rent during select times outside of normal business hours.
One-hour rentals on weekdays are $140, two hours on a weekend are $210 and three hours on a weekend are $275.
"It's rented nearly every weekend," Bays said. "Then, randomly, we have a couple during the week."
The pool will be open every day until Aug. 10, weather permitting.
To learn more about the pool, call the Galion YMCA at 419-468-7754.
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419-564-3508
This article originally appeared on Mansfield News Journal: Temps in the 80s send children to the few area pools open this year
