Work is underway to ready the Oil City municipal swimming pool for the summer season.
There is a missing part, though, to the pre-opening efforts.
“I need lifeguards,” said Jason Herman, director of the city’s water department.
The roster at the pool typically numbers about 20 lifeguards who have certified lifeguard qualifications. Not all the positions have been filled, said Herman.
“We still have room for eight to 10 lifeguards,” he said. “And we raised the rates, too, to $8.25 an hour. That’s 50 cents higher than last year.”
While the city has signed up half-a-dozen young people to staff the concession stand at the pool, additional applications are being accepted for those slots, too. Herman said that is being done “just in case we end up with not enough.”
Applications for both jobs are available at city hall.
The pool hours will remain unchanged from last year. It will be open to the public from noon to 6 p.m. Mondays through Fridays, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturdays and 1 to 5 p.m. Sundays. Admission prices and season passes, too, will be the same as 2018.
Gene Hargenrader will return as pool manager.
Another summer program
City playgrounds are also being prepared for the YWCA-Samuel Justus summer playground program.
Now in its 41st year, the program will begin June 10 and continue through July 19. It is open to all city youngsters and is staffed by college students.
The 9 a.m. to noon playground programs will be held Monday through Friday with several night activities scheduled.
The participating playgrounds are Hasson Park, Land of Laughter on Harriott Avenue, East End and Innis Street. Arts, crafts, contests and sporting events are featured at the playgrounds.
Evan Basham, a city teacher, is the program coordinator. Basham told city council earlier this spring that the playground program has been extended one week this summer because of high attendance last year.
