As the swimming season comes to a close, things are looking good at the Jones Aquatic Center.
Emporia Recreation Commission Aquatics Director Mike Lynch said on Friday that the summer has gone well.
“We’ve had a lot more people coming out than we had last summer,” he said.
The pool closes Sunday, and Lynch said he’s hoping for a good turnout that day.
For the first four weeks of this summer, from May 26 through June 23, the aquatic center averaged about 600 adults per week and close to 1,000 youths.
“After week five, things really picked up,” Lynch said. “On the first of August we had almost 900 people in one day.”
Lynch said the center is looking at about double the numbers of last year.
Agreeable weather is one reason for the higher attendance rates.
“The weather’s been cooperative this year,” Lynch said. “We’ve had some really nice days.”
Another incentive for people to head out to the aquatic center is the idea of free swimming courtesy of Clint Bowyer. From July 27 on, the aquatic center has offered free admission for children 16 and under, and for adults accompanying kids under 6.
“It started out being just one adult got in free with kids under six, but then it just sort of turned into any adult with kids,” Lynch said.
From July 27 through Aug. 7, 3,268 children 16 and under swam for free. The number for adults with kids under six was 1,082.
The lowest number of children under 16 in attendance was on July 28, with 29 kids swimming for free and four adults. The high temperature on July 28 was 78 degrees.
Aug. 1 — when the temperature hit 93 — saw the highest number of attendees in one day, with 507 children under 16 swimming for free and 177 adults.
“We’re really happy with the season overall, we’ve got a great staff, they did a good job,” Lynch said. “And we’re glad to have Clint Bowyer’s help. He’s really helped get people out here to see the place.”
paulkersey (anonymous) says...
It sure was nice of Clint Bowyer to bail out the aquatic center. Then again, it sure was nice of the city to put the thing where NO KID AT ALL can get to it without a car. Of course you are having record attendance, its free!
August 9, 2008 at 10:23 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
nks (anonymous) says...
I am still trying to figure out why they thought this was the "prime" area for a aquatic park. It is too far away to travel to except for the NW area residents. I bet Wal Mart has seen a surge of backyard pool sales over the past few years.
All I know is that we also paid prime rate for a couple acres of cow sh*t.
August 9, 2008 at 10:50 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
dhcc66 (anonymous) says...
come on guys, it's only 5 miles from anywhere in town to the pool at the most. most of the kids here in town have cars or access to a ride out there. now then, the pool may have been more conventient when it was in peter pan park for those kids in the surrounding neighborhoods, but then everybody else had to drive down there to get to a small out of date pool that seemed to attract nothing but trouble half the time.
from what i hear, the city considered a lot of other locations including Jones Park and Peter Pan Park and where it ended up was the only place large enough.
now, if you want to try the argument about "it's too hard to get to". try going to the mall to see a movie after 5pm on the weekends. all of those kids seem to be able to get to the mall to hang out most of the night, with or without rides.
August 9, 2008 at 11:47 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
nks (anonymous) says...
I think you forget that one of the main reasons for the location so people would flock off the turnpike to visit the pool. How much were these other locations exactly "considered"? If you live close to the bypass or on the North side it is only a 10 minute drive. The other half of the town is looking at 15-20 minutes one way.
I also have an issue because of the "ocean view" price we had to pay for a feed lot.
August 9, 2008 at 12:24 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
dhcc66 (anonymous) says...
so it was better when the citizens from the northeast and northwest parts of town had to drive 15 to 20 minutes? if you have ever lived outside of our small (yes i said small) town you might find that a 15 to 20 minute drive is about average to get to things that are CONVENIENT to most.
again, why do we have to have a pool that is located in the "far south" part of town? i would guess that those who complain live there.
the cost issue is so far past that you might as well forget it. should have complained about that years ago when it was an issue.
August 9, 2008 at 2:16 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
create (anonymous) says...
I agree with dhcc66's earlier post. Peter Pan swimming pool was a mess with regard to behavior problems. I enjoyed it in the early mornings for lap swimming; otherwise, during regular hours, most of the time there were teenage boys hanging on to the outside fence making lewd remarks to girls and challenging people to fights. I'm glad that place is gone.
August 9, 2008 at 3:02 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
nks (anonymous) says...
NO, it was not better when the pool was down at Peter Pan Park. Is it any better now, that it is on the outskirts of town and across the turnpike? It isnt convenient for any child to walk unless they live west of the high school.
Not to mention that it is not the safest place for our kids to walk or even ride a bike too.
I beleive there was plenty of complaining when we, the overtaxed people of Lyon Co were told what an acre of feed lot was worth to the powers that be. I believe we still have a right to complain considering we are currently still paying for it.
August 9, 2008 at 3:04 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Pollyanna (anonymous) says...
We go to the pool as much as we can afford. We were there twice during the Bowyer freebie. BTW, thanks Clint! I know when something is free people come out in droves, but it got a few of us talking. It was great to see so many people for once at the pool and it reminded me and several others that perhaps if the admission were a bit lower, attendance would rise. It was obvious that transportation was not an issue as there were hundreds there. For a family of 4, two kids and two adults, the price is about $14 for admission. I know for a fact we'd spend more time there if we could do it with a $10 instead of a $20!!
August 11, 2008 at 9:09 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Emporiafan (anonymous) says...
Still people are complaining about the location...we live in the NW side of town and I still have to drive my kids there....has anyone that is complaing ever looked into the L-CAT, I was only able to go to the pool a couple of times this summer but if memory serves correctly the L-CAT does stop there and many other places in town....it takes litterally less than 10 minutes to get anywhere in Emporia...we are lucky to have such a nice facility in our town! C'mon Emporians.....this place is not so bad!! THANKS CLINT for helping make the last two weeks of this ridiculously short summer fun for hundreds of our children!!
August 11, 2008 at 10:01 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
ratdog (anonymous) says...
Most of you people won't be happy until Clint Bowyer buys you your own private pool ......... Which is never! Be thankful your community has such a nice facility. Sounds like a lot of you figured out a way to get there when it was free......
August 11, 2008 at 10:46 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
kcfan (anonymous) says...
I live on the south side of town. I went to the aquatic center on Sunday as a last hoorah with my kids. I drove about 10minutes. I probably cold have gotten there faster if the bridge wasn’t out on Graphic Arts, but in life you deal with these types of things! My only complaint was that maybe the water was a little cold. I suppose that I could petition Mother Nature and get online and gripe about it, but it won’t change anything. The aquatic center is wonderful and the location is fine. I actually talked with a couple who were traveling with their granddaughter on their way back home to Oklahoma. They could not believe how nice out facility was and was amazed that it was free. Yes they actually got off the turnpike because they saw it as they were driving by. We explained to them why it was free on that particular day. Although they had no idea who Client Bowyer was, they were pretty amazed about our “local boy done good”. When we left them they said that were going to tell everyone back home about their great visit and the impromptu stop being one of the highlights of their trip. I don’t think tourism is ever a bad thing in a community. For some the location is GREAT! But as we all know you can please everyone all the time….
August 11, 2008 at 3:13 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
kcfan (anonymous) says...
I mean can't
August 11, 2008 at 3:14 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
chiefsfan (anonymous) says...
You people crack me up...I live in Denver and would love to be able to say "it takes 15-20 minutes to get somewhere"...try 45 minutes to an hour!! When I was in school in Emporia, I couldn't walk to Peter Pan because I happened to live in the northwest side, and if I wanted to go I had to find a ride. So what if you don't live near the new pool, if you want to go bad enough, you'll find a way. And believe me the cost is nothing!! We wanted to take our 2 children to a water park here in Denver on 4th of July and for a family of 4 it was going to cost close to $100. So quit your complaining and enjoy your town and the amenities you have!!
August 11, 2008 at 7:34 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
dhcc66 (anonymous) says...
wow nks, let it go. it's over and done with. write something like that the next time it comes up for discussion. oh, and if you look on your taxes, consider what you are paying for two new schools and two remodelled ones....now THERE is something to complain about!!
August 11, 2008 at 10:21 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Pollyanna (anonymous) says...
chiefsfan
I totally understand your points about the drive and expense in a metro area like Denver. My family also went to KC to Oceans of Fun and paid close to what you mentioned for our tickets to the water park. Jones Aquatic Center, however isn't in the same caliber of water park as something that would require a high ticket price. Basically it's our only local pool. I would just like to see admission drop a bit. Compared to Burlington pool which is very similar in layout and slides, the difference in cost is fairly substancial. Cost for admission at Burlington is $2 for everyone. Here it's $4.50 for an adult and $2.50 for a kid. I just think that when we see articles in the paper about the pool struggling financially and the debate about whether the city can afford to keep it open, we should consider ways to boost admission. We enjoy the aquatic center, location and all. I'm thankful we have it in our community and want to see it become profitable.
August 12, 2008 at 9:35 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )