Free swimming at the Mount Pulaski Pool will be offered this weekend beginning Friday at 1 p.m. and ending 5 p.m. Sunday.

Be sure to register for a free pool pass!

Fred and Pat Lipp of Mount Pulaski generously donated two individual passes for this season. Please enter your name in the drawing this weekend.

Mount Pulaski Pool now open for business

[June 29, 2017]   MOUNT PULASKI - The Mount Pulaski Township Park District opened a new and improved pool at it’s old location on Belmont Street Tuesday afternoon and the kids and the adults in the community couldn’t be happier. Madison Hawk, daughter of Dan and Traci Hawk, was the first customer of the new pool, which opened to the public at 1 p.m.

Mount Pulaski had been without a public pool for two years, according to pool manager Ryan Deibert. The demolition of the old bath house took place last summer and construction of a brand new facility began this spring. Despite some delays in the past that were out of the control of the Mount Pulaski Park District, construction of the new facility went rather quickly this spring.

According to Mount Pulaski Park District President Derek Martin, “The life expectancy of this new pool should be another 25 to 30 years.” The outdoor pool right before this one lasted about 30 years as well. Prior to that pool, Mount Pulaski had boasted an indoor pool/skating rink facility known as the Tomlinson Recreation Center.

Martin has been excited about this new project for a couple years now and he appreciates the community pulling together to see this project through. “I would like to thank the community for all their support thru this whole project,” said Martin. “We have been working on this for 4-5 years and it has not been easy. This town has had a pool since the 50‘s except for just a few years. It is a staple of our community and it is great to see everyone pulling together to help and support having a swimming pool in Mount Pulaski for years to come.”

“The original pool is still there, we just did new plumbing and gutter work as well as put a new liner in it. The old kiddie pool was removed and replaced with a new one,” Martin added.

As customers walk up the new sidewalks to the brand new front desk of the bath house, the sparkling blue water from the new and improved pool inside quickly catches one’s eye at first glance. In fact, everything inside the new facility sparkles, from the new paint to the new lifeguards.

But that’s not all that’s new. The new pool also features steps at the north end going down into the pool and this new and improved pool is deeper. “It’s actually about two feet deeper than what it used to be in the deep end,” said Deibert. “It originally was about ten feet deep but now it’s twelve feet, five inches deep. They had to do some leveling out of things and that gave us a little bit more depth.” The big pool is three feet, five inches deep in the shallow end.

The new pool also features swimming lanes (black lines painted on the bottom of the pool) and throughout the week pool visitors can do lap swimming from 12 p.m. until 1 p.m. You must be 16 years or older to participate in lap swim.

There is also one new big diving board at the pool. The diving board has always been a favorite among children and adults. Let’s hear you say, “Cannonball!”

“All the plumbing is brand new to the pool,” Deibert continued. “We have a new filtration system and a new pump. So everything mechanically is new. The deck is new. The kiddie pool is completely brand new and it is on it’s own separate pump and plumbing system.” The kiddie pool features a ramp with a handrail for youngsters. At the deepest point the kiddie pool is one foot deep.

Deibert continued talking about the features of the new facility. “The building is brand new. We’ve got new lights, new pole lights and new fencing.” The building that houses the showers and bathrooms is also home to a new air-conditioned office for the staff as well as the ever-popular snack bar complete with picnic tables nearby.

All that is needed now is warmer weather to make swimming ideal. With the forecast of warmer temperatures (heat and humidity included) for this weekend and the Mount Pulaski Park District offering free swimming, there is no excuse not to visit the Mount Pulaski Pool.

A new generation of lifeguards awaits patrons, too. Those who grew up spending their summers at the pool are now certified and employed with the park district. The new lifeguards are Alexandra Beckers, Claire Coogan, Zac Drake, Zac Hinds, Brandon Kretzinger, Abbey Phillips, Jonathan Shehorn andDustin Murphy. Pool Manager Ryan Deibert is assisted by Brian Erlenbush.

The hours of the pool are:

Monday thru Saturday 1 p.m. until 8 p.m.

Sunday 1 p.m. until 5 p.m.

Lap Swim weekdays 12 p.m. until 1 p.m.

Swim Lessons will be the mornings of July 10-14 and July 17-21

Prices for this summer are as follows:

Daily Admission

Ages 3 and under - Free with a paying adult

Ages 4 and over - $4.00

Lap Swim - $3.00

Individual Season Pass - $75.00

Group Season Pass (up to 4 people) - $225.00

Swimming lessons - $35.00

Pool Party - $125.00 for 1-50 people for 2 hours

The pool phone number is 217-792-5248.

[Teena Lowery]