The Paw recently did a Q&A interview with Town Clerk Amy Roberts about the pool at Stanback Park and the need to hire lifeguards this summer. Here it is:
What year did the pool originally open?
Amy: The pool opened in the mid-60s. It was dedicated to Dr. George H. Armstrong, the family doctor in town, in 1977.
We remember the pool being closed in summer 2020 because of COVID and last summer because of the lack of lifeguards. Is that correct? Had it ever been closed for an entire season before 2020?
Amy: The pool was closed in 2020 because of COVID and the governor’s order. When Memorial Day 2021 rolled around we were still under the governor’s order and were unsure as to when we could open. Because kids had spent so much time doing virtual learning at home, once they went back to the classroom the school system extended summer school through the end of July. Because of this, a lot of the children that would have attended the park program and the pool would be in school through the summer. This also made it really hard to find lifeguards that late in the summer when they would only be able to work a month before going back to school. Most of the lifeguards who had been working with us were going to also have to get recertified and it was hard to find a lifesaving program that was actually up and running because of COVID.
How many lifeguards do you need to open?
Amy: Two per day plus a director or supervisor. Ideally, we would like to have at least 10 lifeguards that would also serve as park program counselors.
Are there any other public pools nearby? In other words, why is the Mt. Gilead pool important? Does anyone keep track of how many people use it?
Amy: Troy and Biscoe both have public pools. We have a daily attendance record of the pool. It is usually between 20 to 25 kids daily but our goal is to attract more kids/families this summer with special events and activities at the pool. We hope to have Church Night, First Responder Night and several special events throughout the summer, yet to be determined.
Will the town pay for an applicant’s lifeguard certification?
Amy: Yes, the town plans to pay for the lifeguard certification of each lifeguard.
What’s the pay?
Amy: It depends on experience – yet to be determined.
What role does the pool play in the town’s famous summer park program?
Amy: The park program is daily, Monday-Friday, from 8 a.m. to noon, and one of the daily activities for these kids is time in the pool. The park program counselors are also lifeguards and help children learn to swim and get used to water.
Additional information, via Amy: We hope to also offer swim lessons and maybe water aerobics. Cost to swim is $3 per day. We offer family pool membership deals for the whole summer for a cost savings and you can also reserve the pool after hours for birthday parties and special occasions.