Pool sets early attendance record
The hot, dry summer has been a nightmare for area farmers.
But everything is a matter of perspective. The weather conditions have led to record-setting crowds at Gilley Pool.
McMinnville Parks and Recreation director Carlene Brown told city aldermen on Tuesday that over 17,000 swimmers have already visited the pool this year. Included in that count is 1,009 visitors to the pool in one day.
‘We’ve found the two ingredients needed for a pool are a pump and good weather,’ said Brown, referring to a broken pump that delayed the opening of the pool one week. ‘We’ve had some great sun-shining weather.’
Brown said attendance has been record setting for the first 28 days of pool operation. Pool attendance for a full season is usually in the low 40,000 range, she said.
‘It’s amazing how many groups are coming to our pool, and how many of those are out-of-town groups,’ said Brown. ‘The popularity of Gilley Pool has really spread to other communities. Looking to the future we can see how an indoor pool will be a good thing. We can see how many people use our outdoor pool.’
As for the pump problem which delayed swim season for a week, Brown said the temporary parts used to fix the pump are working well. She said the plan is to evaluate the temporary parts at the end of the year to determine if they can be used for another year.
‘The clarity of the water has been good, even on the day we had 1,000 people in there,’ said Brown.