City pool cuts back its hours

By AMY SATTERWHITE / Staff Reporter for the Southern Standard

Pool patrons take some of the edge from yesterday’s heat by cooling off at Gilley Pool. Beginning today, the pool will have limited hours during the week. (James Clark photo)

Now that school is back in session, hours at Gilley Pool have taken a dive.

Beginning today, the pool’s hours will be in the afternoons and weekends from 3:30 to 6:30 p.m. on weekdays, from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Saturdays, and from 1 to 6 p.m. on Sundays.

Civic Center officials had been trying to organize a class to train enough adult lifeguards in order to keep the pool open longer after area schools opened, but not enough people responded, wellness and aquatics manager Amanda Metcalf said. The pool closes Sept. 6.

City officials were impressed with the number of users last season, but exact attendance figures for this season were not available Tuesday.

Metcalf said use this year was less than last year due to poor weather early in the season.

“It was good,” she said of this season “The weather played into it a little bit and it’s been better in July,” she added.

To compensate for shorter hours, pool admission will cost $2 for city residents and $3 for county residents during the week.