May 21, 2024
By: Dwayne Page
After two years, the Smithville Municipal Swimming Pool is about to re-open
Memorial Day, Monday May 27 is the targeted opening day.
According to manager Jeania Cawthorn, the pool will be open this year an hour earlier weekdays than in the past. The new hours are Monday through Saturday from 10 a.m. until 5 p.m. and Sunday from 1-5 p.m.
This year’s admission is $5.00 per person but children aged 4 and younger will get in free. Groups can also book pool parties
Report Card Day is set for Friday, May 31.
“Every child of school age who lives in DeKalb County will be admitted to the pool free on Friday, May 31. Youngsters aged 13 and younger must have supervision. For those not familiar with the meaning of Report Card Day, it’s a free swim day for kids but they do not have to bring their report card or any form of identification. The pool capacity inside the gate is 267,” she said.
The pool was closed last summer due to the lack of lifeguards and although the pool is not overrun with lifeguards this year, there are enough to open and operate.
“When the city raised the wages for lifeguards to $15 per hour that caught a lot of attention,” said Cawthorn. “We started off the summer with 23 lifeguards signed up but are already down to 17 and three of them are still taking their certification classes. If they don’t pass, we’re down to 14 but as long as we have at least 8 lifeguards a day we can operate. Our shifts are 4-5 hours a day and we use 4 lifeguards per shift. That’s why we need 8 lifeguards per day. I want to thank the lifeguards who have stepped up this year and for the extreme training they have done. They work hard,” Cawthorn said.
“Once our lifeguards get their training we begin training as a group. We have some lifeguards from last year. Some certified in Cookeville, Murfreesboro, and McMinnville but we all come together as a team so we know the needs of each other and can put our emergency action plan in place. They started training in the water here at the pool Monday. As we finish up with the chemicals daily, the lifeguards train in order to be ready by next Monday when we open,” said Cawthorn.
Over the winter, the city allocated $100,000 for repairs and rehabilitation of the pool. A Cut Above Outdoors, LLC in Cookeville was contracted by the city to do the repairs for $95,700.
Cawthorn said the pool is much improved and looks great.
“They have added new tile all the way around. It was an old busted up white but now its shiny new blue all the way around. We had some concrete not in very good shape. They took that out and replaced it. New lights have been installed all the way around. They look neat at night. The whole outside of the pool has been resurfaced, painted, and cleaned up. The lifeguards’ chairs have also been redone with a fresh coat of paint,” said Cawthorn.