The Crookston Community Pool is working on some updates, including the installation of new water fountains, pricing out new showers, and possibly utilizing the former tanning space outside for birthday parties and an outdoor seating area during the warm months. Pool manager Cody Brekken said they will be offering new and updated programming this spring, including spring swim lessons, the return of evening aqua exercise, and a swim wellness program.
Pool Manager Cody Brekken said there had been an interest in having aqua exercise available in the evenings and beginning January 14, there will be aqua exercise Tuesday and Thursday nights. “We have a lady that is interested in bringing our evening aqua exercise back,” said Brekken. “That’s exciting, a popular one, and I have a crew that always wants to do that. Or if you are adult and want to do some lap swimming in the evenings rather than in the mornings, that’s 7:00 to 8:00 p.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays starting on January 14. The big thing we are trying to latch down is a swim wellness coach. This would be similar to the CROCS program we used to have in the past. This would be for someone who is near completion or has completed the swim lessons program we run but still want to continue working on swimming, some advanced games, and home in their strokes.”
Brekken continued with how to register for the new program. “This would be any kid aged 7 to 18, running two days a week starting in mid-January,” said Brekken. “Not a lot of specifics yet as I’m meeting with a potential coach next week. Anybody that would be interested in a swim wellness program for their kids can send me an email at cbrekken@crookston.mn.us. I would need the parent’s name and phone number, the kid’s name, and the kid’s age. Then we’ll have more specifics coming out through Park and Rec with that next week.”
Youth swim lessons have also been added to the schedule and will take place for the first two weeks in March. “We’ll do another session The first two weeks of March,” said Brekken. “March 2 through March 12. That runs Monday through Thursday with afterschool time.” Three to five-year-olds lessons will be held from 4:30 to 5:00 p.m. The six-years old and older go from 5:15 to 6:15 p.m. Those are always really popular, so I’m excited to do those too.”
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The plan is for the pool to also get some additional upgrades, according to Brekken, beginning with new water fountains. “We’re excited to be getting some new water fountains soon,” said Brekken. “Those are much needed. We’ll get two standard-no refrigeration types next to the two locker rooms on the pool deck. Then in the main lobby area, we’ll get a compressor, water bottler filler type refrigerated drinking fountain at the facility which will be greatly appreciated and highly utilized for sure.”
Locker rooms are another area being looked at for upgrades, and Brekken said he is current pricing out options for new showers. “The first things in the locker rooms would be those shower stands that we currently have in there,” said Brekken. “Current ones are original to the building. H&N Quality Plumbing has lived in there in the past, trying to fix valves and little things in there. Even they are pretty fed up with those systems. So, just running some numbers and seeing what the cost of would be of doing something different in the shower area too.”
The final update being looked at currently is installing a glass door out to the patio and providing some picnic tables for birthday parties or for swimmers to take a break from the humidity of the pool during the summer. “There is that big blank deck space on the southeast side of the building that used to be a tanning space when they first built the building that has kind of gone away,” said Brekken. “We’re looking to hopefully, once the weather turns nice, run some numbers and get a bigger glass door on that wall with some seating out there. Especially during the summer months, when it gets humid in the building, it would be nice to have a little space. When we have birthday parties, if people want to have that outside on a nice day or in-between get out and sit out in the sun at some picnic tables outside, we’d have the option. Again, hopefully, some low-cost little upgrades here and there will help bring more people in.”
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