It takes two to plug the fountain’s lower holes and force water out the top and onto a friend.
By Jonathan Dwyer
Chair, Parks and Recreation Committee
On Labor Day, Lincoln’s Codman Pool closed on a high note until next summer. The weather was warm and humid, and the pool was a popular place to be. Stacey Mulroy, Assistant Parks and Recreation Director and pool director, noted that the crowd enjoying a last dip in the pool was the biggest of the year, even bigger than the July 4-5 crowd. In recent years, the temperature was cooler and people came for a last dip and quickly left. This year, many stayed until the last tick of time.
“We’re trying to extend summer as long as we can!” said DeAnna Mori. Apparently so was her daughter, still playing with the fountain in the new wading pool with friends.
The original wading pool was replaced when it was discovered that the leaking underground pipes could not be replaced without removing the existing pool and decking, triggering an opportunity to replace the pool with one that complies with current safety and accessibility codes. [Editor’s note: see the Lincoln Squirrel, March 15, 2013]. Mulroy explained that the new pool has been very popular with two- to eight-year-olds and is designed for accessibility with a “zero-entry” section that slopes from deck level to water level and downward to its deepest point, allowing people to easily wade into the pool.
Children seem to find a depth where they feel comfortable. Toddlers tend to stay in the shallowest area, where there are some water sprays to play with. Older kids move toward the “deep” end, where the depth is 1.5 feet and the seven-foot-tall fountain awaits.
“It’s safer,” Mulroy said. “Toddlers aren’t stumbling into 12 inches of water, and everyone can play without bumping into each other. It’s been so popular that we have added a lifeguard to this location.”
Although the pool project cost $146,000, Lincoln only paid $87,600 because the state gave the town $58,400 via the Community Preservation Act (CPA). The CPA is a program for funding certain projects related to recreation facilities, historic preservation, affordable housing, and open space in participating towns. This project was paid for with the town’s CPA fund, of which about 40 percent was contributed by the state and 60 percent via our CPA property tax surcharge approved by town vote in 2002.
Before I became a member of the Parks & Recreation Committee, I saw the Codman Pool facility as a big contributor to the town’s culture. Kids learn the life-saving skill of swimming here. They enjoy their first degrees of freedom, are they’re able to come to the pool without an adult when they are 11 years old and can swim. Adults watch these kids interact, grow up and leave for college.
Stacey does a wonderful job as pool supervisor in helping this culture along. She’s excellent at forming relationships with people of all ages—the disappointed six-year-old who fails a swim test, the 25 teenagers on staff, and the miffed adult who didn’t hear the thunder that forced a temporary closure of the pool. She relates well to quite a spectrum of people, like many other town employees and residents who make this a great place to live.
Spending a few hours with the cheerful staff at the well-used community pool on a hot Labor Day was a good way to end the season. The pool is scheduled to reopen in June, we hope to see you there.