116 3rd St SE
Cedar Rapids, Iowa 52401
Corridor pools opening for summer swims
Splash pads also ready for hot weather cool-downs
Diana Nollen
May. 27, 2023 5:00 am
Hoping to make a splash over the holiday weekend? Many Corridor pools are ready to open, with others opening for the summer in early June.
If you’re an outdoor pool fan, the water will be warm even if the air temps are cool.
“If the weather is below 60 degrees, we won't open for lap swim,” said Brian Ruffles, aquatics program supervisor for the City of Cedar Rapids. “If the weather is below 70 degrees, we typically don't open for open swim. That being said, if it's close and looks like it's going to warm up, we'll typically open the pool.”
Noelridge Aquatic Center in northeast Cedar Rapids is the first to take the plunge, opening for the holiday weekend today through Monday, then June 3 for the regular season through Sept. 4.
Cherry Hill Aquatic Center in northwest Cedar Rapids will open for the summer June 3.
Staggered openings still are in place for the other pools, a practice which began before the 2020 pandemic.
“A lot of it has to do with staff training,” Ruffles said. “It's really a four-week process to train our entire staff for all the outdoor pools. And with (student workers) not getting out of school until June, it just takes time.”
The good news is that with early recruiting and a bump in wages, “we’re fully staffed and ready to go,” said Tony Ireland, Cedar Rapids’ recreation superintendent.
The city’s aquatics program has just over 250 seasonal employees, mostly high school and college students, filling roles from lifeguards and cashiers to pool managers.
The hiring notice on the Parks and Recreation website lists starting wages as $15 per hour for lifeguards; $11.25 for cashiers and concession workers; $16 for water safety instructors; and $16.50 for pool managers and assistant managers.
While the hiring strategies helped, Ireland noted that word-of-mouth remains the department’s best marketing tool.
“If we’re able to retain our staff from year to year, that makes it a lot easier,” Ireland said. “If they have a good, positive experience beyond the monetary — obvious values of having a job — good work culture, good work environment, somewhere they can have fun, but still be able to have discipline in what they do — that's easy for us to retain.”
The numbers show 89 returning lifeguards out of 150, Ruffles noted.
Swimmers won’t see a lot of changes this year at the pools, but some schedules have been tweaked. Water exercise has been added at Ellis Pool, which opens June 10, in addition to what still is being offered at Bever and the indoor Bender pools.
A morning lap swim also is kicking off at Ellis, starting at 7 a.m. Monday through Friday.
“I’ve had a few conversations with water exercise patrons, and they all think it’s a good idea,” Ruffles said. “I’m excited for it, our instructors are excited for it. I sure hope people come out and enjoy the opportunity.”
Bender will remain open during the summer, with no planned maintenance closures this summer, in the wake of last August’s nearly monthlong shutdown.
C.R. splash pads
The city’s free splash pads also open today, offering another way to cool down in the week before all the pools open. The Twin Pines splash pad is closed until a needed repair part arrives, but the rest are up and running.
“It’s not too late to buy your pool passes,” Ireland added, noting they can be purchased at the pools, at the City Services Center, 500 15th Ave. SW, and at the Northwest Recreation Center, 1340 11th St. NW.
SCHEDULES
Cedar Rapids
Noelridge Aquatic Center: 1248 42nd St. NE; May 27 to 29: lap swim, 11:15 a.m. to 12:45 p.m. each day; open swim 1 to 6 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, 1 to 5 p.m. Monday; daily open swims begin June 3 to Sept. 4, with evening swims on Monday, Wednesday and Fridays; $6 or pass; hours vary
Cherry Hill Aquatic Center: 341 Stoney Point Rd. NW; June 3 to Aug. 20; $6 or pass; hours vary
Bever Pool: 2700 Bever Ave. SE; June 10 to Aug. 4; various prices, hours; K9Splash! is slated for Aug. 5 and 6, facebook.com/k9cola/events
Ellis Pool: 2000 Ellis Blvd. NW; June 10 to Aug. 6; various prices, programs, hours
Jones Pool: 201 Wilson Ave. Dr. SW; June 10 to Aug. 6; various hours, prices
Indoors: Bender Pool, 940 14th Ave. SE; May 30 to Sept. 1; various hours, programs, admission prices; closed for the Memorial Day holiday weekend and July 4
Details: cedar-rapids.org/residents/parks_and_recreation/municipal_pools.php
Splash pads: 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily, May 27 to Sept. 4; Cedar Valley Park, 2250 Blakely Blvd. SE; Cleveland Park, 1600 Eighth Ave. SW; Daniels Park, 940 Oakland Rd. NE; Greene Square, 400 Fourth Ave. SE; Hayes Park, 1924 D St. SW; Hidder Park, 10th Street and 14th Avenue SE; Jacolyn Park, Jacolyn Drive and Gordon Avenue NW; Noelridge Park, 4900 Council St. NE; Redmond Park, Third Avenue and 16th Street SE; Time Check Park, Fifth Street and J Avenue NW; Twin Pines Park, 3500 42nd St. NE (opening depends on arrival of repair part); cedar-rapids.org/residents/parks_and_recreation/splash_pads2.php
Marion
Outdoors: Marion Pool, 1855 35th St.
Season: Opening Monday, to Aug. 20
Hours: Lap swim, 11 a.m. to 12:30 a.m. Monday to Sunday; open swim 1 to 5:30 p.m. Monday to Friday, 1 to 5 p.m. Saturday, Sunday; family swim 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Monday to Friday.
Admission: $3 ages 3 and under; $4 ages 4 and up; $4 lap swim; $12 family swim, includes two adults and up to five children; passes available
Splash pads: Memorial Day to Labor Day; Thomas Park, 323 Marion Blvd., and Gill Park, 3450 Hawthorne St., 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.; Willowood Park/Marion Pool, 1855 35th St., open during regular pool hours
Details: cityofmarion.org/recreation/parks-recreation/aquatics
Coralville
Outdoors: Coralville Community Aquatic Center, 1513 Seventh St.
Season: June 3 to Aug. 20
Hours: 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday to Friday; noon to 6 p.m. Saturday, Sunday
Admission: $6 daily; $4 Sundays 3 to 6 p.m.; free under age 2
Details: coralville.org/273/Coralville-Community-Aquatic-Center
Indoors: Coralville Recreation Center, 1506 Eighth St.; $5 ages 2 and up, free under age 2; coralville.org/279/Indoor-Pool
Iowa City
Outdoors: City Park Pool, Upper City Park, 200 Park Rd.
Preseason: Open swim 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. this weekend and Monday and June 3 and 4; laps 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. May 30 to June 2 and June 5 and 6
Regular season: June 7 to Aug. 20; hours vary
Post season: Aug. 21 to Sept. 4; hours vary
Indoors: Mercer Park Aquatic Center, 2701 Bradford Dr., June 1 to Aug. 31
Indoors: Robert A. Lee Community Recreation Center, 220 S. Gilbert St., June 1 to Aug. 31
Admission to all pools: $4, free ages 2 and under; passes available
Splash pads: 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily, May 27 to Sept. 4; Wetherby Splash Pad, 2400 Taylor Dr., Fairmeadows Splash Pad, 2500 Miami Dr., Tower Court Spray Pad, 1124 Tower Ct.; free
Details: icgov.org/Pools
North Liberty
What: Outdoor pool, 520 W. Cherry St.
Hours: Noon to 6 p.m. this weekend and Monday. Then open June 7 to Sept. 4, noon to 9 p.m. weekdays, noon to 6 p.m. weekends
Admission: $4 residents, $5 non-residents ages 19 to 59; $3 residents, $4 non-residents, ages 3 to 18 and 60 and older; free ages 2 and under; passes available
Splash pad: Penn Meadows Park, 170 N. Dubuque St.
Details: northlibertyiowa.org/2023/05/16/get-ready-for-outdoor-pool-season/
Comments: (319) 368-8508; diana.nollen@thegazette.com