September 1, 2022 |
With summer’s end and back to school, the pool season in Saratoga draws to a close.
The pool will officially close its doors on September 9th. Public swimming will end this Friday, September 2nd. Sarah Laughlin’s work doesn’t end there.
Laughlin, a Saratoga native, has been the Director of the Saratoga Recreation Department since November of 2021. She says the pool has been enjoyed by more people this year. Her excellent staff of lifeguards have kept pool goers safe throughout the season. While there was no shortage of qualified applicants, Laughlin says that she had trouble finding staff that were not in school. Having a younger team meant that she had to cut back pool hours once school started.
Pool-goers were left without a water slide this summer. Laughlin says that the old slide broke over the winter. There is a grant for a new slide, but the work wouldn’t have been finished before the pool was opened. Slide lovers will have to wait until next year, at the earliest.
The swimming season had a sendoff, of sorts. Kids from grades one through five had pool parties last week.
It is up to the Saratoga streets department to get the pool ready for the winter. They’ll make sure the pool has the proper chemicals. After they clean it, the pool will be covered and wait for next spring.
Laughlin’s duties continue back at the recreation center. With school back in session, the gymnasium will see more use. Fitness classes resume in the fall. Youth flag football will begin as well. The recreation center is open to people with gym memberships. Laughlin says there are membership discounts for local residents, volunteers, firefighters, etc. Check with the rec center to see if you qualify for a discounted membership.
Pictured above: Saratoga Municipal Swimming Pool. Photo courtesy Town of Saratoga Recreation Department/Facebook.
