Greencastle Aquatic Center to remain open through Aug. 14

The Greencastle Aquatic Center, which had been scheduled to close for the season on Sunday, Aug. 7, will remain open through the following Sunday, Greencastle Park Director Rod Weinschenk has announced

"Although we will be running a skeleton crew most days, we have enough lifeguards to stay open through Sunday, Aug 14," Weinschenk said Wednesday.

He said the pool will probably only have five lifeguards available at any time and will have to"work around" using manpower to guard the slide.

With Putnam County schools all returning to classes by Monday, the scheduled last day for the pool had been slated for Aug. 7.

"It's going to be hot again next week, so we wanted stay open," Weinschenk said, "and we've worked it out to have guards available to open up."

Hours will be shortened during the week with the facility open only 4-8 p.m. next Monday through Friday.

Hours for Saturday, Aug. 13 will include adult lap swim, 11 a.m.-noon, and open swim from noon to 8 p.m.

Closing day, Aug. 14 the hours also will be noon to 8 p.m.

Lifeguard manpower has always been the issue once students go back to school. While the old traditional pool season used to run from Memorial Day through Labor Day, those days are gone with an earlier start to school.

But trying to stay open past Aug. 14 will be impossible, Weinschenk noted.

"That following week, I lose them all," he said of his guard staff. "They'll be in school and in sports or starting college at that point."

Meanwhile, the Greencastle Park Board meeting scheduled for Thursday evening has been rescheduled for 7:30 p.m Monday, Aug. 8 at City Hall.