City pool numbers looking good at halfway mark of season

Thursday, July 8, 2021

With a month to go in the summer pool season, attendance numbers and concessions figures are looking good, Park Director Rod Weinschenk reported Wednesday night.

Following a year off due to COVID-19 and buoyed by remodeling efforts and the addition of three pool slides, pool revenues through July 5 have totaled $51,791.50, the Park Board learned at its July meeting at City Hall.

According to the report Weinschenk shared, pool admissions have been $44,249 thus far with an additional $5,325 in pool rentals, $1,910 in swimming lessons and $307.50 in miscellaneous (lockers, etc.).

“We were predicting (revenues of) $80,000 for the whole season,” Weinschenk said. “We’re about halfway through the season now.”

The aquatic center is scheduled to close for the season on Sunday, Aug. 8. However, Weinschenk and the Park Board are well aware the pool attendance tends to drop off once the Putnam County Fair is under way. The fair is scheduled July 23-30.

Meanwhile, concessions numbers are looking good, too, with $13,726.25 spent on concessions through July 5.

The snack breakdown is $6,188 for pretzels, nachos and hotdogs, $3,576 for drinks, $1,703.50 for candy and $559 for ice cream, as well as $345.75 for chips and $1,354 for cheese cups.

Concessions manager Joanna Muncie, who is also a Park Board member, noted that expenses (not including personnel costs) have been $4,000.

Board member Pete Meyer asked if comparison figures were available on concessions sales from previous years. However, those figures were not available Wednesday night.

“I would love to see a report,” Meyer said, “but these numbers look good.”

In another concessions-related item, Weinschenk reported that the Park Department will receiving a $1,000 check from Kona Ice, which has been operating in the park under an agreement with the city this year.

Meanwhile, Weinschenk and the Park Board also briefly recapped July 4 activities, noting that feedback has been overwhelmingly positive about the events and fireworks at the park last Saturday and Sunday.

The Mike Rokicki Memorial 5K Run/Walk saw 70 participants Saturday morning with runners from as far away as Seattle, St. Louis, Jacksonville and Tallahassee, Fla.

“It’s nice to see people coming back home to see their families and participating in our run,” Weinschenk said.

The pickleball tournament had a good turnout with great weather Saturday morning. The cornhole tournament, meanwhile, drew 12 teams and 24 individuals.

Finally, Saturday’s fireworks show went off without a hitch at Robe-Ann Park.

“Did we hit our usual 6,000 to 7,000? I don’t think so,” Weinschenk said, adding there were “close to 5,000 at the park.”

There was “never a lull” during the fireworks show, he said, noting that pyrotechnics firms had faced a fireworks shortage, particularly in the larger four- and five-sized shells, “so we had lots and lots of threes.”

“I haven’t heard any complaints,” Weinschenk said, “except for one vendor.”

That was due in part to the late start annually experienced by vendors as the crowd arrives at the park in the evening in anticipation of the fireworks at dusk.

“Whenever I saw vendors, all of them had lines,” Weinschenk said, noting that the lemon shake-up vendor in particular had lines all evening.

In other business, the Park Board:

-- Learned that representatives of the Indiana Department of Natural Resources Division of Outdoor Recreation will be visiting Robe-Ann Park on Monday, July 12 to tour the park relative to the city’s application for a Land and Conservation Grant for improvements at Robe-Ann. Official word on the grant is not expected until March.

-- Approved use of Robe-Ann Park as a staging area for horses and carriages participating in the Sunday, July 18 Putnam County Fair Parade. While the horses and carriages will be confined to the east end of the park, Weinschenk said the horse trailers are expected to park along Anderson Street due to the ongoing construction work along Wood Street.

-- Approved use of the bandshell and shelterhouse No. 1 for the Aug. 28 Voices of Recovery program as requested by Sheila Holloway of the Putnam County Recovery Coalition. In its second year, the 2-6 p.m. event will include music, testimony, resource tables, games for children, Narcon training and possibly food vendors.

-- Approved use of Robe-Ann Park as part of the route in the Saturday, Oct. 23 Moore’s Bar 5K Family Endowment Fundraiser. The event will begin on South Indiana Street in front of Moore’s Bar with a fun run at 4:30 p.m. and the 5K at 5:30. Pete Meyer explained that all proceeds will go to the Meyer Scholarship Fund at Greencastle High School.

-- Approved use of Big Walnut Sports Park for the Saturday, Aug. 28 Wounded Warrior Project Carry Forward 5K fundraiser, organized by Matthew Wilson. Registration will be at 8 a.m., followed by the run at 9.

Park Director Weinschenk was joined for the July meeting by Park Board President Cathy Merrell, Tim Trigg and fellow members Meyer and Muncie. Mayor Bill Dory was also in attendance.

The next regular session of the Park Board is set for 7 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 4 at City Hall.

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