The city’s oldest public pool celebrated its centennial anniversary with a splash Tuesday, and some loyal pool users weren’t going to let weather rain on their celebrations.
More than a hundred people came out to celebrate the 100th birthday of the Dease Street Swimming Pool. The pool opened in 1911 and since then thousands have dived in to cool off during the summer.
Susan Cuttress came to the pool for the first time with her 10-year-old great nephew Skylar Williams and nine-year-old great niece Olivia Writzell. While they were already wet from the scattered showers that had joined the party, she said they were still able to enjoy the day.
“I think it is going to clear up,” Cuttress said. “I think it is exciting and marvelous that the pool is 100 years old. I didn’t even think it was that old. We decided to go swimming, play games and have our face painted.”
Neither Olivia nor Skylar had a chance to go into the pool, but both said they were looking forward to jumping in.
Don Holmstrom and his five-year-old granddaughter, Annika, decided they would head back home and come back to the festival later. Holmstrom said he was glad that his granddaughter could have the chance to swim in the same pool he swam in when he was younger.
“She’s the second generation of users,” Holmstrom said. “I’m quite excited to see 100 years for the Dease pool. This community needs it and we want it to last for another 100 years.”
Melissa Vilcek, the pool’s facility operator, said the 20-minute shower did cause some delays, but didn’t believe it could make much of an impact to the festival.
“If I know the kids in this area they are going to be swimming rain or shine,” Vilcek said.
“We have kids of all ages that swim here as well as older adults. In my opinion I think this pool has been able to stay in the community for so long because the community uses it a lot and the people that swim here love coming here.”
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