White Oak: Pool will open, but with no daily passes
By JEFF STITT
jstitt@yourmvi.com
As snow fell outside the window, White Oak council looked ahead to warmer weather during Monday’s meeting.
Council unanimously passed a motion approving and setting the rates for the 2021 season at Heritage Hill Pool, which is known by many locals as White Oak Pool and is slated to open on Memorial Day.
Councilwoman Julie Opferman, who leads the Parks and Recreation Committee, announced that the pool is doing away with daily passes this year.
Residents can purchase a season pass for $60, while non-residents must pay $75. Residents who are senior citizens can obtain a season pass for $30 and non-resident senior citizens will pay $60. Proof of residency is required.
“We are also doing away with the daily pass admission due to COVID just for tracking purposes for contact tracing,” said Opferman, who is a registered nurse. “We’re not going to allow anybody in the pool without a pass.”
After the meeting, Opferman said she isn’t sure if pool management and council will decide to make daily passes available in 2022.
Heritage Hill Pool didn’t open for the 2020 season because pandemic shutdowns in the spring caused delays in the production and shipping of the pool’s two new pumps. Mayor Ina Jean Marton said in July that they ended up getting delivered at different times.
By the time the second pump was installed and tested and the water was treated and fit for swimmers, there would have only been two or three weeks left in the swimming season.
Council discussed opening the pool at several meetings last year and at each cited fears about the spread of COVID-19.
“I’m just happy for our residents,” Opferman said Monday. “We tried really hard to open it last year. It just never happened.
“… A lot of people, that’s their question: ‘Are we going to be able to open the pool?’
“I think it’s a huge benefit to our community to have the pool.”
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