Aquatics Center's reduced prices, season passes, make big splash
A young couple and their toddler daughter walked up to the front window of the Hillsboro Aquatics Center Sunday afternoon.
Opening his wallet, Dad asked, How much to get in?
Four dollars, said the attendant.
Four dollars apiece?
No, four dollars for everyone.
Happy, Dad put some of his money back in his billfold.
Reduced prices are making a big splash at the aquatics center, where adult daily admission has plunged a dollar this season, and new season passes are selling briskly.
As of this week, 60 single and family season passes already had been sold for the aquatics center, which opened for its second season on Memorial Day.
"Our goals are to make it so everybody will have a good time," said pool co-manager Judy Helmer.
Season passes ($125 for families, $50 for individuals) are among several new policy changes approved by the Hillsboro City Council at the request of Helmer, who along with her daughter, Marci Cain, are co-managing the center this summer.
Despite protests from parents and grandparents, passes were not offered for the first season of the $2.6 million facility. The price of admission was $3 for adults.
This year, regular day admission is $2 for swimmers ages five to adult, and free for children four and under.
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Daily lap swim is $1 or free for day pass or season pass holders.
About 30 swimmers braved the still-cold water and 70-degree weather Sunday afternoon.
"Attendance is picking up," Helmer said. "It's been awfully cold."
Parents and grandparents in street clothes watched from deck chairs as teen-agers took turns diving off the boards, and youngsters played on the playground equipment at the shallow end of the pool.
After awhile in the water, blue-lipped, goose-bumped Jakob Krause, 7, lay on a deck chair, bundled up in a warm sunny-yellow colored towel.
Jakob was in town from Clay Center to visit grandma, Jean Krause, who brought three grandchildren and a neighbor girl to the pool.
Last year, adults in street clothes who wanted to come in to watch children or grandchildren, had to pay three bucks.
This year they get in free.
Free is better, Grandma said.
"We were here a lot last year, and they made me pay every time,"
said Krause, who added, "But I didn't really care, if it helps pay for the pool, you know."
The family pass is a godsend for Troy and Lori Klein, who have five children, including Mary, 3, who shouted for Mommy and Daddy to watch her go down the slide.
Mom and Dad wore street clothes. Little Mary wore inflatable water wings on her arms, swim goggles over her eyes, and a T-shirt over her swimsuit. She was shivering, but having a great time.
After moving to Hillsboro the middle of August last year, the Kleins came to the pool as often as they could, "but it was still a little bit pricey," Lori said.
But the family pass has made a big difference this year.
"We've been here every day it's been open; it has made a huge difference," she said. "We don't feel like we have to swim with the kids every time we come in because we can come and sit and watch them and we don't have to pay."
In addition to new admission prices, the aquatics center has new hours. Open swim is from 1 to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. After daily lap swim from 5 to 6 p.m., the pool reopens from 6 to 9 p.m.
Saturday and Sunday pool hours are from 1 to 7 p.m.
The Hillsboro Swim Team practices weekdays from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. And several sessions of Red Cross swimming lessons are being offered in the morning throughout the summer.
The pool may be rented for after-hours parties for $30 per hour for up to 25 guests, with an additional $10 per hour per every 10 guests over 25.
Making admission affordable for all Hillsboro area residents was important to Helmer, who managed the city's municipal pool 20 years ago. While the aquatics center is much more modern, she says kids are still the same.
And some of them look familiar.
"It's funny because we're getting parents who are bringing kids now that we took care of at the pool 20 years ago, and now their kids are coming in," Helmer said.
"It's fun."
