Many pools, water parks to open Saturday
Though Memorial Day comes earlier than usual this year, many outdoor swimming pools are still opening this weekend to unofficially kick off summer.
Area park district officials for those pools say the beginning of their summer season traditionally coincides with the three-day Memorial Day holiday weekend - no matter when it falls on the calendar. They say a May 23 opening date following an unusually cool, wet spring won't sway avid swimmers from taking a dip.
"We get the die-hards still who come on the first day and we know they're going to be there," said Donelda Danz, the assistant superintendent of recreation for the Palatine Park District. "Lap swimmers (will be) there. Even if it's 65 (degrees) they come in and swim their laps."
Palatine's Family Aquatic Center opens Saturday, while the district's other three neighborhood pools start their seasons a week later when area students are out of school for the summer.
In Arlington Heights, three of the city's five pools will begin weekend pool times this Saturday. Full-time weekday schedules start June 11.
"Normally Memorial Day is later in May, but we still have crummy weather. For the initial May dates, it doesn't matter. The third or fourth weekend, weather (still) can be very volatile," said Sue Gwinnup, superintendent of recreation for the Arlington Heights Park District.
Other park districts don't take a chance on mystery May weather. Des Plaines pools never open on Memorial Day weekend, but always during the first week of June, according to Gail Mountcastle, superintendent of recreation.
"Most people aren't thinking of swimming until schools get out and it's warmer," Mountcastle said.
Most of the pools' staff are college and high school students, many of whom are still in school by Memorial Day. And there'd be an extra cost for the park district to open the pools earlier, Mountcastle said.
Instead, Des Plaines will open its Mystic Waters Family Aquatic Center May 30 and its Chippewa and Iroquois Pools on June 6.