Official on Pool: 'We've Been Having a Lot of Trouble'

So far it's been a very hot summer, has been packed day after day, and there have been more than a few incidents there that are a cause for concern, Public Works Director Tom Henshaw told Borough Council July 2.

"We've been having a lot of trouble (at the pool)," Henshaw told council during his bimonthly report.

One of the main problems has been absentee parents who consider the pool to be a kind of "daycare," he said, adding that many of these parents appear to be "out-of-towners."

With pool attendance approaching 1,000 some days, there has also been a rash of thefts recently, Henshaw reported.

In one case, a woman with $50 in her purse left the bag underneath a blanket for five minutes, only to return and find her money gone.

"There was a lady sitting there with her children and when she came back the lady and her children were gone," Henshaw said.

Others have been caught smoking or bringing in prohibited items in coolers, in spite of the fact that the chests are supposed to be checked for glass and/or alcohol upon entry.

Mayor Richard Fluck, who said the massive crowds prompted him to request that borough police sweep the pool on weekends, questioned whether pool-goers should be allowed to bring their own food and drink into the facility.

"Isn't that (policy) taking money away from our refreshment stand?" he asked.

Henshaw said that years ago there was a prohibition on bringing food and drink inside the gates, but that was "way back."

The mayor also questioned whether or not all coolers are being checked.

One recent Saturday he observed a patron bring an unchecked cooler past the entry point, he said.

Council vice president John Bate said it's sometimes teenagers who are responsible for policing what's brought in, but Henshaw said that typically it's the head lifeguard who checks the coolers at the pool's side gate.

In light of the recent problems, Fluck--who contended that pool-goers from outside Hellertown are coming in by the busload--said council may have to consider charging non-residents higher prices at the pool in the future.

"Emmaus did," Henshaw acknowledged, referring to that borough's recent decision to charge non-residents as much as $18 to use its swimming pool.

"It's something we're going to have to look at," councilman Mike McKenna stated.

Borough Manager Cathy Kichline recommended that a thorough reevaluation of pool policies take place "over the winter."

In the meantime, she said, it should be remembered that the large attendance numbers are "a good problem to have."

Henshaw concurred, telling council that the snack bar at the pool has been mobbed by hungry swimmers, with daily receipts to prove it.

"They're lined up all day," he said. "I think one day we made more than $1,300."