Busy offseason helps prep pools for summer

Pool season is finally underway after a being stalled by Mother Nature, and, for some, the extra time was necessary to prepare facilities for summertime fun.

Major renovations and routine maintenance made for a busy offseason for pool crews from Vandergrift to Penn Hills to Murrysville.

Sia Fouse, pool manager at Joseph A. Petrarca Memorial Pool in Allegheny Township, often called the Vandergrift Pool, said staff there had to tackle significant vandalism. A damaged fence — with gaps large enough to fit a person through — was discovered, along with a tire, metal pole and cinder block tossed into the pool.

Just weeks ago, a tear was found in the pool liner.

“We think that it was the metal pipe that was thrown in that pierced the (liner),” Fouse said. “That was just a big surprise since our liner was only about 2 years old to begin with.”

At the Leechburg Area Pool, the to-do list is “quite packed,” according to the facility’s website.

Some of the more visible work was completed prior to this weekend’s opening. The pool was painted and got a new pump. There were kitchen upgrades necessary, too.

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Ed Christofano, board president of Youngwood Park and Pool, said efforts at the 66-year-old site have always been community led.

He’s dedicated the past 16 years to what he called “the diamond on the hill,” which in the peak of summer draws up to 700 people a day.

“This is my way of giving back to the community and taking care of this facility,” he said. “This facility has just grown by leaps and bounds in the last 10 years with new amenities.”

The pool opened Saturday. Christofano said Wednesday night swims and live stage performances are back for another season.

At Murrysville Swim Club, about half of the current members have been invested for at least 10 years, according to president Tom Vincent.

With high retention, the pool is well kept, he said. A new deck was unveiled thanks to helping hands from members, particularly one that is a general contractor.

Vincent said many of the members come in before the pool opens for a work day to help beautify the grounds.

“That’s one of the benefits of being a member-owned pool, is that we all have a stake in it,” Vincent said. “We’re all in this together. This is something that we own and we can make it whatever we want.”

The pool has benefited over the past several years with membership growth, he said, so much that the site is almost at capacity. New members pay an extra $300 the first year for their bond.

“That means that we’re able to scale our operations better and reinvest in the pool,” Vincent said.

Rosedale Beach Club in Penn Hills enters its 100th season, with board president Dani Scott saying the pool and facilities have never looked better.

Though maintenance is expensive, memberships help keep operations steady.

“We base everything, all of our everyday expenses for the summer and our taxes and our payroll through our memberships,” Scott said.

A bonded membership is $405, with an extra $150 the first year. It gives members stock in the club, voting privileges and the ability to run for a board seat.

Social memberships cost $445.

Rosedale also hosts an annual fall festival to raise “rainy day” funds, Scott said.

In Vandergrift, the pool postponed its opening because of a chilly Memorial Day weekend but celebrated the new season, with its opening Saturday. Fouse said a temporary patch for the hole in the liner is expected to last through the summer.

Full repairs will be scheduled for next spring.

No suspects were named in the vandalism. Security cameras will be installed this summer, Fouse said.

Using Facebook to communicate transparently with the community has helped take some of the pressure off.

“If I’m struggling, I’m struggling,” Fouse said. “I’m not really the type of person to be like, ‘Oh I’ll figure it out on my own,’ because I truly feel like it takes the community to make something in the community better.”

Through the outreach, acts of service and materials have poured in.

Pro-Wash, a pressure washing company, along with cleaning service Five Blessings, donated time to help with maintenance.

Fouse also posted an Amazon Wishlist asking community members to purchase needed items, such as new door handles, trash cans and a mini fridge for the lifeguards to store their lunches.

“We have worn 20 hats to open this pool, which we did not expect when we took on this task,” Fouse said.

“We have been scraping and painting and honestly, you name it. It’s been a bit hectic and unexpected, But we’re getting it done.”