The Youngwood Park N Pool will enter its 60th season Saturday with renovated facilities — thanks to nearly $180,000 in grant money.
The community development block grant was primarily used to make the locker rooms, parking lot and pool sidewalk handicap accessible, said Ed Christafano, president of the Youngwood Area Park and Pool Enterprise Board.
The money also went toward adding two bathrooms and providing hot water to the bathrooms throughout the facility, updating the first aid room and building a performing arts stage, Christafano said.
Park N Pool received a donation from Scott Electric to make electrical updates, and people from the Central Westmoreland Career and Technology Center built the stage, he said.
Although some renovations were purely aesthetic, Christafano said the project will be important for keeping the property operational.
“This was a necessary change for us to go forward for another 60 years of service to the community, to also make us handicap accessible and to make us more efficient with utilities,” he said.
Christafano added that Park N Pool plans to bring back the “twist and splash” nights it hosted in its early years.
These events will take place during Wednesday night swim and feature live musical performances. Christafano said this will include local artists who got their start playing at the original “twist and splash” nights.
The Park N Pool also will host a special event in celebration of its 60th anniversary during the first week of August. Christafano said the details have yet to be determined, but he plans to incorporate “throwback specials and items” that pay homage to the 1961 Park N Pool.
“We are all looking forward to getting back to a normal swim season at Youngwood Park N Pool as we celebrate the 60th anniversary,” he said.
