| Author | Message | ||
     Bob K Supporter Username: Bobk Post Number: 12337 Registered: 5-2001 |
When our kids were little we spent a lot of time at the pool. We always thought that the adult swim period gave the kids a chance to rest and calm down, read, talk to friends, etc. Also, the diving tank was open for kids during adult swim if they had excess energy. Is this still the case? | ||
| Wendy Supporter Username: Wendy Post Number: 2907 Registered: 5-2001 |
Yes BobK, it is the case that kids can use the diving tank (for diving, jumping) during adult swim. The other half of the diving tank is always reserved for adults and it is gloriously cool for those who like that water temperature. But if you read Morrisa's (and others) comments, there are those kids who age out of the training pool and are not secure enough swimmers to use the tank during that time. I think eab raises some very good suggestions. I hope he and others bring all these suggestions to the Pool Advisory Committee. This committee, as are many of the advisory committees in town, is made up of dedicated volunteers who are serving on them to improve our quality of life. We may not always agree with the decisions, but I have the utmost respect for each and every one of them. Also there are times I would think that a committee tries to get something changed but is met with resistance by the salaried official who is the one actually in charge of the department. | ||
| Nohero Supporter Username: Nohero Post Number: 5698 Registered: 10-1999  |
From a post last May. /discus/messages/3132/113847.html?1147362282 I don't know if the openings were filled. However, that summarizes how the rules are set for the operation of the pool. The pool advisory committee is probably the place to start, to discuss any proposal to change the rules. | ||
| sac Supporter Username: Sac Post Number: 3670 Registered: 5-2001 |
Although it didn't take place on MOL at the time (or at least I wasn't on MOL then to know), there were similar discussions a decade or more ago that led to relaxation of some of the rules (notably the bathing cap requirement) and institution of the guest pass arrangements. So, I conclude that reasonable suggestions ARE considered and may result in changes. However, as several people have noted, the Pool Advisory Committee is the place to start. MOL is fine for discussion of these things, but it isn't necessarily going to get results if it doesn't go beyond here. For the first five years that we lived in Maplewood, my spouse and I had no children and really couldn't get to the pool very often. However, we did have a membership and were loathe to give it up due to the waiting lists that existed at the time. (We didn't even get in until our second summer living in town.) So ... things have improved and loosened over time and I expect that we will see some of the changes suggested here implemented as well. | ||
| greenetree Supporter Username: Greenetree Post Number: 8906 Registered: 5-2001  |
Someone had posted a way to get in contact with the Advisory Committee awhile back. It's not on the Town website (that I could find). Does anyone remember? | ||
| Cynicalgirl Citizen Username: Cynicalgirl Post Number: 3049 Registered: 9-2003  |
I have a family membership (3 of us, 1 a kid) and my husband and I have not been once this summer. I pay because I do think it's a pretty good deal, all in all, even with 2 of us not using it. At the same time, I think it would be a fine thing to allow guest/occasional pass purchase by adult residents. I don't think it would hurt a thing -- you could easily argue that the occasional visit by a resident adult is less likely to contribute to bad behavior, etc. than guest pass kids. I sort of wish their was enough land etc. to have an adults only "dunking" pool. Kind of like a large, deep hot tub with seats! That's probably solve a lot of things. Oh, and a bar! (yeah, right!) | ||
| Wendy Supporter Username: Wendy Post Number: 2909 Registered: 5-2001 |
GT, From the same thread Nohero posted: "If anyone is interested in becoming a member of the Pool Advisory Committee, please contact Roger Brauchli, Director of Recreation & Cultural Affairs, at 973-763-4202, or Andrea Marino, Chair, Pool Advisory Committee, at 973-762-8434." | ||
| Joe R. Citizen Username: Ragnatela Post Number: 517 Registered: 6-2004 |
"One of my problems is that I would have been able to use the pool exactly 3 times this summer (maybe once more in a couple weeks). The memberships available are not conducive to residents who are occassional users." Greentree, you are not an occasional user, you are a rare user. Pool membership in Maplewood is cheap in my experience with these things. The kind of deal you are looking for is a daily admission like the public pools I remember when I was a kid. No thanks! With all due respect, I don't think this is a good solution. It's like many other things we pay a fee for, cable tv, satellite radio etc. When we reach the point where we don't use it enough to justify the expense, we skip it and move on. | ||
| greenetree Supporter Username: Greenetree Post Number: 8910 Registered: 5-2001 |
Ah - so because I am not home from 7:30a until 7 or 8p M-F, I do not have a right to a community resource? If I had kids, I'd have a family membership so that the babysitter could take them, and I'd get to use it. If I have a Friday off and it is 100 degrees outside, I should sit inside and watch tv? I should just "skip" being outside? What, pray tell, shall I "move on" to? "Skip" my day off and just go to work? Glad that everything is working out so nicely for your precious children. Thank you for so beautifully illustrating my point. Couldn't have done a better job myself. | ||
| Morrisa da Silva Citizen Username: Mod Post Number: 509 Registered: 12-2003 |
bettyspaghetti - it's not about making children wait for something or not. It's logistics and making the pool visit as positive an experience as can be for the most people. | ||
| Billy Jack Citizen Username: Kendalbill Post Number: 214 Registered: 6-2002  |
Thanks, Morrisa. No kids will not "melt" and I know the town shouldn't revolve around only children. But I think the town pool is one of the great things about Maplewood and growing going to the pool with friends is a great memory. We can do a lot better to make the experience better for all involved. I'm not sure making the pool unavailable for large blocs of time for the largest population of users makes sense. And I'm certainly against the whining I hear from the "adults" about the occasional lapses by children into childish behavior. | ||
| bettyspaghetti Citizen Username: Bettyspaghetti Post Number: 44 Registered: 11-2004 |
Why do we need to change what has worked for 40 years? Who cares if it is the "adult bob" as some of you are calling it. I dont see kids swimming laps either during the other 40 minutes. Most of them are hanging around with their friends in the pool as well. Please understand I have two kids that come to the pool too, but even they understand there are rules to be followed and adults deserve a chance to have some quiet pool time. The pool provides games for the kids to "rent" while they are there. If you are unsatisfied with the quality of the games, donate some. I am sure the pool would happily accept. | ||
| Wendy Supporter Username: Wendy Post Number: 2912 Registered: 5-2001 |
betty, apparently you're not reading what others are saying quite clearly. No one is objecting to providing the adults some "quiet pool time." Suggestions are being made to try to tweak that formula time-wise or space-wise. Nothing more; nothing less. As far as your statement that "Why do we need to change what has worked for 40 years?" well with that attitude neither you nor I would have the right to vote. I never buy those arguments. | ||
| sac Supporter Username: Sac Post Number: 3671 Registered: 5-2001 |
And, as noted, a number of things HAVE changed at the pool in the past 40 years. Or are you advocating returning to bathing caps and no guest passes? | ||
| Billy Jack Citizen Username: Kendalbill Post Number: 215 Registered: 6-2002 |
Ditto. I'm all for adult swim, just want everyone to get along. | ||
| AlisonS Citizen Username: Alisons Post Number: 91 Registered: 3-2003 |
I did not join this year because of the Adult Swim rule. Excactly 33.333% of the time that I was AT the pool my children were expected to NOT USE the pool. My Inlaws belong to a beautiful town pool in central Jersey. Adult swim is twice an afternoon for 15 minutes. I think that that is too infrequent, but it seems rediculous to me to expect the vast majority of people to not take advantage of the resource for 1/3 of the time that they are there. Additionally it always seemed absurd to me that with such a mamouth (sp?) facility this was the only solution available. Why isn't there a section of the pool always roped off for adults? The Pool is HUGE, that way Adults can have a quiet area always available to them, and the families with kids can take advantage of a resource that they have paid for. } | ||
| Albatross Citizen Username: Albatross Post Number: 891 Registered: 9-2004  |
(Again: The 6-18 bloc is not the majority. Over 18 is by far the largest group.) | ||
| Joe R. Citizen Username: Ragnatela Post Number: 519 Registered: 6-2004 |
"Ah - so because I am not home from 7:30a until 7 or 8p M-F, I do not have a right to a community resource? If I had kids, I'd have a family membership so that the babysitter could take them, and I'd get to use it." Come on Greentree. If this is really your schedule, then all you have is the weekends. Alot of us can't use it except for weekends. What should they do, put on a night shift? You are probably not wild about going on the weekends because there are too many kids, but that's your choice. | ||
| Just The Aunt Supporter Username: Auntof13 Post Number: 5846 Registered: 1-2004  |
Does any money from taxes go toward the Maplewood Pool or are all pool related expenses covered by the membership fees? | ||
| hch Citizen Username: Hch Post Number: 331 Registered: 8-2002 |
Monster- I hope you are joking about your daughter's potential legal action for age discrimination. Every pool I have ever worked at or belonged to has had adult swim. It is a universally accepted practice and a great way for adults to have some peace for 20 minutes. Greentree- Taxes do not pay for the pool budget; membership dues cover it. The pool is open for a total of 60 hours per week. I'm not sure when else the pool could open to accommodate your schedule. Also, the fee for a single membership is considerably lower than a family membership and even cheaper for seniors. Dano- Concerning floaties, etc... I know from personal experience that some parents (not all parents) often have a false sense of security when their children are wearing floaties and, as a result, do not watch them as closely as they should. I have seen many parents turn their backs on their children wearing floaties, even though they could not swim. Floaties can also slip off a child's arms pretty easily. | ||
| Monster© Supporter Username: Monster  Post Number: 4407 Registered: 7-2002  |
My daughter is most sincere. Peace and quite, I have no problems being in the pool at the same time as the kids, I think the point she is trying to make is that there is a better way than what is currently the policy. As she put it to me, you are paying money for the use of the pool for the entire family, how would you like it if every twenty minutes of every hour the electricity you pay for is cut off. How about this, you take your family to a movie, but after forty minutes the kids are forced outside for twenty minutes. take the family out to eat, the kids are forced outside after you have been there awhile, sure makes it peaceful to enjoy that dinner while the kids are standing outside looking at you, hope their food is still warm when they are allowed back in. Hell, as long as we are making the kids get out for twenty minutes of every hour, lets make people of certain colors get out for the next twenty, then for the next twenty we can make people of certain religions get out of the pool. | ||
| John Citizen Username: Jdm Post Number: 100 Registered: 3-2006 |
I like the current situation. My kids run off to the diving tank or they take a break and grab a bite to eat or sit down with friends. The break is usually much needed, and they've stopped complaining about adult swim this year. Perhaps the greatest benefit for me is it gives us an easy way to put an end to pool time. "We go home at the next adult swim." | ||
| greenetree Supporter Username: Greenetree Post Number: 8920 Registered: 5-2001 |
Hch- I know that taxes do not pay for the pool; I am a tax paying resident, however, and would like a chance to use the pool at a reasonable cost. If you calculate the per-use cost of a single membership at 3 or 4 times the entire summer, it is certainly not cheap. Nowhere have I said that I thought that the hours should change. I would simply like to be able to purchase 3 or 4 day use passes for the occassional days I would be able to use the pool. | ||
| sac Supporter Username: Sac Post Number: 3673 Registered: 5-2001 |
This is only speculation on my part, but I suspect that the reason that they have not instituted any sort of daily passes is that there are quite a few current members who don't get there very often and would switch to this type of pass. That would make the cost for a regular membership increase, which would then influence more people to switch to the limited passes, and that iterative effect might well result in a very much higher regular membership cost, perhaps double or triple what we have now. From what I hear, the costs are MUCH higher in most other towns - I've heard $500-600 or more is common. (South Orange is an exception because their pool is not funded through memberships.) If a limited pass system was to be implemented, I think that it would need to be VERY limited, in order to keep this from happening. That might still meet Greenetree's need, but probably not much more. | ||
| greenetree Supporter Username: Greenetree Post Number: 8926 Registered: 5-2001 |
I totally agree. If were able to get there even once every two weeks, I would buy a regular pass. I can't remember how much a pass for a single adult is, but I remember it being too high to justify. A set of 4 passes could be sold just like the pool memberships - go down to the Rec Bldg., show residency, buy up to 4 passes with your name on them & call it a day. That's no different from the way current memberships are sold, is it? | ||
| hch Citizen Username: Hch Post Number: 334 Registered: 8-2002 |
Greenetree- I think there would be a decrease in full memberships, which would probably do more harm than help financially. Plus, based on your system, I think plenty of pool passes would end up in the hands of non-residents, especially teenagers from out of town. | ||
| greenetree Supporter Username: Greenetree Post Number: 8933 Registered: 5-2001 |
I just don't understand how a limited use pass is any more likely to end up in the hands of someone else than a regular pass. Do you show ID when you go? I'd like to know how many people who own single person memberships go 3 or fewer times in a summer. Does anyone here do that? Seriously, how much is a single person membership? | ||
| sac Supporter Username: Sac Post Number: 3679 Registered: 5-2001 |
Currently, the ID that you show is your pool badge, by wearing it on your suit/clothing as you enter. If you break a serious pool rule (such as by lending your badge to someone else), then you risk losing your badge permanently. That is a pretty big deterrent for most people to prevent abuse. The threat of losing a one day pass would not provide that kind of deterrance to people giving or selling them to a nonresident. Hence the need that would be added to require additional ID and a whole new layer of checking at the door that doesn't currently happen. I'm not saying that this wouldn't be a worthwhile thing, but it costs time and money and isn't likely to happen unless the "powers that be" see some advantage to doing it. That advantage might be in additional revenues from people like you who don't currently use the pool as well as in serving an additional segment of the population if there is a sense that this is a significant demographic. But, the demand can't come from the current membership - it has to come from those additional people who would be served as a result. As mentioned before, I'm only speculating. I'm just a pool member who is not on the pool committee and I have no knowledge of the status of any past or current discussions about such a change. | ||
| tupperjo Citizen Username: Tupperjo Post Number: 189 Registered: 5-2001 |
Greentree, have you no friends that could invite you to the pool for the few days that you want to go. There are Guest passes that you can purchase on a daily basis with someone who has a membership. This way you don't have to join, but stop by once in awhile. Monster, I am surprised that you are supporting this ridiculous claim from your daughter. If you do not want adult swim join the Country Club or any other private swim club. The pool is for everyone and I am one of the people who enjoy adult swim. I do not enjoy getting kicked by kids when they dive past you or splashed by roughhousing at the pool. I have spent 20 summers at the pool and have enjoyed every year of it. It is one of our best assests. Greentree, I am one of the members who only purchased a "Single" Membership this year as no one really comes with me anymore and if my husb. wants to come I'll buy the guest pass for him. It's cheaper in the end to just buy passes. The pool is supported solely on membership funding. The Pool Committee every year looks at the rules before the season starts and sees where improvements can be made. Do you like the fact that you don't have to wear a bathing cap anymore? Or that you can buy guest passes on a daily basis instead of only in books of 5? What about where the lap lanes are now, do the people that use them enjoy not having the kids cut through all the time. How about the Snack Bar? Is the food up to the quality that you like? Are you a parent that only comes to watch your kids swim and never go in the water? Do you like that you are able to sit on the upper deck with street clothes on? How about the new chairs and shade awnings purchased over the last couple of years? Do you enjoy them. These are a few of the things that the Pool Committee has changed. For your information, we have discussed the "Adult Swims" at the pool and have voted on having more "Modified Adult Swims" when the pool is not that crowded. I am one of the pool committee members who will vote down the elimination of the "Adult Swims" every time it comes up. I ENJOY ADULT SWIM! The pool, the school system and the town is not Burger King "HAVE IT YOUR WAY". We must all learn to live within rules and when things need to be changed, see what the best solution is for the majority. I for one am tired of everyone complaining and whining about the rules. If you not happy, don't join next year. The lifeguards and pool staff are young adults and teenagers who work hard during the season. Have you ever thought of giving them a pat on the back and saying "THANK YOU". Thank you for having a "SAFE" pool season and enforcing the rules to keep the pool safe. If you want to join the Maplewood Pool Committee there are always openings. Please feel free to stop by the pool and see the sign up saying we're looking for new members. Then you can have a say in what next season's rules can be. | ||
| greenetree Supporter Username: Greenetree Post Number: 8943 Registered: 5-2001 |
Tupper - the whole point is that I don't want to be at the mercy of someone else's schedule. It isn't always practical. On a rate occasion, I get a day at the last minute. Wouldn't it be nice to run errands in the morning and drop by the pool for a few hours in the afternoon. As long as I can find a friend on a Thursday night who is willing to go to the pool from 2 -5p the next day, that will work. Besides, all my friends are in the same boat - they don't have a pass because they would only use it a couple times. One friend drives to a beach & pays $20 parking every 3 weeks because she can't go to the pool. Wouldn't you love that revenue? A limited member who gives away their pass would still lose permanent pool access, no? So, make it one pass with four punch holes. The people at the pool can check it the same way they do others and punch one of the holes. Like the old 10-pass tickets on NJT. I still have yet to find out from anyone how much a single membership is. Is it a state secret or something? | ||
| sac Supporter Username: Sac Post Number: 3684 Registered: 5-2001 |
I think that the single membership is in the neighborhood of $70-80, but I'm not totally sure and I no longer have my renewal papers to check. Apologies if this figure is out of date. (I'm not sure which memory bank I'm getting it from at this point.) | ||
| Paula Robinson Citizen Username: Mph Post Number: 1 Registered: 8-2006 |
The rate for a single membership is around $115- give or take- please don't quote me on this. If you join later on in the season the cost goes up a bit. Greentree- you obviously do not spend much time at the pool. If people were allowed to buy a 'punch pass' the pool would become a 'free-for-all' as has been the case of many occasions when a large amount of guests are present at the pool on a certain day. Many people try to take advantage of the guest pass rule and try to come and buy passes for just one day or try to persuade some member to allow them in under that members pass. This has created a lot of problems at the pool, especially in areas dealing with safety. Also if you were at the pool recently, especially this week you would know that adult swims happen based on the number of people in the pool and more often than not they are 'modified'. Why don't you stop complaining and start coming up with some suggestions that are actually useful. As Tupperjo said... the pool is a SAFE environment! Join a country club if you want to 'have it your way.' | ||
| tupperjo Citizen Username: Tupperjo Post Number: 190 Registered: 5-2001 |
Greentree, the fee for a single membership is $125. Well worth the cost I think. | ||
| Morrisa da Silva Citizen Username: Mod Post Number: 513 Registered: 12-2003 |
Tupper: "For your information, we have discussed the "Adult Swims" at the pool and have voted on having more "Modified Adult Swims" when the pool is not that crowded. I am one of the pool committee members who will vote down the elimination of the "Adult Swims" every time it comes up. I ENJOY ADULT SWIM! " thanks for clarifying that your vote on the pool committee is to further your own best interests. I call that "Having It Your Way". Just because some of us on this thread have discussed some changes we would like to see at the pool doesn't mean we do not appreciate what the pool has to offer or all the hard work that goes into maintaining a beautiful safe pool. I have complimented staff on a job well done (most recently my son's swim lesson instructors) and have noticed the positive changes which have occurred over the past 10 years of my pool membership. (more shade structures,more chairs,etc.) The adult swim/modified adult swim debate really boils down to equitable use a pool resources for all pool members. Those members that benefit most from adult swim are adults without children or with children old enough to not need constant supervision. The question is can we look at further modifications that will benefit more people without losing the benefit to those who already have it. Modified Adult swim is a good idea but I would like to see it implemented in a more flexible way. It seems to me that at least during the week modified adult swim takes place at 1pm and 2 pm but reverts to full adult swim at 3pm regardless of the number of members at the pool. This results in about 20 people bobbing in the main pool for 1/3 of every hour. Suggestions have been made to configure the area for adult swim in a different way. How about sectioning off a smaller section for adults only and still leaving some area in the shallow end for kids and adults with them. This would allow those children 5-7 who still need parent supervision to have a place to swim for 1/3 of every hour and would lessen the crowding of the training pool which of course decreases the pleasure and usefullness for all who use it. Just think about equity when 50 people are in the entire pool for 20 minutes out of every hour and the training pool is almost too crowded to use. Your suggestion that people join the pool advisory committee is a good one and will be something I will look into. | ||
| lizzyr Citizen Username: Lizzyr Post Number: 289 Registered: 5-2001 |
I think most pools have adult swims and for all the reasons discussed, I do support it. However, I think 20 minutes is too long. The pool I went to as a child and lifeguarded at as a teenager had a 15 minutes adult swim, which was sufficient to let the kids relax, etc. I have been surprised this year that Maplewood has called adult swims at 5pm when there were hardly any people (children and/or adults) in the water, plus the kickboards weren't available in the training pool. Made no sense to me. Why not change the adult swim to 15 minutes? A bit of a compromise for everyone. | ||
| Joe R. Citizen Username: Ragnatela Post Number: 523 Registered: 6-2004 |
"Why is it that my 3 and 6 year old can't wear swimmy's the inflatable ones on their arms?? I can't figure that out. Any insight?" Dan- I don't know what to say about that. It used to be that no floatation devices of any kind were permitted (except kickboards during adult swim). This year I have seen kids with "swimmies" and today a kid with a full life jacket and 2 kickboards in training pool during a time when there was no adult swim. All the kids kept looking at the guard to see what he would do. He did nothing and all the kids ended up with kickboards. But I was surprised about the life jacket. | ||
| eliz Supporter Username: Eliz Post Number: 1654 Registered: 5-2001 |
I have seen a few kids that seem to have physical challenges with life jackets - I would assume that even our rules-rigid pool would have to allow life jackets in certain cases. | ||
| calypso Citizen Username: Calypso Post Number: 78 Registered: 1-2006 |
I asked the lifeguard at the training pool today about a kid with a lifejacket on. The guard said that jackets approved by the (oops, I've forgotten the exact group--Coast Guard? No...Anyway, some big national organization) ____ are OK. When did this change happen? (And BTW, my neighbor's son, who is handicapped, does use a float ring and kickboards in the pool. He needs them) Personally I think the way the pool is run is dandy. The improvement in food has been great, the new baby pool is fantastic. I don't have older kids so haven't gotten caught in the adult swim imbroglio. However, I would love if the pool were open longer in the year. It often gets really hot in September, and being able to use the pool on weekends only would be great (and then Greenetree could use it too). Most of the guards look like high schoolers, so they'd still be around. I'm sure Freemans would be happy to stay open on a limited basis--what is the main reason for the Labor Day shut off? Or, open June 1st instead of Waiting for Father's Day. | ||
| Joe R. Citizen Username: Ragnatela Post Number: 524 Registered: 6-2004 |
The kid I saw with the life jacket couldn't swim. But, He could run, get a kickboard (2 actually) and kick like crazy. | ||
| hch Citizen Username: Hch Post Number: 336 Registered: 8-2002 |
Calypso- The main reasons for closing on Labor Day and opening in mid-June are $$$ and staffing. Many of the guards and managers are in college or have other jobs in the off-season. There are not enough guards left to SAFELY staff the pool. Also, opening up 2-3 weeks earlier and closing another week or two later would add a substantial amount of $$ to the budget. Are you willing to pay additional fees? Each time the fees are raised there are always complaints.... |
