Beckley prepping pool for expected opening on Memorial Day

May 1—Repairs are underway at the Sharon Dempsey Pool at New River Park to seal large cracks along the pool's floor ahead of the 2024 season.

Beckley Parks and Recreation Director Leslie Gray Baker said the repairs should be complete before the pool's intended season opening on Memorial Day weekend.

Baker said she's uncertain whether the Historic Black Knight Municipal Park pool will open as there are not enough lifeguards to staff both pools for the season.

However, given that roughly this time last year, The Register-Herald reported that neither Beckley pool would open in 2023, Baker said they're in pretty good shape.

"We looked at our figures, and 8,500 people came last year," she said. "And the way I look at it, that's half our population. Whether they came multiple times, whether they came every day ... that really is one way that I can measure that we are serving our population."

Last year, the city only opened the Sharon Dempsey pool, and it did not open until mid-June.

Baker said cracks in that pool are not new, though they've been getting "progressively worse" over the years, which is expected in a pool that is 50 years old.

However, due to upkeep and regular maintenance, Baker said the cracks have not turned into leaks, which would necessitate a much more complex and costly fix.

"Last year, we didn't appear to be losing water," she said. "This is just something to maintain. You don't want those cracks to get worse. It's not a leak like at the Fayette County pool where they can't figure out where it is."

Baker said it will cost the city around $2,500 to repair the cracks as the work is being completed by city employees, which means their only expense is materials.

Unlike last year when workers used a type of sealant to paint over the cracks, Baker said this repair is a bit more involved and should last longer.

This time the city will be using Torque-Lock staples to repair the cracks.

Like staples, which can close a wound, the large metal Torque-Lock staples are installed along the cracks to keep them from splitting further.

Baker said repairs have also been made to the pumps at both pools, which caused issues last year.

"We got the rebuild kits (for the pumps), and we worked on them all winter long," she said. "And we cleaned out the sand filters completely and found out how compacted they were, and we've remediated that."

Baker said the only issue they have yet to resolve is a leak in the slide at Sharon Dempsey, which they haven't been able to locate.

"We think it's down under the waterslide itself," she said.

Repairs aside, Baker said the 2024 season is looking up.

Thus far, Baker said the pool manager and the head lifeguard from last year are returning.

She said she also has commitments from nine other certified lifeguards and three more who will be taking their certification tests this week.

To open both pools, Baker said she needs at least 15 lifeguards.

Even if she reaches that number, Baker said staffing both pools is not without challenges, as the majority of lifeguards are high schoolers or college students who don't want to spend their summer working a 40-hour week.

"But any lifeguard that wants to work a 40-hour week can work a 40-hour week," she said.

Baker said she also has to work around various conflicting schedules and availabilities as summer is peak vacation time.

"It's always a struggle," she said. "I would love to have 20 lifeguards, know they're coming, be able to let everybody have the days off that they want and be able to be open both pools seven days a week, but that's just not doable."

Even in 2016, when the city operated only one pool, Baker said it was only open five days a week.

She said they'd follow that schedule this year and open the pool five days a week, Tuesday through Saturday.

"When we acquired Black Knight, just the first two years were we able to successfully cover Black Knight and have (Sharon Dempsey) open," Baker said.

Baker said she also needs concession stand workers and ticket takers for the coming season.

Those interested in jobs at the pool can call Beckley's Parks and Recreation office at 304-256-1748.

Email: jmoore@register-herald.com