City pools nearly ready to open

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) - The pool at Martin Luther King park on the city's southeast side is one of three set to open Monday, but there's still work to be done.

Diving boards need to be installed, but lifeguard training is well underway.

In all, 78 lifegurads and more than a dozen other employees have been working overtime to get the pools open this season. They weren't going to open at all until businessman Bob Sullivan kick-started the process with a pledge to underwrite the Richmond Park pool. Then the Friends of Grand Rapids Parks helped raise more, and the City Commission moved some money around.

That effort allowed the city to open the pools at Richmond and King parks, plus the pool at Briggs.

All that's left are loose ends.

"We are getting the staff trained and we are working on the mechanical systems of the pools, getting them balanced, get the chemical balance correct and get the pool filter operators on board and trained to run the mechanical systems," said Grand Rapids Parks and Recreation director Jay Steffen.

Pool Season: Monday, July 5 - Saturday, August 21

• Open Swim Hours: Monday - Saturday 12:30 - 7:00 p.m. - Closed Sundays
• Free Admission to youths 17 and under
• Adults 18 and over to pay $4.00