Cook County News Herald

Programs going swimmingly at pool




“The pool was very busy in the month of March.” That was Grand Marais Municipal Pool Head Lifeguard Charles Christiansen’s summary to the park board on April 5, 2011. “Programs are running strong.”

March saw 2,376 visitations, 807 more visitations than were made in March of last year, all of them local residents. The first three months of 2011 have brought in $2,031 more than the first three months of 2010. “It’s been about 10 years since we’ve brought in that much money in the first three months,” said Christiansen.

Kayla Gotchie’s water fitness classes have been highly successful, with 217 participants in March — 58 different people, 19 who bought pool memberships. The Senior Center received a grant from the North Shore Health Care Foundation for exercise equipment to be used in the classes. There was a small debate over whether to call the new supplies “toys” or “equipment” since they have proven to be so fun to use.

The pool is open on a trial basis for toddler time in the kiddie pool from 9:30 to 11:00 a.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays during adult swim time. Log rolling continues most Mondays and Tuesdays. Park Manager Dave Tersteeg said they are meeting with success in their goal of attracting a variety of different groups to the pool.

Construction debris is showing up on the grounds from pool repairs after last fall’s storm, Christiansen reported, but it will be cleaned up as it emerges from under the snow.

A lifeguard class will be held in May, and some college students will be returning to work at the pool over the summer.

In other news:

The board passed a motion lowering the rate on seven tent sites adjacent to the bike trail in the northeast corner of the park. Rates were lowered from $23 a night in July and August and $18 a night in the off-season to $18 and $13, respectively.

The sites, which don’t have on-site parking, tend to fill up only during peak periods. In a memo to the board, Tersteeg said he believed lowering the price would “help with marketing these sites to cyclists, as they were intended, as well as anyone else seeking the ‘best deal’ to camp in town.”

Park income in the first three months of the year was up 15 percent from the same period last year.

The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) sent a letter expressing interest in developing plans for a new public access ramp and parking area in the southwest corner of the harbor. Tersteeg said the letter stated that funding has not been secured, but the DNR is willing to begin design work.

The new solar panels on one of the bathhouses have been temporarily covered until the installer can repair a leak that was found in a valve. Covering the panels turns off the system.

Park staff plans to have one bathhouse open by May 1, with all the others open by Memorial Day weekend. They don’t open all of them until more campers are in the park since they are heated when the weather is cold, Tersteeg said.

Nina Simonowicz is redesigning the park website, which should be online by May 1. Tersteeg said they have requested that the site be easy to update. “We’re taking something good and making it great,” he said.

The board reviewed 10 bid packages from companies interested in designing the “Community Connections” corridor that would connect walkers from the sidewalk on Highway 61 to the northeast corner of the park next to North House Folk School. The plan would also include engineering for storm water management. They made a plan to meet April 18 to interview four of the companies: LHB, Short Elliott Hendrickson, Architectural Resources Inc., and MSA Professional Services. All have offices in Duluth. Some of the firms offered to help the city procure funding for the project.

At that meeting they also plan to review quotes from companies interested in installing underground sewer pipes on 20 trailer sites slated for upgrades this year.



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