By Lee Reinsch
Correspondent
DE PERE — Pull your swimsuits and goggles out of storage — it’s time to jump into the pool.
But it’s not just any old pool.
The brand new, long-awaited, VFW Aquatic Center at VFW Park on De Pere’s west side is ready to make a big splash. It officially opens this Saturday at 1 p.m.
It’s been two and a half years since the November 2018 referendum in which De Pere residents voted to exceed the city’s property tax levy limit by $900,000 per year indefinitely to build and maintain two new outdoor aquatic facilities.
Yet, with all that was 2020 — it might seem longer.
Saturday’s opener will give the public a chance to see what the first part of the referendum, $6.9 million, bought them.
The new VFW pool has plenty of amenities: a lily pad water walkway, basketball hoops, a six-lane lap pool, two diving boards (including a three-meter high dive), two body slides, and a rock-climbing wall, as well as a bath house and snack area.
The parks department recently landed a $3,500 grant from the Walmart Foundation to help purchase a few extras not included in the referendum, such as furnishings, dry-erase boards, first-aid kits, shelves, signs, recycling and trash containers, hoses and a cash register.
Patrons can rent part or all of the cabana, the covered patio area, for $15 per hour, per segment, or $45 per hour for the entire cabana.
De Pere Parks, Recreation, and Forestry Director Marty Kosobucki said the VFW pool will open at full capacity — that’s 285 in the main pool and 120 in the baby pool.
However, check the city’s website for capacity limit changes.
Kosobucki said operations will be pretty much back to normal.
“We are not having any requirement for patrons on masks,” he said. “However, we will have signage up asking for cooperation in social distancing and masking when and for whom it is appropriate.”
Fortunately for De Pere, just enough lifeguards have jumped in to save the summer for both of its public swimming pools.
“We could always use some more, but we have enough to not be in jeopardy of closing a pool like some other communities are facing,” Kosobucki said.
Green Bay announced last week the city won’t be opening Joannes Family Aquatic Center or the Colburn Park swimming pool on time, if at all this summer, due to lifeguard shortages.
On the east side of De Pere, the Legion Park pool will be open this summer as well.
Its replacement, however, has been put on hold.
“As long as Legion Pool continues to run, the city council really holds the key to when that will occur,” Kosobucki said.
The pool season runs through Aug. 22.
Individual season swim passes are $55 for residents and $100 for non-residents.
Family passes are $110 for residents and $220 for non-residents.
Kosobucki said no grand-opening celebration is planned.
“We do not have anything planned other than showing people a super fun time,” he said.