OTTUMWA —
The swimming season ended Monday night with a final splash at the Beach Ottumwa.
Heartland Humane Society’s annual dog paddle ended Labor Day weekend with excited — and some reluctant — dogs jumping into the wave pool at the Beach.
Each owner had to bring in one bag of pet food per dog, which was donated to the Heartland Humane Society.
Parks Director Gene Rathje said The Beach had a great season this summer with consistent attendance.
“We had a $5,000 profit in May, which is almost impossible, and a $38,000 profit in July, which is very good,” Rathje said.
The 2011-12 fiscal year ended with the deficit worked out to $109,000, “the lowest it’s been in who knows how long,” Rathje said.
It’s almost impossible to make a profit at The Beach, Rathje said, since it’s a 20-year-old facility that needs a lot of maintenance and improvements.
“But we’ve made a lot of progress in getting it worked down to zero,” Rathje said. “It’s a lot better than the $233,000 [deficit] we had my first month on the job.”
The season went smoothly, with no serious injuries and no drownings.
“The lifeguards showed up every day, and people enjoyed the new features, the water slides and the children’s play area,” Rathje said. “The only negative was that it got so hot in June and July that at times it was almost too hot, and people chose to stay at home in the air conditioning.”
While the outdoor pool is now closed, there are still plenty of opportunities to swim. The Beach offers birthday parties on weekends, two indoor pools and two local swim teams.
The Barracudas swim team is made up of 60 to 70 kids, Rathje said, which feed into the high school team.
“We’re looking forward to the future,” Rathje said. “We’ve got the plan worked up for the lazy river, and we’re seeking donors right now.”
Soon the Parks Department will begin meetings with a lazy river committee to come up with fundraising ideas for the approximately $2.5 million lazy river project.
Local News
Related Photos
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Ten-month-old Lily Hill watched as her grandmother’s fiancé, Dennis Harl, of Ottumwa, played catch with their dog Jake at The Beach Monday. Chelsea Davis/The Courier
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Some dogs were more hesitant to jump in the water at the Beach Ottumwa Monday, such as 6-month-old Kalli, who needed some coaxing from owner Shawn Richmond of Ottumwa. Chelsea Davis/The Courier
September 4, 2012
Beach wraps up season with lowest deficit in years
Puppies take one last splash
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