GREEN BAY, WI (WTAQ) – With heat advisories and temperatures nearing triple-digits on Tuesday, many Green Bay residents hit the pool to cool down.
Resch Aquatic Center is the only pool open in Green Bay right now. But residents made the best of it.
“Oh it’s wonderful! You can’t even tell that it’s 90 degrees.. With the pool, it feels pretty comfortable,” said Jeremy Wienicke. “[My kids] are trying to build up the courage to do the diving board and the slide, so we’ll see how it goes.”
“We’ve had a lot of rainy days and cold days, so to finally feel the summer weather and do something that’s really summery has been really great,” said Jennie Giesler. “[It’s great] just being out here in general, having fun, and seeing people coming together again after two years of being inside.”
Pool Manager Nora Reschke has been on the job for seven years, but that first big rush is always an exciting time.
“It’s finally one of those first days where it feels like summer. I’m loving to see how many people we have, and the pool is full,” Reschke told WTAQ News. “We’re happy to have as many people as we can get to cool off during these hot days…Today we’ve been getting quite a bit of rush. Every once in awhile we’ll look at our admissions and our line is through the door and out by the sidewalk. We love seeing that.”
The only issue with handling that kind of a rush – the current staffing shortages at city pool facilities.
“The shortages have not just been limited to this year, it’s been for the past few years. So we’re not too new to having just one or two pools open at a time,” Reschke said. “We’re looking for anyone that’s looking to be full time, especially facility attendants, and especially 16 and older…It will be taken into consideration for 14 and 15-year-olds, but we’re really looking for tenants to work our slides. If we don’t have attendants that are 16 and older, we can’t open our slides.”
Even the people out enjoying the pool made pitches to local teens who may be available and looking for something to do this summer.
“We bought the family pass and we’re a little disappointed that this is the only pool open in Green Bay. We’re pretty hopeful that Colburn and Joannes will open up pretty soon,” Wienicke said. “You get to spend time outside, you get to use the pool on your off days. What better way to spend your summer than the being out near the pool?”
“Definitely give it a try! You only have so many summers to have experiences like this before you have to be an adult and work the 9-5 life.” Giesler said. “I’m hopeful that they will eventually be able to open up the pools so more citizens of Green Bay can have these fun summer experiences, because all kids deserve hot summer fun days like this.”
You can find an assortment of summer jobs on the city’s website.
