If you ask Parks Superintendent Kris Myers why attendance and revenue was up at Hoffman Pool this summer, he’d give at least partial credit to a hot June.
That and a community ready to get back out there and enjoy pool fun. Besides seeing family passes up, they saw increases in general attendance, concessions, pool parties and swimming lessons. Myers reported as much to the Bellefontaine Joint Recreation District (BJRD) at their Tuesday night monthly meeting.
Unfortunately, the greater revenue—$99,000, which was the highest in Myers’ memory—also came with greater expenditures. And it doesn’t help that the old facility is more expensive to operate.
As a result, the profit-loss was “a wash” and the district had to subsidize the pool at the same rate as previous years. Still, Myers expressed commitment to keeping it going for two reasons: the learn-to-swim program and the summer swim team, which saw 100 participants in 2022.
“It’s not about swimming but community safety,” Myers said, while adding they’re open to public feedback about the future of Hoffman pool.
Ring of Lights
Once again the recreation district will host its annual Ring of Lights walk on Saturday, October 22, beginning at 7:30 p.m. Located at Blue Jacket Park on East Lake Avenue near Bellefontaine High School, this alternative to Halloween is open to children from preschool through second grade.
Though people often start lining up around 6:30 p.m., it isn’t necessary to arrive early. More information will be provided to students as the date gets closer. A rain date has been scheduled for Sunday, October 23.
Hi-Point Baseball
Justin Dinovo, president of the Hi-Point Youth Baseball Association, spoke to the district about bylaw changes the association board made last month. Dinovo became involved about five years ago when his oldest son started playing baseball. Since becoming president, he’s seen the number of participants go up and a more competitive atmosphere, but players had to commit to a recreation team if they wanted to join a travel one, which could be challenging.
“The experience is good,” Dinovo said, “but they’re not getting enough practice to be competitive at tournaments.”
Though Myers stated he didn’t like the change, he also acknowledged he didn’t have another solution. The alternative, however, would be the baseball association separating from the recreation district, then renting space for games, which would be fine but not ideal.
“I’m comfortable with both but not excited about either,” Myers admitted, his main concern being how to go about it.
As a compromise, the district approved a two-year acceptance of the changes with the goal of revisiting the issue after one year. Now players can try out for a travel team without joining a recreation team.
“Our goal,” Dinovo said, “is to bring back the glory days of Hi-Point baseball.”
Other Action
The recreation district currently has a short survey on their website—bellefontaineparks.com—about park usage, and they’re seeking community feedback. Citizens are encouraged to answer questions about which parks you use, why you use them, and what upgrades/changes you’d like to see.
In addition, the BJRD approved a $43,000 budget increase for 2023, with most of that going toward payroll. This would take a park employee’s hourly wage from $11 to $15. The city administration and council will also have to approve the addition for it to pass.