Holiday weekend pool openings in Rockingham kick off swim season

Not everyone made it to the beach or the lake this weekend as proven by the crowds of people who took advantage of a different summer recreation staple that filled up and unlocked its gates.

Most outdoor pools are open, at both public and members-only clubs, and welcome swimmers from now until Labor Day.

Jerry Talley, manager of the Reidsville Swim Club, said few club members dallied on making their first trip to the pool.

“We opened Saturday, and we had a pretty good crowd,” Talley said. “That surprised me because it was cool that morning, but by the end of the day, it warmed up and we had a crowd.”

On Monday, there were few poolside areas not busy with children splashing, teenagers tanning or mothers applying that third coat of sunscreen to their toddlers.

When lifeguard Amanda Bradsher ordered everyone out of the pool for a 10-minute rest, swimmers were anything but idle. Jamie Vaughn arrived selling Jimmy’s Little Italian Ice just as the rest was called, and had a line eight kids deep in the time it takes to throw on a towel and convince parents to part with a dollar or two.

Bradsher, in her fifth year as the swim club’s lifeguard, said pools are the place to be in summer, but this one was particularly good.

“It has one of the best diving boards in Reidsville,” she said. “It’s very springy. The others don’t have adjustments anymore. This one does.”

A town away, Eden residents were welcoming summer in a similar way. The City of Eden’s pool on Mill Avenue in Draper also opened this weekend, and employees estimated a headcount of about 200 so far.

Hannah Ellis, the pool manager, said many Eden residents were eager to get in the water this weekend.

“We’ve been pretty busy so far,” Ellis said Monday. “We’ve counted 102 today.”

Mostly families with young children come to Reidsville Swim Club and other pools in Rockingham County, Talley said. It’s a safe place to do something together and socialize with others.

“I think it’s a place parents can see their friends and let their kids jump in the water with their friends without having to supervise them every minute,” Talley said. “That’s why we have a lifeguard. It’s the lifeguard’s responsibility to make sure everyone’s safe, and that takes a lot off parents’ minds.”

Ellis said the city pool also is a wholesome place where children can spend time together.

“It’s a place were the kids see a lot of their friends, and they all look forward to it opening every year,” Ellis said. “It’s just for everybody, but especially for the kids. We try to make it a fun environment and still do a serious job.”

Staff writer Heather J. Smith can be reached at or 623-2155, ext 15.