PORT TOWNSEND — Monthly free swimming sessions at Mountain View Pool, the city’s only public pool, return this Sunday with longer hours and more features.
The free swim will be from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. at the pool at Mountain View Commons at 1919 Blaine St.
That’s two hours longer than was offered during free swims from April through July earlier this year.
Another expansion is the addition of an adult swim.
During the first hour of each second Sunday free swim, usually from 1 p.m. to 2 p.m., the pool will be open for adults-only lap swimming, water walking and deep-water exercise.
This first hour, sponsored by Jefferson Healthcare hospital, may include special instruction opportunities for exercise or therapy, said Earll Murman, president of the JeffCo Aquatic Coalition (JAC).
From 2:15 p.m. to 5 p.m., the pool will welcome all ages for a family recreation swim.
Children younger 8 must be accompanied in the water by an adult 18 or older.
Unlike the adult swim, which is sponsored by Jefferson Healthcare each month, the free family swim is supported by a different business each time.
The donation of $350 pays for the rental of the pool and helps with publicity of the event, Murman said.
The sponsor for this month is Jordini’s on the Water. For November, it is Edensaw Woods.
Sponsors are being sought for subsequent months, Murman said.
Second Sundays are “an effort between our citizens group, JeffCo Aquatic Coalition and the city and businesses to promote the pool to the community better,” Murman said.
“We came together and had this idea to sponsor a free swim once a month for the community.
“Some people didn’t even know we had a pool,” he added.
The JeffCo Aquatic Coalition formed earlier this year, almost two years after Make Waves! abandoned plans to build an aquatic center in Kah Tai Lagoon Nature Park.
Its task, Murman said, is to serve as an advocate for the pool to help keep it open and accessible.
The group and sponsors of the program offered free swimming for two hours once a month from April to July “to test it out,” Murman said.
“We found out that not only is it worth continuing, but also it’s worth expanding from two hours to four hours.”
The first free swim in April drew 35 people.
By July, that number had grown to 100, he said.
“We got really good participation,” Murman said.
“It seemed to be something the community wanted.”
Murman added that after the program was on hiatus, “we got a lot of calls.”
The free swim is the only time the pool will be open Sundays.
The rest of the week, it is open from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. Mondays through Fridays, and on Saturdays, Port Townsend High School uses the pool from 8 a.m. to 10 a.m., the masters swim — an open swim for adults — is from 10 a.m. to noon, and an open swim is from noon to 3:30 p.m.
Drop-in fees are $5 for youths, seniors and the disabled. The adult drop-in fee is $5. Memberships are available for 20 admissions.
The city subsidizes entrance fees by 50 percent, according to the website at www.cityofpt.us/pool.htm.
In addition to JAC, the city, Jefferson Healthcare and area businesses, the program is supported by the Jefferson County YMCA and the weekly Port Townsend & Jefferson County Leader, Murman said.
For more pool information, phone 360-385-7665 or visit the website.
For more about the second Sunday program — or to offer sponsorship — email info@jeffcoaquaticcoalition.org, visit www.jeffcoaquaticcoalition.org or phone Murman at 360-379-5372 or 360-821-9033.
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Managing Editor/News Leah Leach can be reached at 360-417-3531 or at leah.leach@peninsuladailynews.com.