by Buz Whelan

     You may have read on our Facebook page of the new beach, pool and Community Center scheduling changes. To recap, the outdoor pool will be open seven days, from 11 to 6 weekdays and from 9 to 6 on Saturday and Sunday. And unless there’s a change of heart, there will be no snack shack. The Community Center will be open Wednesday through Sunday. Wednesday and Thursday the Emerald Bar & Grill will be open 6 to 10pm. Friday the grill will be open 5 to 10 while the bar will remain open until midnight. On Saturday the grill will be open from 1pm to 10 and the bar will again remain open until midnight. As of this writing, the pool only Sunday schedule will be 1 to 4:30pm, but Community Center Manager Chris Tarvin reported that there may be a trial opening of the other services, but that is currently under discussion. The indoor pool in the center will be open Wednesday and Thursday from 6 to 9pm, Friday from 5 to 9pm and Saturday from 1 to 9. Adult Water Aerobics will continue to be held Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 9:30 to 10:30am.

     The outdoor pool will be open Monday through Friday from 11am to 6pm. Saturday and Sunday it will be open from 9am to 6pm. As of now, there are no plans to open the snack shack.

     You may have already read that main and Pine Tree Beaches will be open 7 days a week from dawn to dusk; however, they will no longer staffed with lifeguards and the stands are being removed. Signs will warn that it is “Swim at your own risk.” It may be more accurate to say that the beaches will be ‘there’ 7 days a week, and if you show up between dusk and dawn you will be shooed away.

     The Emerald Lakes Board of Directors announced at their workshop Friday that they had decided to remove the designation ‘interim’ from General Manager Judy Kennedy’s title. They have extended the offer of a two year contract to Preferred Management Services. It is expected to be signed on Tuesday, May 20th. Over the last 4 months the team has drawn high praise from directors and other observers. We wish them the best and offer our support whenever it may be appropriate.