Linn Pool reopens with few restrictions
By Neal A. Johnson

Linn Pool Manager Audrey Williams enters her third year at the helm and seventh overall and said she is pleased that this year’s summer session will not be as restricted as last year.
“Because higher levels of chlorine kill the virus, there are no restrictions on the number of people who can be here at one time,” Williams said. “We do ask everyone to maintain as much social distancing as possible.”
Last year, at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, StarGuard, which oversees lifeguard certifications, and the Centers for Disease Control, required that the pool restrict its attendance to 20 to 40 people at once, which was a challenge.
There also was a shortage of paper towels and gloves, the latter of which is required in the event of CPR. “They were really hard to find but (City Clerk) Carrie Grellner and (Mayor) Dwight Massey helped us get supplies,” said Williams. “I appreciate their help. It wasn’t as bad as it could have been.”
This year has been better as supplies are easier to come by, and Williams is looking forward to a busy summer season.
She spent a month re-certifying lifeguards Gibson Tschappler (Assistant Manager), Autumn Baker, and Lauren Williams (Assistant Manager), Ramsie Tschappler (Assistant Manager), Cody Leivian, Ally Wagner, and Maggie Ribaudo, Keagan Heywood, Austin DeCramer (Assistant Manager), and Claire Baker (Assistant Manager).
Lauren Williams, DeCramer, and Baker are bound for college next fall and Leivian and Heywood just finished the baseball season, so training has been hectic.
“It was pretty nuts but we got it done,” said Audrey Williams. “They did a good job working with me around their schedules and we’re all set to go.”
Lifeguards must go through training each year for certification and all were previously certified. “That made things a lot easier,” Audrey Williams. “Previous training always helps.”
The pool opened to the public on Memorial Day and Linn Lions Club swim lessons began on Tuesday for summer school students at Linn R-2.
“It’s going to be much easier this year,” said Audrey Williams.
Last year, due to restrictions, students had lessons for only one week instead of the normal two, and sessions had to be split so that smaller groups could be trained. This year, with everyone together as a group, students are divided into skill levels and receive appropriate lessons and the session will go the full two weeks as in years before the pandemic.
The Linn Pool is open from noon to 6 p.m. daily with an admission fee of $3.50 per person. Family passes are available at a cost of $90 for up to four people, with a charge of $10 for each additional person.