The Wrangell Parks and Rec Department hosted a workshop last Wednesday, May 27, to discuss their plans to reopen. The main Parks and Rec facility, housing the gym and swimming pool, closed on March 13 in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Now that the state has been moving to reopen, the department is putting plans in place to do the same.
Parks and Rec Director Kate Thomas explained in a presentation that they would be doing a soft opening, in line with state guidelines from phases three and four of the Reopen Alaska Plan. The weight room and cardio equipment were opened to the public on June 1, and the pool will be reopened on June 8. Locker rooms are going to remain closed for the time being. According to Thomas's presentation, social distancing and wearing face masks while in the rec center is going to be strongly encouraged. There will also be specific hours set aside for seniors, from 9 to 11 a.m. Thomas added that there will be visitor and staff documentation to aid in contact tracing, as well, in the event COVID-19 does come to Wrangell.
When the swimming pool opens, according to the presentation, it will be for lap swimming only, and only one swimmer will be allowed per lane. Swimmers will be required to rest at opposite ends of the pool and to bring their own towels. There will be no open swims or swim lessons initially, according to the presentation.
There are two main areas for cardio workouts in the parks and rec facility. The facility will only allow one patron per area at a time, for a maximum 30 minute workout. Users must also wipe down all the equipment after use. The weight room will allow two patrons at a time. Again, the workouts are limited to 30 minutes and users must wipe down the equipment after use.
In other news from the workshop, Thomas said that the department will not be hosting their typical summer programs this season. The safety precautions that would need to be in place for summer programming would be challenging. On top of that, Thomas said economic and staffing realities necessitate they consider different summer programs. This summer, parks and rec will be following a trend of virtual and at-home programming for people to enjoy. Some of the ideas covered include sidewalk chalk art contests, bird watching, weekly fitness challenges, and scavenger hunts.
The parks and rec department has several goals for the future, Thomas said near the end of the presentation. Short term, the department will be focusing on immediate engagement and feedback from the community, increasing staff capacity and volunteers, and focusing on their immediate priorities for reopening. Long term, she said that they will be streamlining their programming, assessing community needs, hosting public meetings and workshops on the future of parks and rec in Wrangell, and finding ways to diversify their finances.
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