Youngsters take boats to the pool
Published 12:00 am Monday, January 7, 2002
Luke Gurtowski, left, and Timothy Beach race their remote-controlled toys toward the steps of City Pool Sunday.(The Vicksburg Post/MELANIE DUNCAN)
[01/07/02]Lane lines in City Pool formed a race track Sunday, but not for swimmers. Radio-controlled, battery-operated boats, instead of people, rippled through the chilly water.
Three lifeguards and four racing fans took full advantage of the vast amount of water available and accepted the city’s invitation to use the City Park Facility for competitive racing and leisure cruising.
Luke Gurtowski, 11, said he likes his boat, a Christmas present, because of its speed. “I’m not worried about racing, it’s just fun,” he said.
Despite the small number of participants, pool employees said they hope the free venture, open to the public, will bring children as well as adults outside on Sunday afternoons.
“This is a way for kids to beat the winter blues,” said Sylvia Gurtowski, pool director and Luke’s mother.
Timothy Beach, 15, said he will alternate helping his father work at their house and going to the pool for racing as long as the activity is available.
Any battery-operated vehicle is allowed to race, eliminating wind and gas powered boats. “We can’t have gas in the pool and the wind powered boats could get stuck out in the middle,” Gurtowski said. Parents are also asked to accompany children younger than 12.
Vicksburg Parks and Recreational Director Craig Upton got the idea while attending the Mississippi Recreational Parks Association Convention in Laurel two months ago. Upton said he hopes the activity will draw people toward the pool, even those who normally swim elsewhere in the summer. “We are trying to utilize the pool more during the non-swimming season,” Upton said.
Gurtowski said as long as the public shows an interest, the activity will continue every Sunday from 2 until 4 p.m. until mid-March.