Belvidere Park District Releases Statement About 2020 Pool Season

I don't know how you feel right now, but May 31st is almost here, and I can't help but feel like "freedom" is so close to returning in Illinois.

Yes I know that just because we turn the calendar on June 1st doesn't mean that all will be normal in our world again, or that COVID-19 will suddenly disappear, but the possibility that strict stay-at-home orders may begin lifting soon, feels like we can finally glimpse some light at the end of this quarantine tunnel.

That being said, safety must still be our upmost priority. We must stay extremely health conscious and continue to follow social distancing, and that is why I'm not crying over my coffee this morning about the statement the Belvidere Park District issued on Friday about the 2020 fate of William Grady Pool.

In a press release issued Friday, Mark Pentecost, Executive Director of Belvidere Park District said;

As I have noted in the past, we are committed to keeping you updated in the timeliest fashion possible. Which is why I am writing to you today, as we announce that the Park District Board and Executive Leadership have decided to not open William Grady pool for the 2020 season. Given that the Stay-at-Home order was extended to the end of the month, what we know with respect to maintaining the State’s requirements for the stages of re-opening and weighing the various scenarios, and economic impact, of opening the pool, the decision was relatively obvious.

I don't live far from Belvidere, so my family often visits William Grady pool each summer, and now I am bummed. I appreciate the Belvidere Park District's commitment to keeping the public safe, but I fear a similar announcement will be coming from the Rockford Park District in the days ahead.  I get these tough decisions are being made for the greater good, and I'm thankful for that, but I'm gonna look pretty foolish floating in our inflatable pool in the backyard all summer long.

If you haven't purchased some time of pool yet for your own backyard, you might want to do that today. I think that will be the next item on everyone's panic shopping list.

Catch Lil Zim on ‘Q98.5 Mornings with Lil Zim & JB’ on Q98.5 from 6:00 a.m. to 10 a.m. Follow her on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook