NATCHEZ — As temperatures dip into the mid-to-low 30s, the last thing most people think of this time of year is swimming.

Not so for Monica Bihm, aquatics director for Natchez’s community swimming pool.

“Right now, I’m focusing on getting our scheduling and programming together,” Bihm said. “I’m making sure our old staff is trained and ready to go when we open the gates this spring.”

Part of Bihm’s planning, she said, includes organizing a fundraising Polar Bear Plunge event for 11 a.m. Feb. 16 in which people pay $25 to take a chilly dip in the pool — and get a commemorative T-shirt.

“People can pre-register at eventbright.com,” Bihm said, adding they can also register the day of the event starting at 10 a.m. and that she is looking for sponsors.

“All the money raised will go to support improvements at Natchez YMCA … People do polar bear plunges all over the world — some in pools and some in lakes. It is great for charity, and it’s all in good fun.”

Bihm said concessions, including plenty of hot chocolate, would be available for the Polar Bear Plunge.

“Pray for good weather,” Bihm said.

Natchez’s community swimming pool, a joint project of the City of Natchez and Adams County at a cost of approximately $1.6 million, opened last spring after years of planning and construction.

The pool is L-shaped with a competitive side that is 60-feet wide and 75-feet-and-1-inch long to meet criteria for Junior Olympics.

The other part of the pool features a splash fountain for children and a step down into a 3-foot-deep pool.

Planning for spring

Bihm said fundraising efforts would help offset costs of programs she hopes to implement in the spring to boost membership and access to the pool.

In the pool’s first season of operation last year, community leaders said they were pleased with the operation of the pool but would like to get more people engaged in utilizing the pool.

To that end, Bihm said she is planning events to help get more people, young and old, to the pool.

“I would like to see more people utilizing the pool,” Bihm said. “We need to build on our memberships, and we need to build on strengthening who is using that pool and build our people who want to hang out at the pool.”

In order to get as many people to the pool as possible, Bihm said swimming lessons would be paramount.

“No one should be afraid of the water,” Bihm said. “It is not a scary thing. Everyone can learn to swim at any age.”

Bihm said her research on the topic of why some people in the community seem to have a fear of water and swimming reveals the fear is passed down from parents and grandparents warning children to stay away from the water because they have not learned how to swim.

Swimming lessons are the perfect remedy for that, Bihm said, adding she is planning to utilize the pool staff of between 12 and 20 part-time seasonal employees to teach as many brackets of swim lessons as possible for all age groups.

Bihm said she also plans to have programs for adults only.

“Every Thursday night will be adult swim nights,” Bihm said. “We will make it 18 and older at 7 p.m. every Thursday, all summer long.  We will have food trucks, ice cream trucks, themed adult nights, board games on the deck and swim a little.”

Bihm said part of her winter planning includes getting the theme nights on the calendar and lining up food trucks and vendors.

Recreation

Swimming and the community pool is all about community recreation, which community leaders said they believe is important to the health of the community.

“If you are healthier, you will live longer,” said Calvin Butler District 5 Adams County supervisor and board of supervisors president.

While Butler said he supports the community swimming pool, he believes the community swimming pool is just one aspect of Natchez and Adams County’s recreational program.

“We need to start upgrading Duncan Park’s baseball fields,” Butler said, adding that baseball, soccer and football are popular in the community as well. “Everybody is not going to swim, everybody is not going to play baseball, everybody is not going to play soccer or football,” Butler said, illustrating his point that a broad range of activities will help meet more needs within the community and therefore improve their lives.

Butler said he also would like to see soccer fields near the pool upgraded and ready to host tournaments that could be a source of revenue for the city and county.

Natchez Ward 1 Alderwoman Joyce Arceneaux-Mathis said she agreed on the importance of recreation to the health of the community, and she was an early advocate for the community swimming pool.

“Learning how to swim is life necessity,” Arceneaux-Mathis said. “Mississippi has the highest rates in obesity and diabetes. We need to give kids a chance to exercise and the pool is another avenue of getting physical activity.”

Pool staffing

Bihm said she plans to hire as many former pool staff members back from last year as possible as well as a few more to fill the gaps.

“Right now the only staff member is me,” Bihm said. “I’m gong to bring back as many of the old lifeguards as I possibly can. Most of the employees want to come back. This year we would love to get some new lifeguards.”

Bihm said other positions on the pool staff besides lifeguards include concession stand workers and people to work the pool deck, helping to make sure young beginning swimmers are in lifejackets and obeying rules.

Bihm said minimum requirements to be a lifeguard include passing a swim test to qualify to participate in the lifeguard class.

“Anybody is open to apply,” Bihm said. “Our youngest lifeguard last year was 15. If you are 60 years old, a very strong swimmer and love being outside and in the water and want to come and get lifeguard certified and hang out with the greatest group ever, you’re welcome to.”

Bihm said the staff members have remained close even through the off-season.

“Even during winter, we text back and forth and cut up,” Bihm said. “We’re still counting the days till we are back together.”

It is a concept with which Arceneaux-Mathis agrees but would take it a little further than just the pool staff.

“A pool is a good place to bring the whole community together,” Arceneaux-Mathis said.