Houston pools opening Memorial Day Weekend

  HOUSTON (KTRK) -- The Houston Parks and Recreation Department is opening city pools in two phases, beginning this weekend.

Phase I runs through Memorial Day, Saturday-Monday.

The pools will not operate during the week until the school term ends for the year and the summer season begins, officials said.

Twenty pools will open during the first phase:

Agnes Moffitt, 10645 Hammerly, 77043Denver Harbor, 1020 Gazin, 77020De Zavala, 907 75th Street, 77012Glenbrook, 8201 North Bayou, 77017Greenwood, 602 BeresfordLincoln City, 1048 Grenshaw, 77007MacGregor, 5225 Calhoun, 77021Memorial, 6402 Arnot, 77007Moody, 3201 Fulton, 77009Northline, 6911 Nordling, 77076Reveille, 7700 Oak Vista, 77087Sagemont, 11507 Highes, 77089Sharpstown, 6600 Harbor Town, 77036Stude, 1031 Stude, 77009Sunnyside, 3502 Bellfort, 77051T.C. Jester, 4205 W.T.C. Jester, 77018Tidwell, 9720 Spaulding, 77016Townwood, 3403 Simsbrook, 77045Westbury, 10605 Mullins, 77096Wilson Memorial, 100 Gilpin, 77034

Phase II begins June 5. An additional 18 pools will open then, bringing the total number to 38:

Alief, 11903 Bellaire, 77072Beverly Hills, 9800 Kingspoint, 77075Clinton, 203 Mississippi, 77029Cloverland, 1800 Scott, 77047Eastwood, 5000 Harrisburg, 77011Emancipation, 3018 Dowling, 77004Finnigan, 4900 Providence, 77020Hobart Taylor, 8100 Kenton, 77028Independence Heights, 603 East 35th Street, 77022Judson Robinson Sr., 1422 Ledwicke, 77029Lansdale, 8201 Roos, 77036Love, 1000 West 12th, 77008Mason, 541 South 75th, 77023 Nelson, 6900 La Salette, 77021Oak Forest, 1400 Du Barry, 77018Schwartz, 8203 Vogue, 77055Tuffly, 3200 Russell, 77026Windsor Village, 14441 Croquet, 77085

City pools are open to the public free of charge Tuesday-Sunday from 1-8pm. All pools are closed on Mondays for routine maintenance except for Memorial Day and Labor Day. Check the Houston Parks and Recreation Department website for holiday hours on those dates. The site also has information on swimming lessons and classes in water fitness, water aerobics and lap swimming.

(Copyright ©2012 KTRK-TV/DT. All Rights Reserved.)
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City of Houston plans to open all 38 of its pools this year

HOUSTON (KTRK) -- Last year, a budget crunch kept several Houston swimming pools and community programs from opening. But this year, the city is singing a different tune.

The city of Houston will manage to open all of its 38 pools this year along with several recreation centers that were shuttered at the beginning of last summer.

A year ago, Houston Mayor Annise Parker made a sobering announcement that eight pools and seven community centers were closing down due to budget problems. The press conference caught many neighborhood leaders by surprise.

"It was horrible. We were appalled. I mean this is the heart of this community," said Carol Rensink.

She is the president of Friends of Cherryhurst Park, the nonprofit immediately formed after hearing their community center was slated to close last summer. The reason is that the Parks and Recreation Department claimed their building was in disrepair and program under utilized. So the neighborhood just north of Montrose took action, setting up after school HISD bus service to their community center.

Now 70 plus children utilize programs at the Cherryhurst Community Center.

"We worked with them, partnered and now we have four schools of elementary school, where children are bused and we work with them, partner with them and it just works beautifully," said Rensink.

North of the 610 Loop, the neighborhood of Independence Heights was told their pool was closing, but then a corporate donor stepped up and donated more than $350,000 to reopen the pools by the July Fourth weekend.

"I believe it will play a real positive role. Keep the kids out of trouble, like I said. Keep them mind frame at ease," said Marcus Cockrell, Independence Heights resident.

A new city of Houston budget begins in July and this time around, no closures are slated, for this year anyway.

"We're hoping the city will see that this is something that will not be on the chopping block, that there may be some other ways to cut that won't hurt families and young children," said Rensink.

Since the city of Houston is no longer facing the same budget constraints as last year, money is now appropriated to maintain hours to all pools and community centers. This weekend 20 pools open and by June 5, the remaining 18 will welcome swimmers.

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