People will be able to walk in the aquatic center's Lazy River on a regular basis.
Travis Lemer, the aquatics/recreation supervisor, said the Aberdeen Aquatic Center's experience with Lazy River water walking this summer was a success. Midway through the summer, the city began allowing adults to walk in the 2½ -foot-deep water over the noon hour Mondays, Wednesdays and Friday.
People had the option of walking with the current or against it, Lemer told the Aberdeen Park and Recreation Board Wednesday.
The first day it was offered, about a dozen people showed up. On a good day, it attracted about 20 walkers. Normally, people use the Lazy River for tubing. But the Aquatic Center doesn't open until 1 p.m., leaving the Lazy River open during the noon hour.
The city will offer Lazy River water walking again next summer, Lemer said. His department had talked about the idea for a couple of years and decided to go ahead with it this year. Other cities in the state also offer Lazy River walking, he said.
In his preliminary report for 2012, Lemer said 62,560 people used the Aquatic Center this year. The figure was 59,295 in 2011 and 60,016 in 2010.
Lemer was pleased with this year's number.
"We were hoping for a bigger number. But then August came, and it got cold," he told the board.
Aug. 6 was the last day the temperature reached 90, he said. Attendance was strong until temperatures dropped, he said. Recreation superintendent Gene Morsching also noted that swimming usage drops during the Brown County Fair.
The early good weather helped make a good summer for season passes, Lemer said. The total number of season passes was 1,502, compared to 1,358 last year. Numbers were up for youth, adult and family season passes. The number of family passes rose from 587 last year to 683 this year. The only drop was in senior passes.
The numbers might change slightly, but the total Aquatic Center revenue for 2012 was $363,201, compared to $331,000 in expenses. When the Aquatic Center opened in 2007, the goal was to turn a profit each year, Lemer said.
The jaws of other aquatic center operators around the state drop when they hear that the Aberdeen facility and its concession stand turn a profit, Lemer said.
During the meeting, Lemer and Morsching discussed with the board what effect Huron's new aquatics center might have on Aberdeen. The Huron facility will include a Master Blaster, which Morsching described as a roller coaster that goes through water.
David Eckert, supervisor of the Aberdeen Recreation and Cultural Center, gave a report on the Dance Network of South Dakota conference that took place Sept. 28-30 at the ARCC. He said the event was very successful, drawing 266 students. The guest faculty, from New York, Houston and San Diego, was very knowledgeable, he said. Guest instructor Robert Underwood, who danced for Mikhail Baryshnikov, was impressed with the ARCC's dance facilities, Eckert said.
Also at the meeting, cemetery sexton Kathie Allstot reported that NorthWestern Energy provided the funding and labor to plant 44 trees Sept. 27 on the south side of Riverside Cemetery. A couple dozen NorthWestern employees did the work in an hour and a half, she said.
"What a wonderful thing for us," she said.
In addition, the board declared as surplus two female bison, one female elk and five Sika deer from Wylie Park Zoo. Also declared surplus were 41½ sets of antlers from elk and deer.