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Fredericksburg residents (at right) George Coghill and his daughter, Mikayla, play in the city's first public pool, Dixon Park Pool. View More Images from this story Visit the Photo Place

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Everybody in the pool City residents to get in for free

Buffett's donation makes Dixon Park Pool free for city residents this year.

Date published: 6/30/2006

By EMILY BATTLE and ELIZABETH PEZZULLO

Fredericksburg residents will swim free this summer at the Dixon Park Pool, thanks to a $61,000 gift from local philanthropist Doris Buffett.

The Sunshine Lady presented the check yesterday at City Hall, and the city's Parks and Recreation Commission voted unanimously last night to use it to pay pool admission for city residents this year.

Noncity residents will pay to use the pool, which opens Saturday. Those fees were set at $5 for children up to age 15 and senior citizens age 55 and older, and $7 for adults.

The city will let in 150 people at a time.

Buffett said she wanted the pool to be accessible to all city residents--not just those who could afford admission.

"As a grandmother, I just can't imagine children on one side of the street listening to the splashing and laughter on the other side and not taking part because they can't afford it," said Buffett, who has made large donations to other area projects through her Sunshine Lady Foundation.

The Parks and Recreation Commission had previously set fees for city residents at $3 for children and seniors, and $5 for adults.

Earlier this month, a group of residents went to a commission meeting, worried that the fees would put the pool out of reach for low-income families.

Mayfield Civic Association President David Williams was there, and he said this week that while he's happy the city has opened its first public pool, he was disappointed at the fees.

"For a town that lives on the river, especially a river that has taken so many lives, a pool is certainly welcome. We just need to make sure people are able to use it, so that we can benefit from it," he said.

After that June 15 meeting, parks officials said they would look for ways to help people afford the pool. They also asked parks staff to look at offering free swimming lessons.

On Tuesday, City Councilwoman Debby Girvan proposed that the pool be free for city residents for its inaugural summer.

Using the projected fee revenues for next summer--$93,700, a number that also includes concessions and other fees--Girvan said that subtracting the part of the pool season that's passed, this year's admissions would probably have brought in around $61,000.

She proposed that the city make up that cost.

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Date published: 6/30/2006