CENTRAL POOL SET TO OPEN JUNE 1

Cape Girardeau's Central Pool will open June 1 when scheduled summer maintenance will be complete.

Capaha Pool, however, will be open for the Memorial Day holiday. Today, Sunday and Monday, the pool is open from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.

May 26 to 29, Capaha Pool will be open from 4 to 8 p.m. On May 30, it will be open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., and on May 31 it will be open from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Starting June 1, both pools will operate on the regular summer schedule.

The nylon bubble that covers the Central Pool was taken down in April after gusty winds caused a 6- to 8-foot-long tear in the fabric.

Lowering the bubble and preparing the pool for the summer season normally is accomplished by the school staff over a two-week period in May.

Doug Gannon, recreation coordinator for the city's parks and recreation department, said the bubble was scheduled to be removed within a few weeks of the accident. It was folded up and put away after the rip.

"Nothing has really changed from what we do year to year," Gannon said. "We just basically took it down a little early this year."

While the pool is open this summer, repairs will be made on the nylon covering. Gannon couldn't yet estimate repair costs for the bubble, but he said it will be repaired and ready to be reinflated in the fall.

The bubble is the second in the history of the pool and is 6 years old.