IT'S NEARLY BIBLE DAY AT THE POOL; POOL COVERING WILL COME DOWN JUNE 8

In Cape Girardeau, Bubble Day comes after after Memorial Day.

Bubble Day is the day the covering over the Central Municipal Pool comes down. In a way, it's the city's unofficial beginning of summer.

This year, Bubble Day is June 8, but much work has to be done before the bubble actually can be deflated.

The pool will close to the general public at 8 p.m. May 27, but the early bird, noon fitness swim and noon swimnastics class will continue at the pool through June 5.

In past years, the pool was closed completely for draining to prepare for deflating the bubble. Draining took 24 hours and refilling the pool another 36 hours.

But the new bubble, erected last fall, came equipped with a tarpaulin that covers the pool while workers take the bubble down.

"We don't have to drain the pool to take the bubble down in theory so why not let them stay here," City Aquatics Coordinator Randy Barnhouse said of fitness swimmers and the swimnastics class.

The Capaha Park Pool will open May 28 for the Memorial Day weekend. The pool will be open from 1-8 p.m. through May 31.

"If the weather is foul, we will open Central for Memorial weekend," Barnhouse said.

From June 1-3, the Capaha Pool will be open only from 3:30-6:30 p.m. because school is still in session.

On June 4, the last day of school, the pool again will be open from to 1-8 p.m. Those hours will continue through the summer.

From June 7-10, early bird and noon fitness swimmers and the noon swimnastics class will swim at the Capaha Park Pool.

The Central Municipal Pool will reopen for the season June 11, with the hours 1-8 p.m. Fitness swimmers and swimnastics class will return to the Central Pool on that date.

The Capaha Pool hours will remain 1-8 p.m. until swimming lessons start June 14. Lessons will be given from 5-8 p.m.

The Capaha Pool will be open to the public from 1-5 p.m. Mondays through Thursdays while swimming lessons continue.

Family Swims begin June 18 at the Capaha Park Pool. The swims will be held from 9-11 a.m. on Fridays and Saturdays. Parents pay admission but children swim free during Family Swims.

The public swims on Fridays and Saturdays will be from 11 a.m.-8 p.m.