Beginning its 64th year in operation, Clemens Community Pool continues to operate out of its location at Philomath High School with various public programs, recreational swimming and as the home venue for the Warriors swim team.
Pool Director Eugenia Moone said the aging facility’s challenges range from maintenance-related tasks to staffing issues that have impacted program availability and open hours.
“We’re old — we turned 63 in December,” Moone said, adding that her research indicates that Clemens Community Pool is the oldest still operating in the Willamette Valley. “There are small hiccups in the mechanical side of things … plumbing that needs to be replaced and we could really use resurfacing the (bottom of the) pool … the decking’s got some gaps in it in places and some cracks. We’re very hardy, though, and we’re trying to keep going. Bits at a time, we’ll get a couple things replaced and then something else will pop up but it’s getting a lot better overall.”
Standing poolside Tuesday morning, the latest fix was at that moment in progress.
“We’re getting the flow fixed right now,” Moone said. “We’ve had a lot of low flow for a while because of different things in the pipes and filters … but it’s getting a lot better. Maintenance is here right now helping me get it straightened out.”
The situation with the low flow had threatened whether or not the Philomath High swim team could host a meet that afternoon.
“We were nervous this morning that we might have to cancel this afternoon’s meet but the flow is so much better than it was yesterday afternoon,” Moone said. “The pool might be a couple degrees cooler than normal this afternoon but I don’t think the high schoolers are really going to mind that much.”
The swim meet did come off as planned.
Moone, 28, took over as pool director in October 2022.
“I started lifeguarding in April 2012 and that took me to about seven facilities before this one as a lifeguard, swim instructor, head lifeguard, Red Cross instructor, maintenance — pretty much everything except for a pool manager position,” she said.
Moone grew up in Humboldt County, California, not far from the ocean.
“I’ve found there’s about four main water-like backgrounds that lifeguards and aquatics will have — swim team, water polo, synchronized swimming and surfing and I fall into that last category,” she said. “I really liked to surf growing up and that’s what got me into aquatics.”
Moone would like to see more individuals want to get into aquatics, such as lifeguarding, here in Philomath with a staffing shortage hampering the pool’s hours.
“Last year, I had five seniors graduate and they went on to other projects,” she said. “We had seven staff members leave in between August and September this past school year.”
LIFEGUARDS NEEDED Clemens Community Pool, which is operated by the Philomath School District, is seeking part-time lifeguards. The job includes active surveillance, risk management, emergency preparedness and maintenance duties. For information, contact Pool Director Eugenia Moone at 541-929-3584, ext. 1411, or eugenia.moone@philomath.k12.or.us.
As of earlier this week, Moone and one student lifeguard were the only ones who could work during the day.
“We are doing a lot better for openings in the evenings right now,” Moone added. “We’re open at 6 a.m. every day and it just depends on the day of the week if we’re going to be open until 9 or until noon. Most of the time, if we’re closed right now, it’s because either there’s some chemical issue that popped up last minute, or myself or the other lifeguard got sick and we can’t have just one lifeguard in the building.”
Current programs include lap swimming, exercise classes, open recreation swimming and various challenges (see the pool’s website for details) but group swim lessons have been stalled.
“We are trying to get swim lessons back up and running,” Moone said. “Right now, I only have a couple instructors who are able to do privates (private lessons) with the swim team season and other things going on. We are hoping to bring group swim lessons back either in the spring or the summer, depending on staff availability.”
In the past, swim lessons were available through the school to Philomath fourth and fifth graders. Moone said the sessions would last a week or two to teach students “how to float and freestyle and just basic swimming and water safety.”
“Right now, we’re really struggling to figure out how we are going to adapt this program because with the two of us, we just can’t teach 30 kids at one time in the water,” Moone said. “I’ve done classes with 20 kids and just myself but you can’t get anything done.”
The school district had a modified version of the program for fourth and fifth graders during the 2022-23 school year, she said.
“We’re trying to get it up and running for this year but we’re trying to figure out all the logistics,” Moone said.
Moone hopes to have information about group swim lessons in late February or early March. There is a waiting list for the private lessons, she added.
