InTucker Magazine

Ask Rip -June 2021

By the time you’re reading this, school will be out, Memorial Day will be over and Summer Camp will be in full swing at Tucker Recreation Center. You might remember I wrote my column last month about Summer Camp, and how excited we were to welcome your sons and daughters to our newly revamped program. I’m happy to announce the word spread quickly and we are now at capacity for most weeks of camp.

In full transparency, staffing this year’s camp was a struggle. It’s been a hot topic on the news lately about restaurants and other industries that are dealing with worker shortages. We ran into the same problem with this year’s Summer Camp. I can’t explain it, but I do know that, despite the struggles, we ended up with an impressive crop of camp counselors. We have teachers, caregivers, others who have extensive experience in child development. This will be a great group of adults to work with a great group of campers.

Now onto your questions! We got one via email from Ellen Griffith asking “Any plans to increase the number of tennis courts available in the Tucker area?”

This is a great question because tennis – and pickleball – is something we’ve been focused on since we assumed responsibility for our parks several years ago. Since that time, the courts at Henderson Park have been completely refurbished and lighting has been added, while we also acquired four new courts last year at Rosenfeld Park, which are scheduled for renovation in the Fiscal Year 2022 budget. This will add quality courts that can be better utilized. Do we have plans to add more? Not immediately. But as we look at our Parks Master Plan and weigh the popularity of both tennis and pickleball here in Tucker, that could change.

I’ll also add a note about our new partnership with Agape Tennis Academy. They are offering youth tennis lessons and pickleball clinics for adults right here in the City of Tucker. This is sure to drive development of our young players, as well as create more activity on our courts. It’s a real win-win for Tucker!

Onto a question I’ve been getting from every corner of the City: how can we sign up for season passes at the pool? It’s simple. Pool passes are selling online at www.tuckerga.gov/parks. It’s $175 for a family, $75 for an individual and $50 if you are a senior 55 and over or a military veteran. Daily passes are on sale, too, but that season pass is a bargain if you plan on visiting either Kelley Cofer Pool or Rosenfeld Pool on a weekly basis. 

We are so excited about summer swim season! A few years ago we debuted the splash pad at Cofer and this summer we debut an aqua swing. What’s an aqua swing? Get your membership and come find out! Also, at Rosenfeld, we are putting in a brand new waterslide. These new amenities are going to really enhance the guest experience at our Tucker pools this summer. I hope that you will join us and dive into summer!