Tentative opening date set for new Quincy Aquatic Center
CHERYL SCHWEIZER | Hagadone News Network | UPDATED 5 months, 3 weeks AGO
Senior Reporter Cheryl Schweizer is a journalist with more than 30 years of experience serving small communities in the Pacific Northwest. She began her post-high-school education at Treasure Valley Community College and enerned her journalism degree at Oregon State University. After working for multiple publications, she has settled down at the Columbia Basin Herald and has been a staple of the newsroom for more than a decade. Schweizer’s dedication to her communities and profession has earned her the nickname “The Baroness of Bylines.” She covers a variety of beats including health, business and various municipalities. | May 20, 2026 6:06 PM
QUINCY — Not only a new swimming pool but a new splash pad will be coming to Quincy this summer. Russ Harrington, Quincy parks and recreation director, said there are tentative opening dates for the new Quincy Aquatic Center and the park that includes the splash pad, although it may not be ready at the same time as the park.
“We’re getting close,” Harrington said.
The splash pad is one of the amenities in the new park at the intersection of Sixth Avenue and E Street Northeast. The park’s playground toys have been installed; Harrington said ground cover is the last piece for those toys, and it’s scheduled for installation within the next few days. The playground toys should be ready for use by June 1.
The splash pad requires inspection by the Washington Department of Health, Harrington said. That may take a little longer.
“There isn’t a lot left to do, but there’s a little bit left to do,” he said.
The splash pad is something entirely new for Quincy; previously the land was an undeveloped lot. Quincy has had a pool for a half-century or more, but it’s getting a completely new one. The planned date for opening is June 26-28.
Harrington emphasized that’s the target, but a target is all it is right now.
“We don’t have a hard and fast opening date,” he said.
There is still some work to be done on the pool, Harrington said, but getting the pool finished is only half the job. A new pool requires training for new lifeguards and retraining for experienced ones.
“We’ve got to train almost 30 new lifeguards,” Harrington said. “There’s a lot that’s going to be packed into the next five weeks.”
About 35-45 lifeguards will be needed for a full staff, he said.
Swimming lessons are tentatively scheduled to begin July 6. Signups for lessons will be open sometime in the next two weeks.
Construction of the pool follows the establishment of the Quincy Valley Regional Parks District, which has the same boundaries as the Quincy School District minus the Douglas County portion. The district also will own and operate the indoor arena known as the QPlex. That’s still in the design phase.
Chervenell Construction, Kennewick, was awarded a $15.7 million contract for pool construction.
The new pool design features a separate lap pool and water slide array. The lap pool will have a one-meter diving board, a rope swing and a climbing wall.
Three water slides have been installed, two that are 220 feet long and another that’s 190. One of the 220-foot slides is enclosed. They do not empty into the pool.
There’s a 48-inch height limit on the slides, and it will be strictly enforced, Harrington said.
“These are way different slides than the ones we’ve had in the past,” he said.
The zero-depth end of the pool has an elaborate toy for children who don’t make the height limit, with a triple slide, water spray features, water toys and a big bucket dumping water periodically.
“Everything is going to be fun in there,” Harrington said.
The new Quincy Aquatic Center will have an entirely new set of waterslides.ARTICLES BY CHERYL SCHWEIZER
Economic diversification crucial for Adams County's future, ACDC director says
OTHELLO — Kyle Niehenke, executive director for the Adams County Development Council, used the example of national companies to demonstrate some of the challenges of business development in a sparsely populated county.
Moses Lake City Council opts to forgo property tax increase
MOSES LAKE — While cities are allowed by state law to increase property taxes by one percent each year without a vote, Moses Lake City Council members opted not to raise that tax in 2027. What residents will pay in property taxes in 2027 was the subject of a discussion at Tuesday's council meeting, but Finance Director Sheila Danielson said city officials don't really know the answer to that question yet.
Samaritan projects budget deficit in 2027
MOSES LAKE — While Samaritan Healthcare is projected to make money through its operations in 2027, its bottom line will show a deficit of about $13.55 million. Samaritan Chief Financial Officer Darryl Wolfe said that reflects the construction of a new hospital, as well as a different approach to writing a budget. About $7 million of the loss will be what's called depreciation. An asset – a building, equipment or whatever it is – loses value as it ages, according to accountingcoach.com, and businesses have to account for that lost value. In Samaritan's case, depreciation required to show up as an expense, Wolfe said.