One good thing about the recent heat wave is an early opening for the City of Turlock’s Recreational Swim season. The city is hosting a Rec Swim Opening Day event from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. April 4, followed by open swim from 12 p.m. to 5 p.m. at the new Columbia Pool, 600 Columbia Ave.

The opening day event will include games and vendors and be an opportunity for families to complete the new City of Turlock Recreational Swim permission slip for all pool locations. All swimmers will need to have a completed waiver before entry to any city pool. Families can create a Community Pass account on the city’s website and fill out a form there for themselves and all children or fill one out in person at the April 4 event. Entry fees for the pool are $3 per adult and $1 per child.

It was almost a year ago that the city celebrated the grand reopening of the new Columbia Pool. The brand new Columbia Pool facility, with a  cost of about $9.1 million, covers 6,822 square feet with a deep end that is just over 8 feet. It also features ADA-accessible ramps, and a heating system. The renovation included new ADA compliant restrooms, concession stand and covered picnic areas on a revamped deck.