I read in the paper that they can not get lifeguards for both the Wibaux and Oasis Pool and are considerings doing it again without them if they can not get any hired. I also read the comments from our City Council who some said it worked out without the lifeguards last year. I have my own opinion but would like to hear from other members from our community.

My opinion-I know, from hearing from my kids, that everytime they went to the Oasis to swim that our very own police were called out many of times to handle disputes between teenagers. So I feel that if we cannot get lifeguards then close it. Wibaux pool has parents who take their little ones to swim so I think that should stay open as long as children under the age requirement have a parent with them.

I have a question to anyone at the council who can respond. Has anyone spoke to Robin Hogan, fun2u, about working together on getting a real pool?

I haven't went through last years post. I also don't make it down to City Council meetings because of being a working mom to put my opinion in. So I hope that you all look at all the facts. Not just by thinking you thought it went well.

Just thougt I would get other opinions. Thanks.
Ryan's wife

I read in the paper that they can not get lifeguards for both the Wibaux and Oasis Pool and are considerings doing it again without them if they can not get any hired.

Is the labor pool that tight? Pay that poor? Job requirements that onerous? What gives?

We really liked the Oasis, which I know is something fewer and fewer people say. We liked the sand, the view of Riverside Park, even the dreaded ducks. I have to stress the "liked" part, because the trips to the pool last year without any type of supervision were most unpleasant. When I had to break up a fight, after enduring lots of foul language and watching some kid swimming in the deep end who looked like he was about to go under at any moment, I decided to pass on the Oasis for the remainder of the summer. I do feel for the city as they are trying to get guards and a manager (and no I have no interest in managing the pool), so my best wishes. As for the comments about things going well last year, I would say we were lucky no one drowned or was seriously injured.

But, what have I done to help? Nothing, so I'm part of the problem as well.

who do I talk to about a job there this summer?

> who do I talk to about a job there this summer?

http://www.milescity.com/...fpid=82693

http://www.milescity.com/...fpid=82691

My kids...who were lifeguards in the past...are going down to the city on Monday to put in their apps....they've also gotten some friends that will be going down to put in their apps as well. Hopefully we'll get enough interest and we can get some high school and college kids employed for the summer and Miles City parents can feel good about letting their kids swim at the Oasis this year.

I agree with Ryan if we can't get lifeguards then close the Oasis. What makes anyone think that a new pool wouldn't have the same problem with getting lifeguards. I hope that T Brown's kids get hired and that others apply and are hired as well., the Oasis is a beautiful place to spend a summer afternoon swimming and having fun and it would be a shame to close it.

I also think that Spotted Eagle should have designated areas for swimming. I know the area on the south end of the lake has been designated for a beach/swimming area but how about the other parts of the lake that should be fishing only...the only other area that is suited for swimming is the area that looks like beach on the north west part of the lake by the west side restrooms.

About those restrooms...they need to be torn down and replaced with usable ones. The stench coming from them is unacceptable. I thought they had fixed that problem but it's still there. I saw them pumping it out last fall but it did nothing for the odor...Gross! Ewwww!

I'm shocked to hear that the pool was open but without life guards. I'd be afraid of the liability issues if someone got hurt. Even when "At Your Own Risk" signs are posted there is still an issue. Come on, Miles City! Get it together and clean up the pool. It's one of the first things you see when coming into town.

Has anyone ever consider money issues? Times are getting "tough". Miles City still needs to get or fix the firetruck that was damaged in the March fire. Did you notice the big new water tank on carbon hill, even though some of that was grant dollars, but not all of it. There are streets that need to be repaired. Old pipes that need to be repaired. Cuts are going to have to be made and the Oasis is NOT a necessity in Miles. If the youth in Miles City want to have a pool to swim in so bad, would it be too much for them to act responsible while swimming for a summer? Kids will be kids though but I don't think the city should pay for a babysitting service at the pool.

A few suggestions might be to have an officer to frequent checks or drive bys. How about a fund raiser over bucking horse sale? Don't get me wrong I would love to see the pool open and lifegaurds on duty but... we can't have it all.

Part of the problem is where do the lifeguards come from? As mentioned in an earlier post somewhere, in the past guards tended to be swim team members. With no swim team, the feeder program is gone. It's not that the city isn't trying, there just doesn't appear to be many qualified people out there to fill the positions.

The Lifeguards come from the high school and college kids looking for work. They go to the city or job service to apply. When they are hired they go through lifesaving classes and CPR training. Not all of the Lifeguards are on the swim team...as a matter of fact, very few are on the swim team. It's not just from not having enough interest in being a lifeguard....thats certainly not the case....there were other issues two years ago that caused the kids to not want to be lifeguards last year, (and this is not the time or place to bring up old issues). Hopefully those old issues are taken care of and the Oasis will be fully staffed with well trained Lifeguards on duty. I wish them all good luck.

T Brown,

Well that's true, I do remember a number of kids in later years that weren't on swim team. I would think it would be a pretty good summer and job and, like you say, I hope high school and college kids take advantage of it.

Both of my high school kids are going to apply this year. There really needs to be lifeguards down there this year due to all the problems they had last year.

Another issue is what jobs are available. When we were young, lo those many years ago, there was Dairy Queen for Catholics, A&W for Protestants and maybe work for your parents if they had a job for you. No Wal-Mart desperately needing warm bodies to fill job slots. No Wendy's, McDonald's, Taco John's, Pizza Hut et. al.

Working at the pool requires actual job skills and considerable responsibility. There is no on-the-job training to learn how to swim or perform CPR. You have to know how when you apply. Lots of kids prefer a job with little responsibility and less stress.

Plus, when we were kids, working at the pool was cool! I have no idea what is cool (sick) today but I suspect hard work is not on the list.

This is what happens when you actually develop your natural resources.

http://www.gillettenewsre...news11.txt

So are there going to be life gaurds this year or not? I would think that people would want to start talking about it about now so everything can be in place when the weather gets good enough to open the oasis.

Money might be the problem. Think at $7.50(state min), why would someone what to be in the heat, and bake all day? What about sitting in the AC at McD's for $9.50+. Rais the pay to get more people to apply, or shut it down. Save the city the time that the cops waist and save the city the law sute that will happen(they always do!).

I might go back and lifeguard this year im not sure yet.

Richard, what resources are in Custer county that could be developed? Gillette is fortunate to have vast deposits of coal, but the MC vicinity has nothing of equal.

It is nice the Gillette has a big pool, but the bottom line is that Gillette is the Glendive of Wyoming.

Richard, what resources are in Custer county that could be developed? Gillette is fortunate to have vast deposits of coal, but the MC vicinity has nothing of equal.

There are mineral resources in the MC vicinity that can be developed.

It is nice the Gillette has a big pool, but the bottom line is that Gillette is the Glendive of Wyoming.

First of all, I have never bought the concept that Glendive is really all that bad. Even so Gillette is a MUCH nicer community than either Glendive or Miles City. This isn't your fathers Gillette, anymore. If you are looking for the armpit of the earth, I suggest Zuni, NM, RedCloud, NE or Butler, MO.

Ah, summer time talk.

Reality check. Still winter. Now, if we're talking water and a large body of water in the Denton Field area, my suggestion to you, for today -- grab your skates, your sleds (preferably an old metal runner if you have one, if not go find some old neighbor and ask to look in their garage), and head to the rink.

The weather is going to change soon enough and all that lovely ice is going to go away.

The warming house is open and afternoon temps. in the low 20s. Perfect.

Don't delay, skate today!

I don't know that I'd be willing to pay for a pretty indoor pool with a lot of landscape that looks post-apocalyptic.

I swam at the Oasis Pool last July while I was visiting Miles City and it was wonderful-my 5 year old made some friends her own age and mostly stayed on the beach building a sand castle and I did a little swimming close by. There were some teenagers there but they were just horsing around and not fighting. If they were cursing, it certainly wasn't so loud that any of the kids on the beach could hear it. It was hot that day and we really enjoyed the water. Also there was a lifeguard and as we were leaving there was a training session so I could see there were a lot of them. It was also a huge bargain to get in! Around here the least expensive admission fee for a pool is $4.

I would hope they wouldn't just close the only large public pool in town-it is HOT there in the summertime and the pool is a nice place to go with the kids to cool off from the heat. When I was a kid we spent many days there. I credit that pool with the fact that I am such a strong swimmer (my Mom never learned to swim because when she was a kid there wasn't a decent pool to learn in, and as a result she is always a little nervous around water).

We have a YMCA here, and while it is nothing fancy and the pool isn't all that big, it's a great place for my child to learn to swim. It's also indoor and pretty warm, so it's a great place to go on cold, rainy days. Doesn't Miles City Qualify for a YMCA? It seems like it would be a wonderful addition to the Community.

OK-now I'll let you get back to your talk about ice skating....

This thing is near my house.

We have one of those about 35 miles away, but at $32 for each person, we don't spend more than one or two days a summer there.

I must be getting old, too....when we went there a couple of years ago I rode all of the thrilling slides and felt like I had whiplash for 2 weeks afterwards. I think it was that ride that looks like a giant funnel that did me in-all that whipping around in ever smaller and ever faster circles until you go down the "drain"-fun in theory but the 2 weeks of not being able to turn my neck cured me of wanting to ever do that again (like I said-"old", lol!)

Yea, it is very difficult for the average family to afford going to a large water park on anything other than a very special occasion.

Just curious, what natural resources are in Custer County that could be developed on large scale terms like the coal in central WY? I don't qualify meth as naturally occurring.

Not sure that development would be at the scale of Gillette, but the PRB coalbed runs along way north into Custer County. Basically, Coal, Coalbed Natural Gas, Oil could all be developed.