UPDATE:
Parks spokesperson Dewey Potter reveals the cold hard reality:

I wish we could! We budget very carefully for our outdoor staffed summer programs (pools, beaches) by assuming that there will be a certain number of dates we won’t open because of the weather.

 

As the weather this summer was so good overall, we met that number of dates exactly and don’t have any funds left. The other issue is that most of our lifeguards are students who have returned to school or college.

 

I’m sorry, and wish we could stay open longer.

 

Dewey

Original Report:
Maybe it’s not the most pressing issue on the Hill but it does fall into one important category: Seems like it’s something it wouldn’t be too hard to do something about. This weekend past was supposed to be the final opportunity for Capitol Hill kids to play in one of our parks’ wading pools or splash features. Instead, it poured rain and, we found out, the wading pools don’t even think about opening if the forecast calls for temperatures below 70.

So, that’s it. The 2009 pool season is over. But check this:

Forecast from Weather Underground

We need an emergency wading pool season extension. This week is going to be hard enough on the kiddies. E-mail out to Parks to see what’s possible.