New mural spreads message of safety at Menlo Park Pool
$W firVW JODnFH, LW PDy MuVW ORRN like a typical pool safety painting, but when you look a little closer you wLOO finG HYHryWKLnJ KDV D rHDVRn IRr its placement.
Earlier this summer on June 10, a small 4-year-old girl found herself in trouble at Menlo Park Pool in Perkasie. She was pulled out of the water by a man who was next to her in the pool. Along with the lifeguard and two pool attendees who KDSSHnHG WR EH firVW rHVSRnGHrV, WKH girl was resuscitated and sent to the hospital. According to Perkasie Borough’s Assistant Manager Andrea Coaxum, the pool’s EAP (Emer- gency Action Plan) worked just they way it should have.
“:KHn WKH OLWWOH JLrO WRRN KHr firVW breaths the EMTs from the ambulance were on scene,” Coaxum said.
A few weeks later, the borough decided to fund a mural project that highlighted pool safety to adorn the bath house at Menlo Park Pool. It was to focus on the phrase, “Your children are priceless, watch them carefully.”
The shape of the pool’s “lazy river” is depicted in the mural and the fountain is placed where the water fountain is on the wall.
Nicole Sensinger, who has lifeguarded at the pool for the past
three summers, was chosen to work on the mural. A recent Bloomsburg rniversity graduate with a degree in teaching, Sensinger said she is enjoying the opportunity to portray pool safety to keep the kids at the pool even safer.
Her friend, Crystal Anderson, who has an associate’s degree in visual arts from Bucks County Community College, is also helping with the painting.
“I tried to cater to visual learners, also,” Sensinger said when describing the design. “Words and pictures relate to people differently. I think the images I chose are easy to relate to.”
None of the children are standing on the “lazy river” wall, one of the pool rules. There are a few other ruleabiding pool patrons if one looks for them in the mural, Sensinger said.
They hope to have the muUDL fiQLVKHG VHUY VKRUWLY DQG GHfiQLWHLY EHIRUH WKH HQG RI the summer, Sensinger said.
“I think we had a very successful summer at the pool,” Perkasie Borough Parks and Recreation Manager Joshua Aniskevich said. Some highlights included free swim lessons and a new effort to offer discounted rates to allow all community members to use the facilities.