PLAY IN THE SPRAY

Pop-up spray events designed to help keep kids cool

POTTSTOWN » When the coronavirus epidemic made it necessary for safety reasons to close the Fountain of Youth Spray Park in Memorial Park this season, parks and recreation staff began looking for another way to keep kids cool.

As it turns out, a little bit of old school thinking did the trick.

Wednesday was the first of a set of weekly pop-up spray parks they are calling “Waterplay Wednesdays,” made quite simply — by partially opening up a fire hydrant.

They will be held at different locations, which are not announced until the day before.

Andie Graham, program coordinator for the Pottstown Parks and Recreation Department, said the idea is to ensure too large a crowd does not show up, so social distancing and small family groups can enjoy the water at less risk.

“We wanted to do something for the kids,” she said.

“We usually go to the splash park in the summer, so this was nice to have one not too far from home.”

— Eva Brooke

As word spread of the first one, held at the corner of Chestnut and North Washington streets, the surprise and delight could be seen on the faces of children and parents alike as they made their way toward the steady spray of water.

The location of each pop-up splash, which will be held every Wednesday through Aug. 26, weather permitting, will be announced every Tuesday on the department’s Facebook page.

“It gives the kids something to do,” said Pottstown Police Officer Zachary Robinson, who stopped by the watch the fun and looked like he wouldn’t mind cooling off himself.

“We usually go to the splash park in the summer, so this was nice to have one not too far from home,” said Eva Brooke, whose kids, Leon Hums, 13, and Ivabella Brooke, 10, urged her to accompany them and get wet. They got very wet.

Raven Jeter brought her 1-year-old daughter Dream, who found the water a little intimidating at first. But as she watched her cousins Genesis and Melanie Jeter laugh their way in and out of the stream, she warmed up to the idea of cooling off.

All were met by thoroughly soaked activist and mentor David Charles, who was not shy about showing how it’s done.

As a reporter pointed a camera at him, he yelled “Pottstown! Come on down!”

EVAN BRANDT — MEDIANEWS GROUP Pottstown Police officer Zachary Robinson, left, speaks with Ivabella Brooke, 10, Leon Hums, 13, and their mom Eva Brooke, during a pop-up spray park at the corner of Chestnut and North Washington streets Wednesday afternoon.

As word got out Wednesday about the open fire hydrant for “Waterplay Wednesday,” more and more neighborhood children showed up to enjoy it.

EVAN BRANDT — MEDIANEWS GROUP From left, Genesis, Jade and Melanie Jeter enjoy the water at the borough’s “Waterplay Wednesday” pop-up event.

Several of the children discovered the force of the water could make for a good back massage.

Eva Brooke coaxes her kids Leon Hums and Ivabella Brooke into the water Wednesday as David Charles offers encouragement.

Jade Jeter, left, and her sister Melanie nurse their eyes after staring straight into the water stream for too long Wednesday.

Genesis Jeter, left, and her sister Jade had different tolerances for the force of the water coming from the fire hydrant Wednesday.

Dream Jeter, 1, was a little intimidated by the water at first, but warmed up to the cool event after watching her sisters jump in and out of the water.

Genesis Jeter could not get enough of the water Wednesday.

Activist and mentor David Charles had no reservations about expressing his thoughts about the pop-up spray park the borough created for two hours at the corner of Chestnut and North Washington streets as part of a regular Wednesday program.

Some of the neighborhood children danced on the edge of the water’s edge Wednesday.