LIMA, Ohio (WLIO) – The first splash has been made at the new Lima Community Aquatic Park.
A handful of children jumped in Saturday morning, eager to be the first in the pool as families and city officials gathered for the park’s official opening. The facility features an indoor multi-purpose lap pool with a retractable roof, a family activity pool with water slides, and a shallow-water sprayground designed for young children.
“It's really warm. It's just nice,” said Deontray Forrest, one of the first kids to test the water. “Yeah, I’m glad I came to be the first one in the pool.”
Families said the park has been a much-needed addition to the community.
“I'm so excited about this. It's been a long time coming,” said Yvette Gordon, who brought her daughter and grandchildren to the opening. “We need something like this for our kids. They didn’t know it was going to be a big to-do, so they were a little bit nervous. But yeah, you see they are not getting out.”
The water slides quickly became a favorite among the crowd.
“At first it's really slow, and then it starts speeding up, which makes it really fun,” said Maya Mbanya. “You go in a lot of loop-de-loops, but then you change directions when you go in the loops.”
Leo Wright agreed, calling it the perfect ride. “It’s a nice speed. I like how it’s not too fast, but not too slow. And I like how big it is. At the end, you fall into the pit, which I like, but I don’t like how bumpy it is.”
The Lima Community Aquatic Park will be open Sunday from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. The outdoor family pool will also be open on Labor Day from noon to 5 p.m.
