I hope this email finds you healthy and safe.

Updates this week include: two swimmers per lane, resumption of outdoor classes, Youth Program Showcase, Website Calendar, and New Hot Water Tanks and related transition.

Two swimmers per lane – As previously reported, the Governor announced the easing of certain restrictions. I am happy to report that the easing allows us to return to two swimmers sharing a lane. It is our expectation that this expansion should ease the reservation system challenges that have been faced by swimmers during the 1-swimmer-per-lane restriction. We appreciate your patience during the restrictions. A few points:

• The change will go into effect on Monday, March 22 at our opening.
• We are maintaining the current 55-minute lane timing that we currently use.
• Reminder that the second swimmer to arrive must enter/start/stop intervals/exit from the opposite side of the pool.
  • As the “opposite side” is narrow with no room for tables, we will be placing hooks on the wall to permit swimmers to hand their masks/towels.
• At inception, we are going to maintain the one reservation per day policy to assure that all Members are gaining adequate access to the pool.
  • If our presumption about reservation easing is correct, we will expand to multiple swim reservations per day in the near term.

Outdoor Classes – After a challenging winter, happy to announce that we will be resuming our outdoor classes in the back of the Mason Street parking lot beginning Monday, March 22. We will be placing cones to block the back section when we have classes. Please do not park in the outdoor section when the cones are in place. We have more than adequate parking in the underground parking lot, the Putnam and Washington Avenue sides of the building. One can also park at the meters on Mason Street until 9 AM without the need to “feed the meter.”

Youth Program Showcase – We will be hosting a showcase of our youth programs on Saturday, March 20 from 2:30 – 4:00 PM in the Y Gym. The program is free and open to the public. Stop by to meet instructors, try classes or take a tour in advance of Spring Session registration that begins on Monday.

Website Upcoming Events Calendar – While I am happy to continue to share upcoming events in my periodic updates (as I did above with the Youth Program Showcase), it is more efficient to have a single point where one can find such items without having to refer to messages. In the lower right-hand corner of the website home page, we have started providing “Upcoming Events” in a calendar format.  In addition to the events displayed, you can select the “View Calendar” button at the bottom to look ahead beyond the items being shown. We believe it will be a helpful tool for planning your Y visits.

Hot Water Replacement – As we continue to improve the facility, we are replacing our domestic hot water tanks that provide the hot water for our faucets and showers throughout the facility. These water tanks are well beyond repair/useful life and an exposure item for us should they fail as we cannot remain open without hot water. We are replacing with a single tank that can heat water up to 10 times faster than the current configuration. We are beginning the replacement project on Saturday, March 20 by replacing one of the two existing tanks with our new water tank. During the transition, we will continue to have hot water but will have a reduced supply for the next 10-14 days. During this time period, you may note hot water shortage. Sorry for any inconvenience caused but upon completion, hot water should not be an issue for us.

Stay healthy and safe!

Michael Kelly,

Chief Operating Officer,

Greenwich YMCA