Cool Pool Beckons in New Canaan

NEW CANAAN, Conn. – When a heat wave descends on New Canaan, Brandon Amezquita knows it’s time to take a dip.

The intense heat in town Thursday meant it was time for Brandon, 16, to make a move to the Waveny Park pool for a few hours. Better than walking around under a hot summer sun all afternoon, right?

“It was my mom’s idea,” said Brandon, who had been in the pool off and on for four hours on Thursday. “It’s a great idea. It’s hot in the house.”

It was also a nice time for Brandon to teach his little brother Jacob, 7, how to swim. Jacob had few fears with lying on his back in the 5-foot-deep waters with his brother in close range and while wearing his floating vest. “It’s cool,” Jacob said.

Bob Festo, aquatics director for the New Canaan Recreation Department, was prepared for a busy day as the temperatures soared. Most of the traffic tends to come after 3 p.m., Festo said, when summer camps wrap up for the day and people bring their kids out for a swim.

“Some people will bring their kids out for a swim, get a bite to eat and then go home and put their kids in their pajamas and come back,” said Festo, who has worked at Waveny and the swimming hole in Kiwanis Park since 2002.

With the temperatures expected to get even hotter Friday and Saturday, Festo said this weekend should be the busiest of the season for Waveny Pool. But he and his team of lifeguards are ready for it. He said the pool is probably one of the biggest values for New Canaan residents. “It’s a long day, but that’s why this place was built,” Festo said.

Will you be at Waveny Pool this weekend to escape the heat? Leave a comment below or share your cooling off plans on our Facebook page.

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