During the summer, you may have missed the cool, refreshing wetness of the pool or the fast, exciting thrills of a waterslide, and you’re going to have to keep on missing them. Though the time to enjoy such activities has since ended, marked by sub-60-degree weather and thunderstorms, we can still look back in longing at what could have been offered by the Furman Aquatic Center. Labor Day was the scheduled opening date during early summer, but due to concrete pours failing to meet requirements, the opening date is now scheduled for May 29, 2010. According to Scott Hock, recreation supervisor for the city of Ames, “With new construction, there is always there is always the possibility of having to make adjustments. That being said, we are planning to test the system yet this fall, so we should be open May 29, 2010.” The $10 million Aquatic Center promises two waterslides, a waterfall, and a host of other attractions. There are sun structures for the not so aquatically inclined, and a plethora of changing rooms. “We are excited to offer a facility that appeals to a variety of ages,” said Hock, including “zero depth entry for small children, slides and diving boards for teenagers and the lazy river for children of all ages.” Before its opening in the spring, a few more pieces of the Furman Aquatic center need to be finished. “They are working on the landscaping around the facility, paving the parking lot and finishing up some detail work in the buildings.” said Hock. Construction problems kept the park closed during the summer, but most of the problems were weather related. According to Hock, “Last year the land around the pool (not the pool itself) was underwater so work had to be delayed. Then, this spring and early summer were extremely wet as well which slowed construction.” Despite the disappointment that the Parks and Recreation department, and surely the youth, may have felt about the park’s delays, we can still look forward to its opening on May 29, 2010. The Parks and Recreation commission is trying to build a quality aquatic center and have been “very happy with the quality of work on the Aquatic Center and hope to have a great facility of the citizens of Ames for many many years.”