Keeping cool at the swum club
By: Michelle McGuinness
Tucked behind a row of trees and past a narrow wooden bridge sits the Cranbury Swim Club.
With temperatures still climbing, the swim club has become a favorite local getaway for many residents looking for a fun way to escape the heat.
The final day of June saw its share of visitors to the pool located between Cranbury Millstone Park and Ancil Davidson Road on Old Trenton Road thanks to warm temperatures and nearly cloudless skies.
Children lined up beside the 13-foot diving pool to watch as a man did back flips off the diving board. Others drifted around the shallower end of the pool on foam noodles or lounged in the shade at picnic tables.
The pool is a familiar and friendly place to cool off, some pool-goers said.
"Cranbury gives you that small town feel in the middle of New Jersey, which is rare," resident Vince LeDonne said as he lounged by the pool.
"It’s nice because whenever you come here you see your neighbors and friends," his wife, Susan, added.
While the couple relaxed, their daughter, Melissa, splashed around in the water. The LeDonnes said they, like many residents, visit the pool once or twice a week during the summer.
More people packed the poolside as the afternoon continued. Some dried off while playing basketball on the court beside the pool while others used the opportunity afforded by the clear skies to tan.
Resident Steve Rush came to the pool with his daughter, Hanna, to take advantage of the weather as well.
"We’re hoping the water’s warm today," he said, noting that rain earlier in the week had made the pool water cold even on hot afternoons.
Mr. Rush said he visits the pool a couple times a week when it’s open in summer for the chance to meet friends and enjoy the water.
Hanna said she liked everything about the pool, especially playing a game she and her friends invented called "movies," which is similar to red light green light.
Resident Claudia Maxey stayed in the shade rather than the pool itself while her daughter, Elizabeth, played in the water.
Ms. Maxey said one of the nice things about the pool is that her daughter can always find friends to play with while there.
"I find a lot of people that I know here too," she said.
Another good feature of the pool, Ms. Maxey said, is the food stand where people can order from the Americana Diner on Route 130 in East Windsor. The diner offers take out that can be delivered to the pool as long as the order meets a $15 minimum.
Ms. Maxey said this is a new feature for the swim club.
"I think everybody was excited about that," she said.
Despite the weather and the enthusiasm of the residents at the pool, lifeguards there said they had expected more people to be at the swim club on a warm Saturday afternoon.
"I’m actually surprised that there’s not more people here," said resident Shannon Krall, who is one of the pool’s head lifeguards.
She said June and July are usually busy months, especially because of holidays like the Fourth of July.
Ms. Krall said she’s been coming to the pool since she moved to Cranbury at age 1. She said her admiration of the lifeguards motivated her to eventually become one herself.
"It’s just nice to be outside instead of behind a register," lifeguard and resident Haley Andres said.
Haley said the pool’s opening and closing days usually attract large crowds. Opening day, which takes place on Memorial Day weekend, features snow cones, inflatable slides, games, and a DJ.
The pool is open daily until Labor Day from noon to 9 p.m. Information about becoming a member at the pool can be found at www.cranburyswimclub.com.

