HOW WE SEE IT Park Ends First Year With A Splash

From a strictly financial perspective, city oftcials can celebrate the fi rst summer experience with the Rogers Aquatic Center.

City oftcials said attendance exceeded their expectation. At times, the park hit its capacity of 1,100 people and visitors had to wait in line for admission after someone inside decided to leave.

While that might prove a little frustrating for would-be swimmers it’sevidence of high demand for what the water park has to off er.

After all expenses are accounted for, the center’s overseers anticipate making about $550,000 more than it took to run the place.

Some would call it profit. In the government world, they call it carryover.

The center cost about $13 million to build, so earning a half-million on revenue of $908,000 is a pretty good return for the first year. It’s a level of revenue that will allow Rogers to continue investing in amenities for the future and setting some back for the maintenance issues one can surely expect.

City oftcials plan to use some of that money to buy more lounge furniture, build an asphalt parking lot where a gravel lot is today and build a picnic area under trees on the property. Barney Hayes, park director, said carryover money for the next two years will be used to expand the park, perhaps by adding a wave pool or another “lazy river.”

We haven’t heard it much, and maybe we won’t, but it wouldn’t be a surprise if some of those folks who complained about the aquatic center’s admission price offered anew their suggestion to reduce the costs. Some predicted the center would be a bust with a $12 daily ticket, but its popularity has now been clearly demonstrated. There is value for what each entrant gets. If someone is looking for a basic pool experience, this isn’t it.

Rogers is doing this project right by putting money aside for maintenance and additional amenities.

Utilities are sure to go up. They do for everyone, but it’s also important to continue investing to keep the aquatic center a fi rst-class experience.

Rogers deserves kudos for the aquatic park and the regional sports park its taxpayers agreed to fi nance with 1 percent sales tax in 2011. Both appear to have met community needs, and they’re improving the quality-of-life experience in Rogers just as supporters hoped they would.

CASUALTIES OF WAR To honor the men and women in our armed forces and remind our readers of their sacrifi ces, the Northwest Arkansas Times is publishing Department of Defense announcements identifying Americans killed in active military operations.

Army Staff Sgt. Joshua J. Bowden, 28, of Villa Rica, Ga., died Aug. 31 in Ghazni, Afghanistan, of injuries sustained when enemy forces attacked his unit with smallarms fire while on dismounted patrol. He was assigned to the 242nd Ordnance Battalion (EOD), 71st Ordnance Group (EOD), Fort Carson, Colo.

Air Force Staff Sgt. Todd J. Lobraico Jr., 22, of New Fairfield, Conn., died Sept. 5 from wounds suff ered when enemy forces attacked his unit with small-arms fi re near Bagram Airfield, Afghanistan. He was assigned to the 105th Security Forces Squadron at Stewart Air National Guard Base, N.Y.

Army Staff Sgt. Robert E. Thomas Jr., 24, of Fontana, Calif., died Sept. 13 at Brooke Army Medical Center, Fort Sam Houston, Texas, of wounds suffered during a non-combat related incident on April 21 in Maiwand, Afghanistan. He was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 36th Infantry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, Fort Bliss, Texas.