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LAPLACE — Giddy sounds of youngsters frolicking in the refreshing waters of swimming pools and splash pads will soon be heard once again on the East and West banks of St. John the Baptist Parish.

Splash pads on both sides of the Mississippi River, which were recently put out of service because of electrical repairs, should soon reopen, Parish President Jaclyn Hotard said during the Parish Council meeting this past Tuesday. She expected the splash pad at Juan Anthony Joseph Park on the West Bank to have been completed by June 25.

Repairs at REGALA Park in Reserve and Thomas F. Daley Memorial Park in LaPlace should be completed within the next two weeks, as parts for the electrical repairs have been ordered, according to Hotard.

Council members also discussed the opening of the swimming pools, noting that the REGALA pool has been opened, the pool on the West Bank has remained closed. Hotard shut down rumors that have been circulating about the pool being closed for the entire summer because of leaks and a faulty sand filter.

West Bank resident Gary Watson addressed the council, saying he has been fielding calls as to why the pool is not open. He said activities such as swimming are important to the children of the parish because it gives them a better chance of staying out of trouble.

Along with the pool being closed, Watson was also disappointed the parish did not release any information to the public. Some Parish Council members, including District 1 Councilman Kurt Becnel, said they were not informed of the pool closure.

“You can imagine my surprise when (Watson) came to me,” Becnel said. “Somebody should have told me and we would have fought like hell to fix this problem.”

Hotard acknowledged the communication could have been handled better; however, it was supposed to be a quick repair that ended up being more complex after looking into it.

She said life-guard training for the West Bank pool is ongoing, and the facility should be opening soon.

According to Hotard, the leak in question has been there for a number of years and will be addressed. She said the parish has also encountered difficulty finding a company to repair the sand filter, but that also been resolved.