There are a few more lights to hang and finishing touches to be added, including a special secret accent, to make the Jean Roberts Natatorium at the Brad Akins YMCA in Winder ready for its opening celebration.

A soft opening is planned for Sept. 2, with the Labor Day weekend bringing a community weekend during which the pool will be open to the public. A community open house celebration will be hosted from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 4. Come and enjoy pool games, food and fun.

On Tuesday, Sept. 7, the official ribbon-cutting ceremony will be held at 5 p.m.

Meredith Green, a three-time NCAA Division I Swimming finalist and All-American, is the new aquatics director at the Brad Akins YMCA, and the new indoor pool, the Jean Roberts Natatorium, is one of the bodies of water she’ll oversee.

Work is wrapping up on the pool which will be filled with water in time for the special opening.

Green said she is excited about the possibilities the indoor pool will add to the Y’s offerings.

The preliminary schedule features time slots for morning, mid-day and evening swim lessons.

Aqua Sculpt and Aqua Cardio as well as Silver Splash can be enhanced with the opening of the new indoor pool.

The swim team has a 4:30-7:30 p.m. block of time Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday, with open/family swim and lap swimming available during the week and on Saturdays.

Meredith Green just wrapped up her first week as the new aquatics director, and is looking ahead to how the Y can expand its reach to the community as many have awaited the completion of the indoor pool.

The University of Florida graduate is taking some good-natured ribbing in Bulldog country and is even entertaining Stringfellow’s idea of showing the Georgia-Florida game for Y members floating in the indoor pool.

Her office is positioned so she can see the activities going on in both the indoor and outdoor pools. Having formerly been responsible for six bodies of water, the two will be a welcome change.

Green was formerly assistant head of aquatics at Life Time Fitness at Sugarloaf where she created and coached the first swim team and masters swim team. She also assisted with development of swimming lessons and schedules for other programming and activities.

She has also coached the Country Club of Roswell’s swim team and assisted with coaching duties for the Dynamo Swim Club of Atlanta.

"We are glad to have Meredith onboard," said President & CEO Kurt Stringfellow. "We feel fortunate to have someone of Meredith’s experience and talent" especially since she was invovlved with the Dynamo Swim Team in Atlanta.

While at the University of Florida, her swimming team had four NCAA Top 8 finishes. She was team co-captain for the 2004-05 season. She was a three-time NCAA Division I swimming finalist and All American and was ranked in the top 25 in the World from 1997-2005. She was a two-time qualifier at the U.S. Swimming Olympic Team trials.

For Stringfellow, the Jean Robert Natatorium is the realization of the dream that is made even grander by all those members, donors and community residents who are now sharing that dream.

Stringfellow points to the many who have been involved in making the dream grow. Brad Akins, Chris Maddox, Diane Brantley and Jean Roberts, the members and donors are just a few of those who had a hand in this.

"Now, on the pool, we can hand if off to Meredith," said Stringfellow. "It’s exciting to build new stuff but the lives to be touched and mission work the Y is supposed to do is even more exciting."

Stringfellow said it’s now being given to Meredith to foster that work. The celebration of the new pool is grand but what work will come from it in years to come -- the lives to be touched, inspires.

"I want to say thanks to those who have helped to make this project happen as they can share in knowing they were part of that and the impact on the lives of other people," said Stringfellow.

Pointing back to 1994, the vision to develop the Y about evolved from the desire for an indoor pool. That first step would not have been possible without Judge Clyde Thomas and his dream.

In spite of the recession/depression, the indoor pool is being constructed with a lot of help from donors. Stringfellow urges all to come and celebrate. "A lot of people were a part of making it happen," he said.

With the celebration near, Green is turning her focus on what she is going to do with the pool.

Opening at 5 a.m., the pool will be the location for water aerobics and swimming lessons. Involvement with the swim team will be available for younger and older swimmers.

Families will have time to enjoy the pool together on weekends and plans are being made for special Friday evening activities.

Movie nights, parents’ nights out, father-son and mother-daughter events are envisioned.

Giving families an opportunity to get into the pool together and help connect parents who may be uncomfortable playing baseball or soccer with their kids.

The board room has been remodeled into a versatile space which can be a party room and lobby overlooking the new pool. There parents and grandparents can watch children at play in the pool and be behind the glass window without fear of being splashed.

With the added amenities of the indoor pool, families will have even more options for working out and for other activities at the Y throughout the year.

For the full story, pick up the Sunday edition of the Barrow County News.