When Do Lawrenceville Pools Open for the Season?

Gwinnett County officials also have some tips for "safe swimming."

Another prime summer activity -- swimming -- will be available to Gwinnett residents beginning this weekend. County officials have announced that Gwinnett public pools will open on Saturday, May 25. The county has several pools that are located around the area. Of course, there also are private pools, as well as swimming areas at Lake Lanier. So the county website has some tips for safe swimming, courtesy of Gwinnett Fire. To find a pool near you, click here.

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YMCA, Bethesda Park Swimming for Record

Both pools in Lawrenceville, Ga. will be trying to break the record for the World's Largest Swimming Lesson.

  Summer is just days away now and kids are already playing in pools and families taking trips to the beach. With swimming safety in mind, the J.M.Tull YMCA is teaming up with Safe Kids Gwinnett as a new host of the World's Largest Swimming Lesson. They'll join the Bethesda Park Aquatic Center as the two locations in Lawrenceville this year. People across the world, in over 45 states and 13 countries will take part in the record setting attempt. In 2011, the record was set with over 20,000 people diving in at the same time.  The event is not only about fun, but also safety.  According to Safe Kids Gwinnett, drowning is still the second leading cause of accidental, injury related deaths for children under the age of 14. If children ages one…

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Celebrating 100 Years of Building Friendships and Confidence

Seniors marked the Girl Scouts' 100th anniversary by reminiscing over tea.

  Sashes, songs and s’mores brought about a dozen senior women back to their childhood.  Girlish laughter filled the Bethesda Park Senior Center as these women celebrated the Girl Scouts’ 100th anniversary with a tea on Tuesday. Marie Wright of Buford proudly displayed her sash full of badges. “I was a Girl Scout starting as a Brownie in second grade.” Wright joined as a child near Palm Beach, Florida. She then continued with the Scouts through high school, in college and has served as a Girl Scout leader and a volunteer. Wright has been with the organization now 31 years and counting.  Over that time, Wright has seen the organization evolve. “The Girl Scouts are constantly updating. So they are constantly changing to meet the needs of the…

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Seen on the Scene

Girl Scouts Reunite

Bethesda Park Senior Center hosted the reunion in honor of the Girl Scouts' 100th Anniversary.

  Former Girl Scouts and Scout leaders gathered at the Bethesda Park Senior Center Monday to celebrate the organization's 100th anniversary. They came together to share memories, sing songs, play games and have tea and cookies. Here the group sings one of the Girl Scouts songs. Lawrenceville Patch will have more on this story.

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Your Old Christmas Tree Could Help Beautify Gwinnett

Gwinnett County will be collecting old Christmas trees at several locations.

Christmas will be here and gone before you know it. And once that tree comes down, you can give it new life by helping keep Gwinnett County beautiful. Gwinnett Clean & Beautiful is asking you to donate your old trees to their annual "Bring One for the Chipper" tree recycling campaign. The trees will be turned into mulch to use in locations throughout the county. From December 26th and January 16, 2012, Gwinnett County residents can take their undecorated Christmas trees to one of several locations for recycling. In Lawrenceville, they include: For a list of other locations in Gwinnett County, please click here. On Saturday, January 21st the collected trees will be taken to Bethesda Park, where they will be shredded. Much of the mulch will …

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Senior Prom

Seniors danced the day away at an annual event.

Gwinnett Senior Services recently held a Senior Prom at the newly renovated Bethesda Park Senior Center. Although it had been several decades since these seniors attended their high school proms, they still had a great time dancing and enjoying music and food with their friends. 

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Bethesda Park Senior Center to Reopen Today

The center underwent major renovations over the summer.

The Senior Recreation Center at Bethesda Park is set to reopen to the public today. The 20 year old center was the first of its kind in Gwinnett County. It is opening its doors again after undergoing major renovations this summer. Renovations to the Senior Center were funded by the 2005 Special Local Option Sales Tax (SPLOST). The upgrades include the replacement of lighting and plumbing fixtures with more energy-efficient models, countertops, cabinets and reception desk, as well as new floor, ceiling and wall coverings. The center also received a new commercial-grade kitchen with money provided through the federally funded Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) program.

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Swimmers from Gwinnett to Germany Try to Break a Record

Bethesda Park was one of the international sites for World's Largest Swimming Lesson.

Splashes and smiles filled the pool at Bethesda Park’s Aquatic Center in Lawrenceville Tuesday. Thirty-seven swimmers came out to the Gwinnett County pool to take part in the “World’s Largest Swimming Lesson.” This group made up just a tiny fraction of the record seekers across the globe—from Lemont, Illinois to Lawrenceville, Georgia to Hamburg, Germany and beyond. “Facilities all over the world will hold the same lesson simultaneously,” explained Kristin Hahn, aquatics director at the center. “And we’ll attempt to break the world record while promoting drowning prevention and water safety.” According to the Centers for Disease Control, drowning is the second leading cause of all unintentional injury deaths in children between the ages of…

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Bethesda Park Aquatic Center Hopes to Break a World Record

Bethesda Park will be one of the sites of the World's Largest Swimming Lesson Tuesday.

The Aquatic Center at Bethesda Park hopes to be filled to capacity Tuesday with swimmers taking part in the World's Largest Swimming Lesson. Other swimming centers all over the world will be holding the same 45 minute swimming lesson at the same time. The swim is also to help promote awareness about drowning prevention. Drowning is the second leading cause of unintended, injury related death of children ages 1-14 in the United States. More than one in four fatal drowning victims are children 14 and under. Also, research shows if a child does not learn to swim before reaching the third grade, they probably never will. Fox 5 Atlanta's Morning Show is also scheduled to be on hand to broadcast the event. The pool will open at 7am in time for …

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Bethesda Park to Host World's Largest Swimming Lesson

You too can be a world record holder by taking part in this event.

Grab your bathing suits and head to Bethesda Park's Aquatic Center on Tuesday June 14th. Gwinnett County Parks is one of the Official Host sites of the World's Largest Swimming Lesson on that day. The event runs from 11am until noon. Last year, over 4,000 people took part in the inaugural event, which was held in 34 states, five countries and three continents. This established the Guinness World Record for the largest simultaneous swimming lesson ever conducted, and organizers hope to beat 2010's numbers. Not only will participants receive a World Record Breaker Certificate, but they will also help promote awareness about drowning prevention. Drowning is the second leading cause of unintended, injury related death of children ages 1-14 in …

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