There are some things that you can control, but then there are others, such as the weather.

For instance this weekend, the City of Hartselle opened its new $3 million Hartselle Aquatic Center. Great detail was taken to make sure the new pool was completed by Memorial Day weekend. City leaders did that.

Then for the grand opening weekend, workers made sure everything was in place for the grand opening from having the pool properly staffed including lifeguards, concession stand workers and ticket window workers to having all of the deck chairs and picnic tables in the right place.

The city did everything it could to make sure the opening weekend was perfect. The only thing they couldn’t organize was the weather.

With any outdoor parks such as the Aquatic Center, one of the biggest question marks is the weather.

For outdoor events, it could ruin attendance or it could help you be successful. There’s no way to know what you’re going to get.

Fortunately, the Good Lord took care of that for the city making sure the skies remained clear of rainfall. He also turned up the heat a little bit to make sure that the pool felt extra good.

All of that translated into a perfect opening weekend for the Aquatic Center – record attendance for Memorial Day.

That kind of makes me think someone must be living right in the city. It’s a beautiful facility, something that we can be proud of. And if we have this kind of success the rest of the year, I think it might be one of the few public pools that pays for itself.

Brent Maze is the managing editor of the Hartselle Enquirer.