Just as we were all gearing up to leisurely beat the heat at the Webber Natural Swimming Pool, the unthinkable happened: an abrupt closure. Commencing Friday, July 26, this beloved local watering hole has put up the 'Closed' sign, not for maintenance, but because someone decided it was prime time to unleash a mysterious white substance into the azure depths.
The details are sketchy, but here's the scoop: witnesses caught an individual acting well outside the bounds of normal, tossing the unidentified white powder into the pool on Thursday. Park officials, not to immediately panic, collaborated with the Minneapolis Fire Department's hazmat team, regional chemical assessment experts, and the MN Department of Health to quickly figure out what they were dealing with and how to safely decontaminate.
As if that wasn't enough, the suspect apparently had quite the dramatic day out, accosting pool staff and patrons with threats and comments you wouldn't want your grandma to hear. The Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board (MPRB) had a little thank you note for the community, saying, "The MPRB thanks the public for their assistance in identifying the individual," after the person was found about two hours post-notice publication.
The MPRB is to softly redirect traffic, encouraging people to splash around at other pools and beaches in the Minneapolis park system. They can't say just yet when Webber will reopen, as it all hinges on the findings from their aquatic CSI team. Keep your flippers crossed and your eyes peeled for updates on the MPRB official website on when you can dive back in.
