DECATUR - As a teenager, Jane Sarver couldn't wait to get to the Decatur Surf Club.
"I got in the habit of taking my swimsuit to work," she said, eliminating the need for any unnecessary pit stops that would delay her arrival at the pool.
Now 63, Sarver still has vivid memories of Friday night teen dances, Fourth of July fireworks and spending summers with her friends.
Several decades have passed, but Sarver's love for the pool hasn't changed.
The Decatur woman still can be found lounging by the pool on most summer days, her grandchildren in tow, waiting for the lifeguard to announce an adult swim and the few minutes of peace it will bring for her to cool off in the water.
"But you better be ready to get out of the way," Sarver said.
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The kids, she points out, usually hover around the edge, waiting to jump in when adult swim ends. It's the least Sarver would expect. She did the same thing when she was younger.
It's that connection with the past, that fun family atmosphere, that resonates with Sarver and a host of others who take time to comment on the "Good times at the Surf Club" page on Facebook.
Tapping into those memories, and helping people create new ones, is the goal of Dan and Erin Janvrin, who purchased the pool five years ago soon after their return to Decatur.
The facility offered two things they were looking for: a place to live and a summer job that would allow Erin to stay at home with their family. The couple have two daughters, ages 4 and 7.
It didn't hurt that Dan had an intimate knowledge of the facility. He, too, spent many summer days at Surf Club when he was a kid living in South Shores.
The Surf Club, built in 1959 by Wally McCane, includes three pools of varying depth and a pool house. The lower portion houses the snack bar and locker rooms. The Janvrins live on the second level, offering them a bird's-eye view of the pool and the mostly wooded area, once part of a nine-hole golf course, that surrounds it.
They took over a facility in desperate need of repair.
Their immediate attention went toward things the club's members couldn't see: plumbing and electrical repairs. With the infrastructure in place, their attention switched to the public areas that were showing their age.
"We've painstakingly rebuilt it from the ground up," Dan said. "We gutted the lobby and snack bar, brought in all brand-new lounge chairs, replaced everything in the locker rooms. It's been quite the process."
But the investment of time and money are beginning to pay off.
Membership has doubled to about 400 since they took over.
"The more you put into it, the more you get out of it," Dan said.
He also attributes the growth in and around Mount Zion and the quality of the school system with attracting more young families to the area. Young families are the most likely candidates to take advantage of their facility.
Erin said she talks with lots of women who enjoy the opportunity to get out of the house and interact with other women while their kids play with friends.
While the Janvrins boast about their Toasty Burger, a grilled cheese/hamburger combination, they understand eating at the snack bar every day could be a little costly, That's why they allow their members to bring in outside food and drinks.
Responding to member requests, activities and improvements keep coming.
New this year is an outdoor patio ideal for hosting gatherings of up to 40 people. They'd like to add more water attractions, like a slide, but insurance concerns have thrown cold water on those ideas.
Harkening back to its past, the Janvrin's will host their second Freedom Fest during the Fourth of July weekend. This year's event will double as the facility's 50th birthday bash.
"The weekend will include games, contests and swim races," Erin said, just like they did when the pool originally opened.
"It's one of the few things people still do that they did 50 years ago," Erin said of the pool. "Coming here is like stepping back in time, to the best times."
Decatur Surf Club
WHERE: 3180 Sandcreek Road, Decatur
CALL US: 423-5459
EMPLOYEES: 21
THE BOSS: Dan and Erin Janvrin
BIRTHDAY: 1959
THE PITCH: The Decatur Surf Club is open from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. every day from Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day. The facility features three pools, diving boards, swim lessons, a full snack bar, picnic grounds and more.
ON THE WEB: www.decatursurfclub.com
