Best public/nonprofit outdoor family aquatics center: Wellington, Fla., Aquatic Complex.(safety measures in swimming pools)

Charlie missed the turn to the park, but Francis and Jeanne didn't. These uninvited guests came barreling through the front entrance, threw two 8-tiered bleachers through a fence and knocked over two 10-foot tall canopies. Then they dumped nearly 10 trash bags of leaves into the pool and yanked out a fence separating the main pool from the sprayground, leaving it beyond repair. Finally, just for good measure, they created pipe leakage that caused water to overflow from the seams in the concrete surrounding the pool.

Criminals? Not quite. But these vandals, Hurricanes Francis and Jeanne, left the town in disarray in the beginning of autumn 2004, without power and without relief from the Florida heat.

But they didn't stop the city's aquatics complex from providing much-needed relief to residents. To beat the 80 percent humidity, the staff worked to open the pool as soon as possible after the storms passed. The facility continued to stay open on normal operating hours during the time. After the leaks were detected, the pool was drained and the source of the leaks fixed.

Despite the tumult, the facility never forgot the basics. It makes sure kids are kept safe with the "Pools in Schools" water safety presentation to students in the K-3 age group and teachers. And in an effort to promote a tight ...