Plains group meets to discuss pool issues

Swimming pools aren't exactly a hot topic during the cold winter months, but a group of people got together last week at Clark Fork Valley Hospital to discuss the break downs of the E.L. Johnson Memorial Pool in Plains, the cost of keeping it open, and the prospect of constructing a new indoor pool.

The Plains swimming pool is nearly 50 years old and has shown constant problems over the last 15 years. Members of the Committee For Safe Swimming (CSS) organized a meeting last Tuesday in an effort to see if there is any interest in constructing an indoor pool facility to replace the aging Plains pool.

"We are raising a ton of money every five or six years cycle for something that's used 90 days out of year and sometimes that's a push, given repairs, and so we had a big idea that maybe we should look into an indoor pool and something that offers more then just three months out of the year," said Erika Lawyer, a member of CSS, a nonprofit organization established in 2002 to help raise money for repairs when the pool was threatened with a shut down.

For the second consecutive year, the pool opened late because of mechanical problems and now Plains Mayor Dan Rowan said it would take an estimated $30,000 to open the pool this summer. He said that last year the pool lost around 15,000 gallons of water each day because of leaks through the return lines below the concrete deck. In addition, the boiler had to be repaired. The pool budget this year is around $42,000, but about half of that goes to staff, such as lifeguards, he said.

Kathy Gregg, the CSS treasurer, said the organization has raised over $140,000 through fundraisers and donations since its inception, including giving the town $80,000 in 2011 for pool repairs. Gregg said that CSS money has paid for improving the pool and pool house and in addition residents have donated labor to keep the pool open.

Just over a dozen people from Plains attended the meeting, including hospital officials, the Plains Lions Club, Plains High School, Clark Fork Valley Hospital, the Sanders County Community Development Corporation, Dr. Andrew Ordelheide, and Commissioner Carol Brooker. Lawyer said the meeting's purpose was to get "feelers as to how much support" the CSS could get for the building of an indoor pool.

"I was very pleased with the turnout and the feeling of optimism," said Lawyer, who was also part of the Wildhorse Sports Association, a nonprofit group that raised money to construct several softball and soccer fields at the former Plains airport.

She said the success of the Amundson Sports Complex in Plains and the opening of the Paradise Center motivated her to look into a pool project. The sports complex and center were accomplished by donations of money and labor and through government grants. "When you see what those two groups have accomplished, it gives you hope that there is belief in what the people in this valley can pull off," she added.

No one spoke of where a new pool facility would be located or what it would cost. It was suggested at the meeting that perhaps an indoor walking path and an exercise room might be included. One person mentioned that maybe a facility could be modeled after the YMCA. "I was worried that the people in the room would say this is a crazy idea and this will never fly, however, I left feeling like there is real help in getting this accomplished," said Lawyer.

The Plains pool was originally built in the 1970s with the help of donations of funds and the property to provide a place for children to safely swim, other than the Clark Fork River. "I think the present pool has been a marvelous asset to the town and gives great credit to those who established it back in the early '70s," said Gregg.  "They stemmed the annual loss of young swimmers who were recreating in our beautiful river without the necessary skills to be safe there. The pool has been instrumental in training them how to do it safely," added Gregg.

Janice Hanson, CSS president, said she was pleased with the support of community members at the meeting. Hanson said the meeting was prompted by a request from the town for additional funds to repair the pool, something she said happens every four or five years. "It has been a dream of mine to have a community recreation center to provide fitness, after school activities and personal growth classes," said Hanson.

Her husband, Dr. Greg Hanson, president of Clark Fork Valley Hospital, attended the meeting and said a pool is a healthy activity for children and adults and could be especially helpful for people with impaired mobility, such as chronic diseases or someone with a weight problem. He also mentioned at the meeting that when the hospital is in the process of recruiting new medical staff, they are usually interested in family activities in the community.

"A community pool is generally one of the most available activities a community can have that is attractive to multiple age groups. No doubt that the absence of a community pool would be seen as a negative for many young families contemplating a move to Plains," he said.

Any type of construction of a new pool facility would be an expensive endeavor and challenging in a small community, but Hanson told the group in 2005, when the hospital looked to expand its facility by 23,000 square feet. He said the community eventually raised $1.25 million to get the job done.

"We were certainly pleased at the level of commitment that was shown for a valuable community resource. I think a dedicated and committed small community can accomplish anything it really decides it wants to," he said.

"It is my belief that there are people and organizations out there that would be willing to invest time, energy and money in an endowment and facility. It is the goal of CSS to pursue this big hairy idea to fruition or until the doors close," said Janice Hanson. 

"With the river in such close proximity, our kids need to know how to swim," said Lawyer. She said swimming and water aerobics offer health benefits to people with varying abilities, weights and physical limitations and has physical therapy benefits.

Nick Lawyer, who heads the Wildhorse Youth Soccer Association, said the nonprofit organization Love Futbol is interested in offering an indoor soccer space in Sanders County. "The connection with the pool is that soccer would be one major use of any multipurpose sports space built in Plains," said Lawyer.

Rowan said the technician that fixed the boiler called it a "dinosaur" and said it would likely need to be replaced in the near future, which would cost around $20,000. The CSS and the mayor will be meeting to find out what repairs are needed for the 2019 season, but members of the CSS see it as merely a temporary band aid. CSS plans to meet with community members and organizations again at the end of February or early March to continue discussions of an indoor pool facility. Rowan said they need to do any repair work between April and June to get the pool open on time this year.