Outside Looking In
Let’s take a peek into what the future in Minneota might be like. It’s the summer of 2021, and as the sun bears down, the heat and humidity have wreaked havoc on little Jimmy and Sally’s comfort zone. These kids are getting increasingly bored and irritable because there is only one activity that will appease them on this sultry day. “We want to go swimming,” they echo one another. “Why can’t we go? We went all the time last year when it was hot out.”
Their mother tilts her head downward as she thinks back to her childhood days in the swimming pool in Minneota with her friends. “I’m sorry kids, but we can’t go swimming here anymore,” she begins to explain. “Minneota’s swimming pool is no longer open.”
That scenario is closer to reality than you think. Time continues to fly by, and before long, the city swimming pool may be just a distant memory of days gone by - when kids were laughing and splashing one another, learning how to swim, eating freeze pops from the snack bar, and generally just staying cool on a hot summer day. Yes, $265,000 isn’t chicken feed. That seems like a tremendous amount of money to resurface a pool in order for it to remain open.
Southwest Health and Human Services, which inspects the pool every spring, said the resurfacing repairs were necessary if the pool would be granted an operating license for the 2021 season. If the resurfacing target date is not met, the pool will become an empty memory.
The City of Minneota footed the bill to resurface the baby pool last spring, and because of the progress it showed toward making the necessary repairs, was given a reprieve of one year to resurface the adult pool.
Without additional donations, the City Council will need to decide whether it is in the public’s best interest to cover the remaining costs with General Fund monies, while also noting that this decision will directly impact the City of Minneota’s ability to fund other necessary infrastructure needs and projects.
Despite the relentless fundraising efforts of Amber Rodas and Steph Vlaminck, as well as members of the Pool Pals group, interest in helping the pool stay afloat is currently tepid. Helping someone or something in need is what has shown Minneota’s moxie in the past. Those involved in fundraising are very appreciative of the donations and support they have received for the project up to this point.
They feel very passionate about keeping the pool open and are hoping that the same support is shown this year. Last year, they organized an Adult Prom as one of the fundraisers for the resurfacing project at the pool and approximately 100 people purchased tickets to attend the event. Sadly, only a few have signed up so far for this year’s event, scheduled for March 28. Whenever there has been a benefit for someone with an illness, Minneota citizens are right there to pitch in and help by opening their checkbooks.
Whenever there are fundraisers for church and school groups, Minneota citizens are right there. This is a very giving and caring community, more than almost all others of its size.
Other communities in and around southwestern Minnesota talk about how this community comes together when there is a need.
This is definitely a need. The fundraising organizers admitted they have a long way to go to reach the monetary goal. For some reason, though, the community as a whole has not supported the efforts to raise the money needed to resurface the pool in order to keep it open. Perhaps only when it stands empty will the importance of a small town swimming pool sink in. There just aren’t that many things for kids to do in communities this size anymore.
Movie theaters and bowling alleys are an afterthought. When families look for places to live and raise their children, there are several determining factors; how they view the school, what churches the community has, and what activities are available for children and adults.
A swimming pool can be one of the determining factors. The more people a town gains, the better the chance for additional businesses going up, or existing ones remaining in place. Many fond memories have been made since the swimming pool first opened in 1966.
Many more will be made this summer. After that, however, it’s up to the community members to decide if the memories stop there. Signing up to attend this year’s Adult Prom is a big step toward helping this cause, but even bigger steps are needed.
THOUGHT FOR THE WEEK: In matters of style, swim with the current. In matters of principle, stand like a rock.