Document text
0 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? e-edition | subscribe | newsletter | deals Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » NEWS NOW Medical marijuana growers in Jackson County fly under radar ... With the pot grows come the gripes: County already fielding complaints ... Butte Creek Mill raises $100,000 toward $2.5 million cost of rebuild ... Medical marijuana growers in Jackson County fly under radar ... With the pot grows come the gripes: County already fielding complaints ... Butte Creek Mill raises $100,000 toward $2.5 million cost of rebuild ... GUEST OPINION Guest Opinion: Medford still needs an indoor swimming pool Comment By Larry Hildebrandt MailTribune.com By Larry Hildebrandt Posted May. 8, 2016 at 12:01 AM By Larry Hildebrandt Posted May. 8, 2016 at 12:01 AM » Social News Build it, and they will come! It worked in the movie “Field of Dreams” and it also worked for Medford’s US Cellular Community Park. But will it work for a long needed community swimming pool? In 1988, by a couple of hundred votes, Medford narrowly defeated a bond measure that would have given the community a great year-round swimming facility at Bear Creek Park. Our committee then was deeply disappointed in the results. We were so close. In hindsight, it may have been the best result considering what was going to happen to the valley. Who could have anticipated the dramatic valley population growth? Who could have anticipated the closing of the long course Hawthorne pool and the closing of Southern Oregon University’s pool? Who could have anticipated the tremendous growth of aqua fitness classes for seniors? We would have needed a larger pool! As former Superintendent of Schools, Dr. Steven Wisely then stated, “No youngster should ever drown from not being able to swim. We can see to that with an indoor pool and an opportunity to teach school children to swim”. As former Medford Mayor Jerry Lausmann then stated, “We used to have a year-round indoor pool in the 1930’s. It’s time we had one again”. Their reasons are as valid today as they were in 1988, perhaps more so when you consider today’s fewer pools, increased population and increased aquatic uses. There is one statistic I like to share with you from our 1988 study. Medford was the only Oregon city over 20,000 in population that did not have at least one regulation indoor public swimming pool. I can think of dozens of reasons as why the community would want to have an indoor year- round swimming facility, but the need must be balanced against the cost. If it were free, who would object? Well, it will not be free. There are two types of costs for an aquatics center. First, there are the construction costs. In 1988, it was estimated to be about $ 3,700,000, which is a bargain by today’s standards. However, that was 28 years ago. My advice — do not skimp. This new aquatic center may be the only one built for a number of years. As my mother once told me when buying furniture, buy the best quality you can afford as it will turn out to be the best value. The second cost is the annual maintenance cost. In 1988, we analyzed public pools to see what their deficits were and how the cities managed them. We also looked at factors contributing to the deficit (pool design, heating systems, fee schedules, programs or lack thereof, etc.). The good news was that our committee found many ways to minimize the annual costs. Why am I writing this commentary? To urge Medford city officials and/or School District 549C leaders to make an indoor aquatics facility a reality. If you lead, you will have many, many grateful followers (and some will help with the process)! Larry Hildebrandt is a former member of the Medford Parks Commission and was chairman of the Citizens for a Better Medford committee, which led the 1988 pool campaign. By Larry Hildebrandt MailTribune.com By Larry Hildebrandt Posted May. 8, 2016 at 12:01 AM » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Southern Oregon Directory Featured Businesses Loading... Business Name address Location, ST | website.com Find Southern Oregon Attractions Bars Restaurants Beauty Salons Entertainment Doctors Medical Specialists Contractors Education Lawn Services Lawyers Shopping Travel Tanning Used Cars Wedding Services ▼ Add your business here + Events Calendar Connect with MailTribune.com Facebook Twitter RSS Back to top Reader Services Reader Services Home Subscriptions Subscriber controls Contact us Submissions Photos Events Letters to the editor Corrections Announcements Obituaries Story ideas Since you asked Alerts Email Alerts RSS Feeds Text Alerts Advertise Media Kit Home Products and services Ad rates Advertising contacts Propel Marketing Mail Tribune Daily Tidings The Nickel Shop Our Valley Blogs Mobile Site Stay Informed Email newsletter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Your privacy is important, read our privacy policy. © Copyright 2016 Local Media Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms of Service | Local Media Group Publications Original content available for non-commercial use under a Creative Commons license, except where noted. MailTribune.com | P.O. Box 1108, Medford, OR 97501