|
Children enjoyed one of the final days of swimming last Friday at the Bessey pool at Halsey National Forest. The pool closed for good Saturday.
By ELLEN MORTENSEN
Chief Assistant Editor
HALSEY - - For more than 70 years, visitors to the Halsey National Forest have been able to enjoy a cool, relaxing dip in the swimming pool during the summer months. On Aug. 16, that came to a sad end.
Emotions run high among residents in the Thomas and Blaine county areas, when talking about the closing of the pool and the reasons behind it. However, the problems that led to the closing have been several years in the making.
The Custer County Chief reported on some of those issues back in March 2005, as concerned patrons met to discuss repair issues to the Bessey Recreation Complex swimming pool. At that time the pool had such severe leaking issues that District Ranger Patti Barney was concerned about just getting the pool filled with water.
"I know that the Forest Service is willing to work with anyone to keep this service in our community,” Barney told the group at that February 2005 meeting. “Now is the time that we as a community volunteer and brainstorm ideas about what to do."
Now, 3 1/2 years later, those same issues and challenges still exist. A committee of local citizens dedicated to finding a solution to the pool’s problems was formed, calling themselves the Nebraska National Forest Friends (NNFF). After more than three years, the committee members are still struggling to find answers, and deeply disturbed by the fact that closing the pool seems to be the only option at this point.
The Bessey pool is the only National Forest swimming pool left in the nation, and recent government mandates have made it nearly impossible for the forest to afford to keep the pool. Committee members have worked hard for the past three years trying to come up with ideas for funding the construction of a new pool, which was the recommendation.
The 70+-year-old pool has been patched and re-patched many times over the years, and changes in government guidelines, such as ADA requirements, are some of the reasons cited for the recommendation to build a new pool. The plan that federal government officials came up with for building a new pool and renovating the bath house carries a price tag of just over $1 million.
The location of the Bessey pool is an issue within itself. Because the pool is located on federal property, the committee cannot apply for most grants available for such projects. On the other hand, due to federal budget cuts and the fact that most swimming pools are not self supporting, the forest service does not feel it can afford to keep the pool open with no outside help.
Barney says the forest service wants to help and is willing to do what they can to save the pool. However, along with the necessary funds for the construction itself there must also be funds available for maintaining the new pool. Those maintenance costs average $15,000-$20,000 a year, which includes staff salaries and supplies. In contrast, the revenue for the pool averages $3,000-$4,000 per year.
NNFF committee members Marlene VanDiest and Rich Shinn are two of the people who have put in countless hours in an effort to find a way to keep a swimming pool at the forest.
“We have contacted everyone we can think of and exhausted every effort to try to keep this pool open,” says VanDiest.
She explains that the communities in the area have been approached about forming some type of partnership with the forest service, but those communities do not have any funds available either. Blaine and Thomas counties only have about 1,500 residents between the two, and is listed as one of the least prosperous areas in the country.
For that reason, Shinn says, the committee has been very creative with funding ideas. Even Ted Turner and Warren Buffet’s foundations have been contacted, but no response was ever received by the committee.
“Virginia Smith and Kay Orr were very instrumental in saving the pool 18 years ago,” says VanDiest. “And they have helped keep it open over the years.”
Barney says if money could be raised as a cushion for operation and maintenance of the pool, that could go a long way in preventing its closure.
“If that money was sitting there the regional office would be forced to take a serious look at what they could to as far as help with funding,” said Barney.
As district ranger, Barney is not allowed to do any actual solicitation of funds. But as a long-time member of the community whose children learned to swim at the Bessey pool, she also has a vested interest in wanting to keep the pool open.
“I believe there is strong support from local people wanting the pool to stay here,” says Barney. “I’m not sure a lot of people believe the forest is really going to close the pool.”
While things look pretty bleak at this point, Barney says it is still not too late to save the Bessey pool. The government plans to doze in the existing pool, but will not begin that right away. For many area residents the rich history of the pool is something they do not want to lose, but most feel helpless to do anything to stop it.
At this point the Bessey Recreation Complex swimming pool is in dire need of a miracle or a good samaritan. Every one who benefits from the pool - campers, 4-H campers and area kids and adults are holding on to the hope that very soon one of those things happen. |
Huskers.com
