Last week there was an announcement that the two opposing swim teams would unify. Which I think is a great idea, but it also brings suspect.
The new aquatic center is set to open this Fall and there have been several discussions with the parks board, the city council and parks department staff on what rates would be charged. Did the swim teams think it would just be easier to schedule time and tournaments if they joined forces? And if so, how will this affect open swimmers?
I guess we will see.
A supporter of an outdoor pool at Spellerberg wrote and informative letter (to the Argus Leader) about the donations to SWIM 365 (Supporters of an indoor pool at Spellerberg);
All one has to do is review the list of wealthy, elite donors and developers who raised more than $125,000 in election support for their swim team children, none of whom are on free and reduced lunches in the school system. Certainly that money would have been better spent on purchasing an appropriate location.
I saw all kinds of problems with the location and project;
• No room for expansion
• No public vote of approval
• An outstanding quit claim deed
• An offer from Sanford to build a competitive pool at Sports Complex (they still may do that, in competition with a public facility).
• Spending re-paid infrastructure loans (the levees) on an entertainment facility
• The questionable millions in subsidies to the pool (will user fees cover it?)
And now we have two swim teams acting as a super power to attain pool time in the new center.
This project was built on a systematic, well orchestrated campaign of lies. We will see how that foundation holds up.
I had kids on both teams. The Seals split off from Snowfox in the 90’s over coaching and practice times. It makes sense in terms of expenses and coaching options to combine.
If you want to feel old, fat, and decrepit, watch a Snowfox senior practice.
One fee for two swim teams! As usual, the taxpayer absorbs entertainment for the elite. The city has become a cheap country club for the rich and corrupt. Meanwhile, working class entertainment is free federal cheese and food stamps.
But the mayor’s gonna buy you a donated meat packer hot dog on July 4th. Don’t drink the Sioux River water. It’ll be full of swim club urine and chlorine. Fortunately, no sun block contamination. The rich kids are inside this year.
Amen, Daily Spin! In this city we do what is best for the wealthy, powerful, and elite. The average citizen is just there to pay their fair share, and not very highly valued or respected.
It’s coming along! Closer every day. I knew the MOU was a dog whistle. I do, however, wish it had been built at Drake Springs. Would have been nice there for the kids. But Teresa didn’t want it there. Hopefully, Sandford opens the competitive pool at the Sports Complex.
Exciting step for the City! What can we do next? I’d like to see Kuehn Park pool get a good makeover.
Sanford won;t open a pool at the sports complex until or unless there’s a business case for doing so. The brief mention of it during the Spellerberg pool campaign was a trial balloon of speculation based on speculation that the city *might* want to “partner” with Sanford (i.e., front many of the costs) for a pool at the complex. That trial balloon was shot down within three days and, to my knowledge, hasn’t resurfaced yet.
Drake Springs would have been a good site, but there were a lot of moving parts involved in the Drake Springs recreation complex (it was far more than just a pool). I opposed the pool portion of the Drake Springs project because the pool design was not large enough to qualify for official competitions. As I told people at the time, why spend the money and *not* build it large enough to attract competition visitors who would pay the local sales taxes (food, lodging, shopping, etc.) to help support its construction and operation?
There is also the ground water issues at Nelson Park that would made building a facility like that a real maintenance issue. Go look at the fancy trench they built just South of the park by the bike trail.
To start off, you class warfare morons can stuff your butthurt where the sun doesn’t shine.. Lots of working class parents scrimped to put their kid on one of the team. I know because I was one of them back in the 90s.
1. When the Sanford complex was in its infancy, land was offered. Inexplicably, there was no follow-up.
2. The Sanford complex site would have been perfect.
3. Spellerberg needed replacing. MMM fixated on that as the site for an indoor pool. Access and parking are a problem, especially for a nationall swim event that could host up to 1000 swimmers. (I still have questions about seating for spectators)
4. Swim meets generate revenue. Lots of it because of downtime between preliminaries and finals.
5. The pool will be closed to the public ONLY on swim meet weekends. That number will likely be in single digits spaced throughout the year.
6. The swim team will pay for practice time and for facility rental during swim meets.
Okay butthurts…for you:
7. Are you aware that the 50-meter pool can be divided into two pools – one for,practice and one for public.
Didn’t think so. I heard the same whiny ignorance during the Nelson debate – a campaign that was rightfully defeated for all the the wrong reasons. Do your own research to find out the RIGHT reasons. The wrong reasons? Your whiny butthurt class warfare BS.