Dear Editor
I am writing to express my support for those striving to find a solution for the maintenance and repairs of the college pool. Their task is difficult and they are to be commended for their diligent efforts.
Please do not let this outstanding facility be taken from the community. It is human nature to take for granted assets that seemingly “have always been there,” but this is not the time for apathy. It is my hope that the entire community recognizes what a wonderful facility Barton College has in the pool. Being a parent with children active in swim programs, I am truly grateful for the pool and exceptional coaches that make our high school swim teams and summer swim programs the class of western Kansas. The Lady Panthers swim team just won their 13th consecutive league championship which would not have happened without the indoor facility at the college. Take pride Great Bend! Everyone, in part, is responsible for that kind of success.
The dollars needed for repairs and maintenance are not insignificant but compared to the costs of building a new facility, it is a bargain. The city of Dodge City will break ground within the month on a brand new aquatics center that will have an estimated total price tag of $14 million. It seems counterintuitive that in this age of battling obesity, keeping kids active and tearing them away from video games that we would discard an asset like the wonderful pool that already exists, especially when we see neighbors to the west spending many millions for indoor aquatics.
Roger Long,
Great Bend