GCC board likely to decide future of pool

By TOM STANKARD

tstankard@yourdailyglobe.com

Ironwood — As the future of Gogebic Community College’s pool remains in the balance, some local citizens are concerned about losing an “important” community recreational facility.

Located in the David G. Lindquist Student Center, the pool has been closed for repairs until further notice.

GCC President Jim Lorenson told the Daily Globe in August the college board needs to determine if it’s financially advisable to spend money to keep it open.

According to GCC, it costs $56,000 to $60,000 per year to operate. Lorenson previously said the operating cost is offset by a donation from Snowflake Aquatics. In addition, Lorenson told the Daily Globe about $300,000 in capital costs would need to be invested for it to be mechanically reliable.

Lorenson said the pool is not primarily used by GCC students, but primarily by the community.

“Less than 1 percent of our on-campus students use the pool,” he said.

Since the Lindquist Center open in 1993, Barbara Gibbons, of Hurley, said the pool has offered a “wide variety of activities year-round,” including “...for GCC students to train, for athletes to cross-train, for rehabilitation from injury and for adults to lap swim.” .

Diane Oliver, Snowflakes Aquatics president, said she has used the pool for a long time and it has become an important part of her life. “I really believe in water safety and the sport of swimming,” she said. “It’s very near and dear to me.”

In the past, Oliver said the college’s board of trustees voted to close the pool. To try to help keep the pool open, Oliver said she started SA.

“I didn’t want to see it close,” she said, “so I got the community together, had a meeting, got the public involved and formed SA.”

Through SA, Oliver said she has became a lifeguard, taught swim lessons and volunteered to do maintenance on the pool.

For years, the Barracuda Swim Team has also used the pool. Coach David Aho said the team gives children an opportunity to “have a pool and be able to swim.”

Without the pool, coach Ceci Aho said there would be no team.

“We’ve got 70 kids on the team,” she said. “There will be no team, there is no other place we can practice.”

Lorenson said whether or not the pool will remain closed will most likely be decided at the college’s board meeting on Tuesday, Sept. 29.

“There is a question of whether or not the college can continue to spend that kind of money on a facility that doesn’t serve students or college needs,” he said.