By: Shallin Squire
For the past several months, members of the volunteer committee "Citizens for a Duchesne County Aquatic Center" have practically become aquatic animals themselves: many of their thoughts, efforts, and spare hours have "pertained to water" as they've sought to make it possible for Duchesne County residents to "live" and "grow" in water year round–rather than being limited to swimming for exercise, therapy, and recreation between Memorial Day and Labor Day as they've been with the county's 30-year-old outdoor facility.
The committee, headed by Kirk Wentworth of Roosevelt, has one major goal: to convince Duchesne County residents to vote "yes" on a bond that will be part of the November 2 ballot and will fund the construction and maintenance of the facility.
In addition to swarming spectators at the UBIC parade to ensure everyone received a flier about the proposed facility, the committee has proven their willingness to answer questions about the project by devoting several evenings to meeting with interested and concerned citizens, with at least 8 total public meetings that have been or will be held at various locations throughout the county "Citizens for a Duchesne County Aquatic Center" is also on Facebook and has a blog that's maintained by Brandon and Danielle Aycock. The foremost concern for most voters is, "What will this cost me?" According to the committee's estimate (after meeting with an architect and discussing the budget for the facility), "The owner of an average home worth $150,000 will pay about $43 per year–a little less than $4 a month...An owner of a home worth $250,000 will see a tax increase of about $70 per year..." Another concern for some is the timing of the project, but the committee sees this slow economical period as a perfect opportunity to provide jobs to locals to build and run the facility and to keep citizens' recreational money in the county in the future.
According to the committee's Facebook page, the center would offer the following benefits to Duchesne County residents: year-round aquatic exercise, a year-round therapy pool (run by Uintah Basin Medical Center), more swimming lessons options, school P.E. curriculum usage, year-round scouting and other group activities, family party options, family dressing rooms, outdoor play areas during the summer, employment opportunities for youth and others, handicap accessibility, and competitive swimming options. In addition, the new facility would feature pools with the latest Mrytha lining, which would be remarkably safer than the current pool's crumbling tiles and cracking drains.
Facebook page fan Joan Ryan of Roosevelt summed up the pros of the proposed facility with the following comment:
"Swimming laps at the Roosevelt City pool over the past 25 years, and having three children lifeguard and teach classes there, has made me grateful for that facility in our area. Over that period of time, I have seen residents from all of the communities within our county come and benefit from the facility. Not only have I found swimming to be one of the few forms of physical exercise that can be continued for a lifetime, but the pool has also provided jobs for our youth, taught them essential lifesaving skills, and filled recreational needs for families during the summer months. The only thing that could improve upon this would be for it to be accessible year-round to all county residents. I encourage you to vote YES on the bond in November."
For more information about the proposed Duchesne County Aquatic Center, attend a public meeting or visit http://dcountyaquacenter.blogspot.com.
"Citizens for a Duchesne County Aquatic Center" October public meeting schedule:
*October 6 from 7-8 p.m. @ Neola Elementary
*October 7 from 7-8 p.m. @ Altamont High School
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