No Waterloo Pool This Summer

The Waterloo Park District voted unanimously last night to not open the Sondag Memorial Pool this summer. The board agreed to place the pool on inactive status for one year. At that point they will determine if sufficient money can be raised through fundraising and grants to repair the pool for the future.

Several citizens were in attendance at the meeting, held at the pool’s office and storage building on North Library Street, to voice their desire to keep the pool open this year. On Feb. 2, voters turned down a $575,000 referendum to be used to make required repairs to the 40-year-old facility. Among the topics discussed last night by the board, were the many renovations and repairs needed to get the pool up to code and to be able to open and run in an efficient manner. Some of the repairs needed include bringing the main drain into mandatory compliance, repairs to the concrete, gutters, deck, lighting, sand blasting and the electrical lighting system.

About 15 citizens were in attendance to speak their piece, attempting to work with the board to brainstorm ideas as to how additional funds could be raised through community efforts to at least keep the pool open this year while other alternatives and possible grants can be considered. The board appreciated their input, but felt at this point, without the funds from the referendum, they had no choice but to place the facility on inactive status. By placing it on inactive status, the park district will continue to treat the water and do other basic maintenance in event it would be possibly open at a future date.

Local resident and parent of a Piranha swimmer Erin Kernan expressed her frustration at the thought of not having a public pool in the community. “As difficult as it will be to be without the pool, maybe the city and the residents will view this as a wakeup call and re-energize our efforts in the community to get the pool back,” she said.

Gina (Moehrs) Pfund, standing at left, addresses the board and asks them to think outside the box as to find means to raise the needed funds to keep the pool open for the summer of 2010.       – photo by bob Haentzler

 

Recent Obituary

Eleanor R. “Jack” Moll, 92, of Red Bud (formerly of Evansville), died Feb. 8, 2010 in Red Bud. She was born April 1, 1917 in Modoc, the daughter of the late Robert and Emma (nee Bruns) Dorn. Mrs. Moll married Ralph J. Moll on Nov. 9, 1939. In addition to her husband, Mrs. Moll is survived by her daughters, Roberta (David ) Schilling of Red Bud and Leola (Christopher) Glatz of Houston, Tex.; sisters Geraldine Johnson of Chester, Doyne Dorn of San Francisco, Calif., and Adele Suit of Leonardtown, Md.; and a grandson, Adam Theobald of St. Peters, Mo. She was preceded in death by grandchildren Michael and Laura Schilling; and brothers John and Udell Dorn. Mrs. Moll worked at International Shoe Factory in Evansville. She was a member of St. Boniface Catholic Church’s Altar Sodality, Evansville Senior Citizens and the American Legion Auxiliary. Visitation is Friday, Feb. 12 from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. at Welge-Pechacek Funeral Home in Evansville. Funeral Mass is Saturday, Feb. 13 at 10 a.m. at St. Boniface Catholic Church in Evansville, with Father Rafi Kutturkaran officiating. Mrs. Moll will be buried at the church’s cemetery. Memorials may be made her church.