Swimming seeks govt assistance

Swimming, the sport that has given the Commonwealth the most medals in the Micronesian Games and South Pacific Games, is seeking government support to refurbish its aging facility in Marpi.

Saipan Swim Club board member and assistant coach Stan Good said the government should lend the association a hand to secure funding to either renovate the Kan Pacific Swimming Pool or build an entirely new facility.

He said the cost of refurbishing the more than decade-old pool could reach up to $800,000, while the bill for building a new facility from the ground up is approximately $1.5 million.

Good said the pool at Marpi had been fairly good to the SSC since the association made it its permanent home way back in the mid-1980s. He said they also have no complain about the lease holder of the area, Kan Pacific Saipan Ltd., and are all praises for Gary De Guzman, who always cleans the pool as best he can.

However, the Kan Pacific Swimming Pool has been showing its age the past few years according to Good. He said cracks at the bottom means that Kan Pacific must continuously pump water into the pool or the water level goes down.

The elements have also wrought havoc on the pool’s No. 7 starting block making it unusable. The patch up job on the pool’s edges and sides are also starting to chip away—further proof that the pool is in dire need of repairs. Algae have also built up on both sides of the pool near the bleechers, making them yet another safety hazard.

Good said the pump house has also seen better days with only three out of the eight pumps serviceable. The birds seem to agree with Good’s assessment, as attested to them building a couple of nests inside the pump house.

Good said Kan Pacific would like to help but as it is, the company is already losing $100,000 annually for the facility’s upkeep.

Under its lease extension agreement with the government, Kan Pacific is only obligated to maintain the pool to a minimum standard.

Good wants government to fund the building of a new pool or renovate the old one by tapping into CIP or CDB grants.

“Government should begin to realize that swimming is a viable sport and has contributed a lot to raise the profile of the Commonwealth in international competitions the last 30 years. In fact it has accounted for 80 percent of medals won by the CNMI in the SPG and Micro Games,” he said.

Sue Knecht, another SSC officer, said even if the SSC raises its membership to 200 swimmers from its current 80, the association wouldn’t still be able to put up the $800,000 needed to fix the pool.

SSC coach Mike Stewart, for his part, said that only for the sake of the kids’ safety, the pool should undergo the aforementioned renovation.

He agreed with Good that the damage to the starting block, the algae buildup near the east bleachers and chips on the sides of the pool are more than eyesores and could actually pose as health hazards.

Stewart also is amenable for the government building a new pool in a more centrally located area. He said a public pool at the American Memorial Park would work wonders for SSC and also give schools an opportunity to incorporate swimming in their physical education programs.

Good, Knecht and Stewart all said they have already sent feelers to the Department of Community and Cultural Affairs about the problems of the pool and are awaiting word from them anytime soon.