A SusanvilleStuff Photofeature
by Marshel and Jeremy Couso
If all goes according to plan Susanville will have a brand new community swimming pool by this time next year, a fact celebrated by local residents, dignitaries and members of the Honey Lake Valley Recreation Authority at a special ground-breaking ceremony held June 21st at the South Street construction site.
The new outdoor pool, designed by Modern Building Inc., from Chico, will occupy the same location where Roosevelt Pool stood for just over 75 years. Plagued by structural and mechanical problems the old pool was torn down in 2014 to make room for the new facility.
HLVRA Executive Officer Jared Hancock welcomed the crowd, who braved afternoon heat nearing the century mark, and introduced members of the Recreation Authority’s board.
Modern Building’s Project Manager Phil Strawn remarked that it was an impressive gathering with more community members showing up than most ground-breaking ceremonies he is part of. Strawn explained some of the features of the new swimming facility.
Brian Wilson, at the time Susanville Mayor and president of the group which spearheaded the task of making the pool a reality, briefly spoke about the people who had contributed to the effort. Wilson introduced Bill Feierabend who had contributed $10,000 to the pool; Rick and Anna Stewart of IGA Susanville Supermarket who helped collect ‘Pennies for the Pool’ at their store and the school-aged donors who collected pennies to help make the project a reality.
Lassen County District 2 Supervisor Jim Chapman, who serves as the HLVRA’s Vice President spoke of the long, difficult process involved in coordinating the pool’s construction in the face of political, economic and community stresses. Chapman thanked former pool manager Tony Jonas and Lassen County Times Editor Sam Williams for their contributions to the pool effort.
An emotional Chapman spoke about those people who desperately need a pool for health or exercise and have had none available since Roosevelt Pool was closed nearly a decade ago.
The board members then walked, carrying their ceremonial gold shovels, to right about where the pool’s entrance will be a year from now. The assembled crowd watched as 5 shovels full of dirt signified, finally, the beginning of construction on Susanville’s new pool.
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