A huge crowd was on hand for the dedication ceremony that marked the completion of the renovation project that began in May of 2006 with the passing of a $1.795 million bond proposal.

School Superintendent Kathy Stewart addressed the crowd and thanked the citizens of Chesaning for making this project possible.

"We are truly grateful to our citizens for supporting this project. Without their support we would not be celebrating this wonderful event," she stated. "We also want to thank our Pool Study Committee and Pool Bond Committee members, the Board of Education, the administration and faculty of the school, along with the many individuals who spent countless hours making this project become a reality."

Following addresses by Stewart, Board of Education President Bob Bell, and Pool Committee Chairperson Gary Davenport, students and Davenport cut the ribbon officially opening the pool.

A tribute was paid to Davenport for his commitment and dedication to the pool project. Davenport was instrumental in promoting, campaigning for, and overseeing every aspect of the project. A plaque in his honor was hung in the new atrium area. It reads, "This natatorium is dedicated to Gary Davenport who, along with members of the 2006 Pool Bond Committee, as well as district voters, made this project a reality. Gary's tireless efforts on behalf of area swimmers will be remembered with deep gratitude."

Davenport and other members of the Pool Study Committee and The Citizens for the Chesaning Community Pool Renovation Committee spent thousands of hours researching, promoting, and seeking voter support for, the project and the bond issue through their "Save Our Pool" campaign.

The pool, which is located at Chesaning Middle School, was built in 1974 and was closed in April of 2005 for safety reasons due to structural damage.

Demolition began in the fall of 2006 with the project wrapping up in mid-April of 2007. Renovations, which were geared towards making the facility safe, highly efficient, and long lasting, included the update of all structural issues, along with the addition of safety features and energy efficient operational systems to extend the life of the facility while reducing operating cost.

Structural repairs included the site of the old diving observation window and the west (deep) end deck.

The observation window had previously been removed but the patch had a major crack and was leaking, compromising the safety of the entire pool. The old patch was removed and the wall was reconstructed and reinforced.

The west end concrete deck that was crumbling into the mechanical room below was completely removed and replaced by steel beams and flooring.

Re-tiling and re-grouting of the pool floor and some of the deck also took place.

New steel wall panels were installed on the east and north walls of the facility along with translucent panels to allow natural lighting into the facility.

In the interest of energy efficiency and cost reduction, a separate, more efficient boiler system to heat only the pool, a new Air Handler air exchanger system to "reduce" chlorine erosion, and a state of the art mechanical system that includes a sand filtration system to significantly reduce maintenance requirements and operational costs, were all installed.

To also aid in cost reduction, the deep end of the pool was shallowed up from the previous 12 feet to 9-and-a-half-feet. New shower towers were installed in both the boy's and girl's shower rooms.

The most progressive change to the pool was the construction of an all-access ramp to allow equal access for everyone. The natatorium space was extended by moving the east wall of the building outward slightly to allow for the zero-edge (no steps) ramp for barrier free access into the pool.

The site also includes a new vestibule/atrium area, and will have a drop off loop and handicap parking near the new entrance.

Wakely Associates served as the Architect and Engineer for the project. The General Contractor and Construction Manager was RC Hendrick and Son, Inc. And Advanced Pool Services, Inc. was the Pool Contractor.

A Community Pool

The newly renovated pool is a true "community use" facility that will offer a lot more than just swimming.

Along with all Chesaning students learning to swim through school day instruction as part of the fifth grade curriculum, many other programs will be offered. These include open swim, swim lessons, swimnastics, general fitness classes, water therapy, lifeguard training, water safety instruction, and much more. The facility is also used for community and social events such as parties, reunions, etc., along with the competitive COHO swim program.

The current schedule is as follows:

Open swim is currently being held Monday through Thursday from 7-8:30 p.m. Beginning June 18 and running through August 3, open swim will be held on Mondays and Wednesdays from 7-8:30 p.m. Cost for open swim is $2 per person.

Beginning June 18 and running through August 3, swim lessons will be offered Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. and 7-8 p.m. Sign up for lessons will be at 10 a.m. June 11 and 13 at the middle school. Cost is $30 per person for the one-hour sessions.

Swimnastics classes are currently being offered on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday from 9:15 -10:15 a.m. and Monday through Thursday from 6-7 p.m. Beginning June 18 and running through August 3, the classes will be held Monday through Thursday from 9-10 a.m. and 6-7 p.m.

Beginning June 18 students can also take advantage of the opportunity to become a Certified Lifeguard by completing one of the lifeguard certification sessions being held Monday thru Friday from 3-5 p.m. Cost of the class is $125 for the two-week course.