Swimmers glad NSU pool is open

TAHLEQUAH DAILY PRESS April 11, 2008 03:42 pm

— After being closed for a little over five weeks for repairs, the swimming pool at the NSU Fitness Center is back open again – and regular swimmers couldn’t be more relieved.
For many area residents, swimming is a vital component of everyday life. And that’s not just because it’s an exceptional form of aerobic exercise that works about every part of the body.
On many evenings, NSU athletes with muscle or bone injuries can be observed, strolling back and forth through the water in the shallow end.
Dozens of golden-age ladies enjoy the relatively pain-free exercise water aerobics provides them in the morning. People who suffer from arthritis find that swimming laps can stave off painful attacks, sometimes for months.
Then there are folks who swim as part of their fitness training regimen, which may also include cycling and running. Several regular NSU pool patrons train for triathlons and other events by swimming laps; some even bring time clocks with them.
Of course, there are the families who simply enjoy splashing about in the part of the pool that isn’t marked off by lanes. And don’t forget the Stingrays, the wildly successful swim team program sponsored by Boys & Girls Club.
NSU officials, though as strapped for funds as those at any other institution these days, obviously recognized the crucial role their pool plays in the community, so literally within hours of the pool heater’s failure, funds had been approved for the repair process to begin. The new heater had to be custom-built, which is why NSU announced it could take up to eight weeks to get the pool back in operation – including the time required to install the unit, refill the partially drained pool, heat the water and balance the chemicals.
As it turned out, the down time was much shorter than anticipated, and those who depend on the pool for their long-term health have NSU Physical Plant employees – specifically those on the systems and structures crews – to thank for that. These men went the extra mile to get the pool back in operation well ahead of schedule, and the comments made by returning patrons indicate the efforts are appreciated.
Acting NSU President Kim Cherry, Physical Plant Director Joe Spence and others who had a hand in the process should be commended for pursuing a goal both the university and the community share.
The NSU pool may not be the most state-of-the-art facility in the world, but it’s the only indoor pool in this county – and many folks owe to it their quality of life.