By Shawn McGrath, Herald Bulletin Staff Writer
ALEXANDRIA — The water was cold, but the wait — and the donations — were worth it.
About 200 people lined up at Beulah Park on Saturday for the 11 a.m. reopening of Alexandria’s town pool. About $40,000 in donations were raised to refurbish the pool for summer, and in the process, national headlines were nabbed.
“It’s been a wonderful, wonderful day,” said Vanessa Hosier, one of the “pool ladies” who led the charge to raise funds to keep the pool open. “The kids have been a blast.”
Hosier said the pool was at capacity, 375 people, for much of the day, meaning swimmers had to leave before newcomers were allowed inside. But funds kept coming in. Hosier said a $500 donation was made by a Gaston couple.
“I guess they have grandkids that use the pool,” Hosier said. “That’s the kind of generosity that made this possible.”
From underneath the shade of a large tree outside the pool area, Rob Crum, 50, and Karen Beason, 42, both of Alexandria, ate lunch at a picnic table and watched their three children, Alexis, 11, Isaiah, 10, and David, 14, swim nearby.
Karen and Rob both thought the pool’s opening — and the town’s banding together for the project — were great.
“I think it’s awesome,” said Karen, wishing she could personally thank Mayor Jack Woods for his involvement in seeing the project through.
“I think it’s great that the community got together to save something in Alex,” Rob said, “instead of letting it flop away in the mud.”
The pool was festooned with yellow and red balloons, and signs were hung from its fence proclaiming the town’s self-made victory in keeping it open:
— “Alexandria/the small town with the big heart”
— “We did it”
— “Save our pool/It will be cool”
— “A pool for the community/by the community”
Like Rob, Karen and their children, Amy Dowden and her niece, Ellie Stewart, both of Alexandria, also had to wait in line before entering.
Dowden, 37, lives not far from the pool on the west side of Indiana 9, and saw much of the work that went into getting it opened for Saturday. Of course, she and 8-year-old Ellie had to be there for the first day.
“It’s a big deal,” Amy said. “I’m glad to see it happen.”
“It was cool,” said Ellie, who will be a third-grader in the fall. “The (liner) on it was a lot softer and there were no rocks.”
