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Petition for new Olympic size swimming pool By: Lucy Rosario
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Posted on Jan 07 2000
Parents and members of the local community are circulating a petition seeking for funds for the construction of an Olympic size swimming pool on Saipan.
The petition will be submitted to the Legislature for consideration of the project which would require some $2 million in appropriations.
Petitioners say that over the last 25 years, the swimming program has made enormous contributions to the local community. It has primarily taught island youths survival swimming skills and has allowed local athletes to participate in international competitions that project a positive image of the NMI, as well as host regional swim meets that bring in visitors too.
It noted that currently there is only one major swimming facility on the island, a 50-meter pool owned and operated by Kan Pacific. It was built in 1972 and Kan Pacific has been very cooperative in allowing swim clubs to use the facility.
But the island now needs to build an Olympic size swimming facility that “meets international standards, will continue to serve the island youth, promote tourism and serve the needs of the community,” the petitioners said. It noted that Japanese teams come to the island for periods of four days to two weeks and there’s also interest from US teams to spend a few days to acclimatize here en route to Asian competitions.
“A central location in the Garapan area will attract local residents to use the pool more and encourage learning swimming skills. Part of the reason more local people do not participate in swimming is due to the distance and inconvenience of traveling to Marpi,” the petition said.
“This new facility to be located in Garapan within the American Memorial Park or another centrally situated area would encourage public use, including public and private schools, and a new and state of the art facility will contribute to the tourism economy and overall quality of life in the NMI,” the petition said.
