The Plains community pool will not function this summer without a new sand filter. 

The old sand filter, which is about thirty years old, according to the Plains pool committee, was removed last Thursday.  Community volunteers have invested hours of deconstruction to the filter, jack hammering and manual labor to have the pool open by June.

“We wanted to get the old filter out, so that when we have the money and are able to get a new one, it can go right in.  When we raise the money, it’s going to be crunch time to install the new one,” said Sam Deschamps, a volunteer who helped remove the old filter.

The reason to remove the old filter is to be prepared for the new one to be installed without a delay.  Raising the alleged $50,000 for a new filter is going to be tough according to city officials, but the pool is something many parents and swimmers are ready to fight for.  Having the old filter gone is also an incentive to raise money for the new one, which is crucial to have a functioning pool.

According to Jenifer Reynolds, the chair of the Parks and Recreation Board in Plains, a bid has been reported for the new filter at $25,000, which does not include the installation or shipping, only the needed filter, sand and gravel.

“We are racking our brains to come up with a solution.  We just simply do not have the money right now,” said Reynolds.

Various local Plains businesses donated the tools needed to take the filter out.  A torch was borrowed from Rehbein’s Ford Dealership, a trailer from Celia Huygens, and a neighbor near the pool, Wayne Rummel, donated a backhoe, according to Celia Huygens, a member on the pool committee.

However, raising the money for the new filter is not the only issue.  Once the new one is bought, it can take upwards of five weeks to get it ordered and installed.  Even if the money was raised by the end of April, for example, the pool couldn’t be opened by the beginning of June. 

“It would be wrong to open the pool for only three or four weeks of the summer,” said Plains Mayor Mike Brinson.  “Many people aren’t taking into consideration all the other money that’s involved with the pool being open.  For example, lifeguards need to be trained every season for their certifications.  That money comes out of the budget, and by only being open for a few weeks, it would be hard to actually make money from pool admission to repay the costs of training and operations.”

The Plains Committee for Safe Swimming is the non-profit group spearheading the fundraising efforts for the new filter.  According to volunteer Jon Dubois, the committee is trying to raise $90,000.  This would help pay for the new filter and other pool maintenance such as fresh paint, cement and new showers and toilet stalls. 

The pool also needs a new cover, which may cost upwards of $8,000, according to Polly Gill, the chair of the Plains Committee for Safe Swimming.

“We are shooting for $90,000 because then we would have some money banked away for future projects,” said Gill.  “I really believe that it will happen from a combination of grants, fundraisers and volunteers.”

Gill also said that art students at Plains High School will auction their drawings and work to donate to the pool fund.  Gambles, a hardware store in downtown Plains, is donating paint needed for the locker rooms and the pool’s interior.

The Plains Committee for Safe Swimming has written to the Michael Phelps Foundation, Speedo, Costco, and Wal-Mart, along with other companies for financial grants to help open the pool.

According to Charlotte Buljung, the owner of the Dew Duck Inn, there are several fundraisers planned in March and April.  There will be a trade fair at Plains High School on March 26, and a rummage sale put on by the Plains Woman’s Club on April 8 and 9.

The Committee for Safe Swimming is accepting donations for the rummage sale, which can be dropped off at the Dew Duck Inn.

Janice Hanson is also making 300 dozen, gourmet truffles that will be made and delivered on April 18 to the 24, in time for Easter.  She is hoping to raise about $5,400 for the pool’s fund. Janice is looking for volunteers to make truffles and can be reached at 826-3656.