The Big Sandy Mountaineer -

When the Big Sandy swimming pool closes for the season the 20th Of August, pool workers will mark one of the busiest seasons ever for that pool according to pool manager Leslie Gregory.

What is the reason for all that business this summer?

First, it was a long hot summer which is always conducive to getting in the pool for an extended length of time as often as possible. There were not even many lightning storms to close the pool down this year. That attracted a great many people.

According to Gregory, the Big Sandy pool usually attracts people from far away. It is not unusual for people from Havre to come down to Big Sandy with their children and spend the day at the pool. This year Gregory said she saw a lot of people from Havre, Gildford, Box Elder and even points further away than that.

"There was one group of ladies that came to our pool a lot with their toddlers," said Gregory. "Those women stocked up with goodies from The Grocery Store and ate a meal or two in Big Sandy before going home.

The attraction was the kiddy pool which was full most of the time. That separate pool is perfect from little kids from 2 to 5 years of age and was always busy.

All those swimmers from all points on the campus really helped bring more economic stability to Big Sandy all summer long.

Then there are the nine or ten life guards that Leslie Gregory hires each year. That gives young workers a perfect way to see what a first job is all about. Not only that but each year they continue to life guard, they get a raise from the town.

Connie Reichelt is the assistant manager of the pool and gives many swimming lessons throughout the summer. Lessons cost twenty-five dollars and last a week and for people from this area who are not usually around water, those swimming lessons are quite literally life savers!

This year the pool opened June 5 and will close August 20. Costs are $2.00 a session and under two years of age, free. A family season pass costs $90.00 and a single season pass costs $50.00.

Gregory says that the condition of the pool is just fair. The people who work with the pool make it work and Gregory said kudos to Tim LaBuda who has learned much about the temperamental side of the pool.

The fact is, though, that one major water break below the pool or something like that and that pool is history.

In the meantime there is still lots of wear and tear on the pool and in the immediate future the city is looking to upgrade the slides, paint black lines on the bottom of the pool for lap swimmers and try to find removable ramps for easier handicapped use.

A look at a season like this long hot Big Sandy summer tells the story in spades that Big Sandy would be hurt economically without the tremendous business brought in by the pool every day it is open