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Times offers to help pay for Olympic-sized pool
By WILL VAN SANT BROOKSVILLE -- To mark the opening of its new building on State Road 50 with a gift to the community, the St. Petersburg Times has offered to share the cost of a $1-million Olympic-sized swimming pool with the county. The proposal, a subject of discussion for several months, envisions the Times making a $250,000 gift toward the project. That money would be paid in installments of $50,000 a year for five years. Hernando County, which would cover the cost of maintaining the facility, is asked to pay $500,000 under the proposal and to partner with the private sector to come up with the additional $250,000. "It's something the county needs," said Times North Suncoast general manager Larry Beasley. "It's been a longtime goal." Pat Fagan, director of the county Parks and Recreation Department, said he was glad of the opportunity afforded by the Times to fulfill a long-standing desire to have a public swimming pool in the community. But Fagan cautioned that obstacles remain. "This is a start," Fagan said. "It's not a commitment overnight. It will take a couple of years to raise the funds." Some strong supporters of building a county pool, including County Administrator Dick Radacky, will soon be leaving or are no longer in government. Fagan said he was unsure how this would affect the project's chances and said he was forwarding the Times proposal to the County Commission for review. The board is wrestling with how to fund a host of capital improvement projects as it crafts a budget for 2003-04, and extra money is hard to come by, Fagan said. Crucial to the future of the pool project is the board's commitment to working on the project with the business sector, a job made easier by the Times' offer, he said. "It will give everybody an incentive," he said. Board Chairwoman Betty Whitehouse said she planned to bring the proposal before the entire commission promptly. "I really think it's a wonderful thing for the Times to do," Whitehouse said. "We need to look at what other private organizations and businesses are willing to do." One location often named as a possible site for the pool has been Anderson Snow Park in Spring Hill. -- Will Van Sant covers Hernando County government and can be reached at 754-6127 or vansant@sptimes.com .
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From today's Hernando Times |
