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Swimming pool or splash pad? |
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Wednesday, October 21 2009 |
When lifetime Churubusco resident Paul Muller left more than $300,000 to Smith-Green Community Schools in his will, he wanted the money to be used to build a pool in his hometown. Although his dream doesn’t exactly fit into the town of Churubusco’s budget, the community is working on creating something it thinks would please the late Muller while also proving affordable to the community: a splash pad.
By DEANNA POGORELC
Staff writer
When lifetime Churubusco resident Paul Muller left more than $300,000 to Smith-Green Community Schools in his will, he wanted the money to be used to build a pool in his hometown. Although his dream doesn’t exactly fit into the town of Churubusco’s budget, the community is working on creating something it thinks would please the late Muller while also proving affordable to the community: a splash pad.
The Smith-Green Board of School Trustees authorized the release of about $1,300 from the Paul Muller/Smith-Green pass-through account to the Whitley County Community Foundation Monday night. This money will be used to conduct a pool feasibility study in Churubusco over the next two months. The foundation and the local pool committee hope this study will show that the community cannot afford to build and maintain a pool and that a splash pad is a more realistic alternative.
When Muller died, the schools put his gift in a pass-through account with the Whitley County Community Foundation, and a committee was formed to begin developing a plan for a community pool. Comprised of community members including Muller’s brother-in-law Don Paige, the committee spent several years researching before concluding earlier this year that building and maintaining a pool over a long period of time would be too expensive.
“Part of the problem that came up was that no government or school entity really wanted to take ownership of a swimming pool,” September McConnell, executive director of the Whitley County Community Foundation, said. So the committee shifted its focus to developing plans for a splash pad, which would cost significantly less but still provide the community with a recreational water facility.
Committee member and elementary school teacher Liz Schemm told the school board that the construction of the splash pad would not use all of the money in the account, leaving some left over for the purchase of chemicals and the maintenance of the splash pad. It would also use a re-circulation system, she said, which would cut down on chemical and utility costs because the water would be reused.
The committee recently presented this new plan to the Churubusco Town Council. Schemm told the school board that the council was accepting of the plan and said the committee could move forward. But before construction can begin on the splash pad, the committee must first appeal to a judge to overturn the directive of Mueller’s will, since he left the money strictly to fund a pool.
With the $1,300 released from the fund, the Whitley County Community Foundation will hire a consultant from the Indiana Youth Institute in Indianapolis to conduct a pool feasibility study in Churubusco. McConnell said the consultant will work with the pool committee to gauge the support, or lack thereof, of local businesses and community members in creating and sustaining a swimming pool. The consultant will then compile the results in a report, which McConnell expects to receive by mid-December.
McConnell said she is hopeful that with clear evidence that the community has neither the funds nor the desire to build a pool, the judge will be willing to allow Muller’s money to be used for a splash pad instead.
“Both Mr. Muller’s brother-in-law and granddaughter are very supportive of the project,” McConnell said. “They understand the reality of it and think that he would be very pleased to know that this project is going to be his gift to the community.”
McConnell said that if the judge overturns the directive, the splash pad – which will be located somewhere in the park – could be up and running by summer 2010.
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Last Updated ( Saturday, October 24 2009 )
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