Geneva to see tonight if pool plan holds water

Do you think it's time Geneva had a public indoor swimming pool?

Or do you think it is a luxury and worry about how you would pay for it?

You can learn more about a push to construct a pool at a forum at 7 tonight at Geneva Middle School North, 1415 Viking Drive.

The forum is sponsored by the Geneva school district. The school board has not taken a position on whether a pool should be built, or built at any Geneva school. The forum is in response to parents' requests, district officials have said.

A group called Friends of Geneva Aquatics has formed, and its Web site, www.genevapool.com, includes links to USA Swimming association information about planning and constructing indoor pools.

Children from Geneva swim in club programs during winter at high schools in West Chicago and St. Charles, and at Marmion Academy in Aurora. In the summer, the Geneva River Rats use the Geneva Park District's outdoor pool.

Kaneland, Batavia and West Aurora high schools do not have pools. The St. Charles East pool is in the Norris Recreation Center, the construction of which was supported by a donation from philanthropists Lester and Dellora Norris in the early 1970s.

Marmion, a private school, opened a new pool in a remodeled natatorium in December 2003. It was paid for with proceeds from the sale of more than $1 million worth of farmland donated to the school by alumnus Ed Regole of St. Charles.

One option to be discussed tonight is if another entity could help pay for building and running a pool, such as the Geneva Park District. Parks officials will attend the meeting.

There are two indoor pools at the private Delnor-Community Hospital Health and Wellness Center in Geneva -- a five-lane lap pool and a warm-water therapy pool. Some of its aquatic classes are available to the public for a fee, and it does offer swimming instruction for members' children.