If there was ever a time for collaboration as well as coming together, McCook’s pool project has to be toward the top of the list. The city of McCook held another community planning meeting Wednesday night regarding the pool project, but there might finally be hope on the horizon after years of inaction.
With a pool engineer in place to lead the project, there seems to be traction and a process in place to have people’s voices be heard. It is also finally time for all the entities in town which would benefit from a new aquatic center to get on the same page and work together to make the best project we can for our community, for our kids, for our future.
I know people are tired of me talking - and not doing something - about the pool. I’m only half joking when I say I should have the word “pool” tattooed across my forehead because it comes up in conversations so often. While a pool may seem frivolous, we are actually talking about the quality of life for our community.
I may be missing a few people, but current pool committee members Tracy Flaska, Charles Coleman and I were also on the pool committee in 1999 when we put a $1 million band-aid on McCook’s 1937 pool. At that point, I was a bright-eyed and bushy-tailed 20-something with only two kids, who just followed, did as I was told and ultimately didn’t dream big.
Now as my second stint on the pool committee continues, those two kids have completed college, two more kids are high school graduates, the final three kids will be moving on too quickly. and I’m only bright-eyed and bushy-tailed every other day.
But I have learned to dream and to dream big. I have learned to do my research and to speak up. I have learned that there are financial resources available if the right project comes along and it is done correctly. And I have learned that collaboration is not optional but a necessity.
To say the pool project is long overdue is an understatement. I would like to say a new pool is going to be built next month, but everyone knows that isn’t realistic. But to say a new pool is going to be built next year may not even be a possibility either because it is such a complicated issue. And the community doesn’t want to hear that because we have been at this process for so long.
Fortunately, we are beginning what should have been done years ago: researching all options, meeting with all stakeholders, leaving no stone unturned as we determine what will improve the quality of life in McCook in regards to a new aquatic center.
Afterall, the easy button would be to just slap in a new pool and call it a day. But it isn’t that simple. There are so many questions that need to be asked and answered. So many issues which need to be researched and reviewed. So many people who need to have their voices heard and so many entities which need to be involved.
These include McCook Community College, which would benefit both from having a new pool near its campus for its students to utilize as well as moving the pool, so the college could use the land for other purposes such as a new dorm. This includes Community Hospital, which could benefit from a therapy pool or exercise classes for the well-being of its patients. This includes McCook Public Schools, which already utilizes the YMCA pool for its high school swim team but could add swim lessons and lifeguarding classes to its curriculum.
And the conversation has to include the YMCA, which knows how expensive and difficult it is to maintain a pool, knows what it takes to operate a pool year-round, and knows how difficult it can be to find lifeguards.
And perhaps one of the most important questions the community needs to answer: Does McCook need two pools? Can McCook support two pools? And just to get everyone up to speed, we are talking about a city pool which is over 80 years old and a YMCA pool which is nearing its 40th anniversary. Just like me, neither are spring chickens anymore.
I have been on this committee since October 2015 when 15 of us were approved by the city council to form the McCook Pool Committee. And while we have tried to do our best to make things happen, we have struggled to gain forward momentum.
I take this responsibility very personally because this pool isn’t for me or my family, but for the entire community. It is for our kids, for our families, for our elderly. It is for those who use the pool on a daily basis. It is for those who never use the pool but understand that it is important to attract people to our community. It is important just for a good quality of life.
So how do we move this project forward? How can you make a difference?
Take the survey, which was created by the city’s pool engineer. It will be available for the next 45 days, so look for it online (hopefully, the city gets the link on its website soon), pickup up a paper copy around the community and it will be shared on Facebook. The survey uses multiple-choice questions for the most part, but there are spaces available to input your own ideas. Please use those boxes to give your personal input, whether it is a splash pad for the interim or a location the city hasn’t considered.
To prevent the results from getting skewed, the survey can only be taken once on each device. So before rushing to complete the survey, think about what you want in an aquatic center, think about how you use a pool, and think about what the community needs.
And then contact the city council members to let them know this is a priority. Reach out to city staff to say that this needs to move forward in a timely way. Visit with pool committee members to share what you would like to be included. After all, it is up to each and everyone one of to make this happen and to make McCook an even better place to call home.
To take the survey, please click on this link.
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Getting Outside of National Night Out Nearly everyone can tell you their last interaction with the police or the fire department. And unfortunately because of the nature of the organizations, it is usually not at a positive moment. My last contact with the McCook Police Department was just a few weeks ago, when I was pulled over on B Street in McCook…on my scooter. I pulled into the wrong lane when making a turn, which is illegal. But in my defense, it was an act of self-defense to just get through the intersection of East B and Sixth streets alive. Since the drivers haven’t seen a stop-light since Holdrege, cars and semis regularly run the traffic light, which makes me a wee bit vulnerable as I pass through the lanes. I got off with a warning but the true punishment were the texts throughout the day from everyone who saw me with my scooter and the police officer. Since most exchanges with police and fire are not on good terms, National Night Out was created to have an evening of positive interactions, to remind the public that the police and fire departments are just normal people, doing their jobs, looking out for their friends and neighbors, trying to create a safe community for everyone. National Night Out is designed to simply join your friends and neighbors for an evening of fellowship and fun. It is an opportunity to meet local law enforcement, creating safer and more caring neighborhoods. McCook is joining thousands of other communities across the country in hosting National Night Out, which typically takes place on the first Tuesday of August every year. Planned for Tuesday, Aug. 5 from 5:30-7 p.m. in and around Norris Park in McCook, the night includes a bike parade, a walk, awards for bike decorating, desserts and more. In other words, it is simply a block party to hang out. Numerous organizations have come together to make the evening possible. CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocates) and the McCook Rotary Club are hosting a bike parade that starts at 6 p.m. Linda Maiden with State Farm, a bicycle helmet advocate, will also be in Norris Park. The streets around Norris Park will be shut down to provide a safe area to ride, as well as more space to cruise around the block. Participants are encouraged to decorate their bike, scooter, roller skates or anything on wheels. This could mean streamers, pompom balls, markers or even the old classic - playing cards in the spokes of your wheels. Some supplies will be available at the park for use if you show up and realize you are the most underdressed person at the party. If your bike has an inch of dust on it, this is a great time to get it out, wipe it off and get it rolling. And if your bike needs minimal fixes like a flat tire or a brake adjustment, bike tools will be on hand along with myself and my hubbie, who know just enough about bike repair to be dangerous but did manage a 300-plus mile bike ride last week so we must be doing something right. But let’s say you don’t have a bike or biking isn’t your cup of tea? Then you are still encouraged to join the “Walk in the Park,” hosted by Community Hospital. Designed to encourage a healthy lifestyle, walkers will stroll around the park and the neighborhood at whatever pace you feel like with strollers and dogs on leashes welcomed. And perhaps most importantly, there will be a chance to meet members of the McCook Police and Fire Department, getting to see police cars and fire engines close-up in a non-emergency manner, always the best way to see them. And if the weather cooperates, there may be a fire hose, water and spraying involved. If you have been at the Culbertson Fourth of July parade, you know it is up to you to stay out of the line of fire if you want to remain dry. We all have excuses for why we don’t want to go out at night, especially after a long day at work. But National Night Out in McCook on Aug. 5 is a great reason to get out your bicycle and lace up your walking shoes. Hang out with your friends, get to know your neighbors and meet your first responders. That is what makes our communities just a little bit better.
Judy McCune named July 2025 McCook volunteer of the month
Joyce Anderson named June 2025 McCook Volunteer of the Month
