Photograph by Jacqueline Ramseyer
Sunnyvale Mayor Jack Walker addresses the crowd at the official groundbreaking for the Fremont Union High School District and city of Sunnyvale joint-use pool complex at Fremont High School.
Ground broken for new Fremont pool
Pool to be completed by summer 2002
By Gretchen Knaupp
After much work, the official ground breaking ceremony for the new swim complex at Fremont High finally took place.
Together the Fremont Union High School District and the Friends of the Fremont Pool, who raised $750,000 in funds for the pool, put on the special event on June 12, to inform and thank the community for its contributions. The extravagant construction is well under way, with the demolition of the old pools and excavating a hole to fit the new Olympic size pool.
The construction began on May 15, when the construction crew and equipment moved in. The new 50-meter pool is being constructed by commercial pool contractor Western Water Features, and is expected to be completed by early summer 2002.
Principal Pete Tuana, District President Homer Tong, Superintendent Joe Hamilton and Friends of Fremont Pool Chairwoman Holly Lofgren all praised the project in front of a crowd of approximately 60 people. Mayor Jack Walker and Councilman Fred Fowler were both present and took part in the groundbreaking, as well.
Lofgren thanked many people, including the Friends of Fremont Pool committee and large individual sponsors. She also explained the difference between a donation and a contribution by saying, "To donate to a fund is to give to a cause, but to make a contribution is to give to a common fund, for a common purpose."
She continued by telling the crowd some values she has learned along the way during the fundraising process. "When I first started in this, I was doing it for certain groups of people. Now my heart has changed. I now have a new group, and it is called, those that would not of otherwise have had the opportunity."
Last July, the district's Board of Trustees unanimously approved the agreement between the city of Sunnyvale and the district for the construction of the pool, as well as community shower/locker rooms. Construction funding for the joint-use swim complex is shared by the district and the city, with a cost of $2.8 million and $1.4 million that each will share.
According to Cindy McArthur, manager of communications for the Fremont Union district, the district was already planning to build a new pool. Originally, it wasn't going to be Olympic size, but thanks to Holly Lofgren and Friends of Fremont Pool, it will be. "Sunnyvale should have the best of everything," Lofgren said. "Trying to do something that is the best is a tall goal, but it's something we should never stop trying to do."
Several other council members were present, showing their support. "I think it's marvelous what they are doing. Yet there are still two concerns that I have," Councilwoman Pat Vorreiter said. "One is that they be provided with the financial support needed to maintain the pool, but more importantly, that the facility gets used by residents, once it's built."
She added, "There has been so much community support, but the key to success will be getting the broad community use. The size of the pool and the location is good, but still the PR will have to be good in order to promote activities happening at the facility. The project has to go beyond just saying we have this great pool. We actually have to use it ... The work has only begun, now the task is to get the interest and excitement to get people in the pool, and I sincerely hope we can do that."
"I think it will definitely get used," said Councilwoman Julia Miller, who voted in favor of the pool. According to Miller, the pool passed with a four to three vote in the council. "I have been an advocate of the pool from the beginning," she said. "I think the other council members who voted against it thought it was a lot of money for a small number of people. They weren't looking at the big picture."
Miller added, "It's just one more tool. We have a big tennis center, and that was probably controversial. We also have a huge golf course, that was also probably controversial, but that's what it takes to make Sunnyvale the beautiful city it is today."
Sunnyvale, California Since 1994
