City of Coos Bay release – A young member of the Gold Coast Swim Team recently donated his savings, $57.00, to help fix the Mingus Park Pool. Jensen had been saving his allowance and birthday money to buy souvenirs for a trip, but decided that he’d rather have the pool back! Thank you, Jensen! As many of you know, on December 15, 2023, the boiler that heats the Mingus Park Pool failed. With no way to heat the pool, there was no choice but to close the pool until a repair could be implemented. The City is seeking quotes for the replacement but the budget is anticipated to be approximately $115,000 which far exceeds the pool’s current allowable budget. The City, in a joint effort with the Pool Board, is actively seeking grants to help fund the boiler replacement. However, it takes time to write and receive grants and often a match is required which can be up to 50% of the total request. In the meantime, the City, on behalf of the Pool Board, has set up an account to accept tax deductible donations to replace the boiler. The Pool Management Board is excited to announce that $6,750 was donated by the local community last week alone. This brings the total donated by the community to $11,850 to date. If you are interested in donating, you can submit your donation either in person at 500 Central Avenue or via mail. Because this pool serves such a large population of this community, there is an urgency to quickly address this issue so the pool can be reopened to the public. Swimming Pool Funds – The Mingus Park Pool is used for approximately 65,000 swims a year as well as provides a facility for Coast Guard testing, Marshfield High School Track Rehab/Training, Coos Bay Library End of Summer Program, Lifeguard Training for our pool and surrounding pools and the Medford area. Summer Youth Program from Bandon for lessons, pool safety trainings, and many more groups and team activities. There will be more to follow on how, and most importantly when, this replacement will take place. If you have any questions, please contact the City’s Operations Administrator Greg Hamblet at ghamblet@coosbayor.gov or 541-269-8916.
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