Pool problem has area teams seeking new water

Central swimming coach Dayna Powell said Tuesday that she has heard the motor and pump failure at Central Municipal Pool will not be fixed until mid-November, so she has decided to cancel the Cape Rock Invitational on Oct. 6.

"At the moment I'm preparing an e-mail to get out to coaches," she said Tuesday evening. "I want the coaches to know right away that we are not going to host that this year and I'm really disappointed about that. But again, we've got a nice facility and sometimes these things happen. But we are disappointed."

This fall would have been the fourth year Central hosted the meet, which includes approximately 12 teams from areas such as St. Louis and Springfield. At first, Powell thought about rescheduling it for Oct. 20. But once she heard about the delay, she felt the only option would be to forgo the event.

"If we can do something on a temporary basis to get anything going sooner, that's what we are going to do," she said. "But right now, that's what we're are looking at."

Dan Muser, Cape Girardeau's Parks and Recreation director, said a new pump was ordered last week. The pool motor and pump were last replaced in 1992, according to a statement from the city. Replacements must be manufactured. Muser said he anticipated the pool being closed for at least 10 weeks, to allow for delivery and installation. He said he does not yet have a figure on how much both pieces and the installation will cost. He said the St. Louis-based Cardinal Pump and a local company, Mid-America Electric Motors, are the companies doing the work.

The Tigers swim team is now practicing at the Capaha Park pool, but Powell also said Saint Francis Medical Center's Fitness Plus has made some arrangements for her team starting today. Powell said she is extremely thankful to Fitness Plus for fitting her team in, but she added that the Tigers will receive two lanes, which will not allow all her boys to swim for the complete two hours of practice.

"We've been trying to think of a way to get the most use out of that space with the 14 boys we have," she said. "So we're going to probably see a big crunch on the time. They're giving us the facility for two hours, but two lanes. It's just going to be tight for all of us."