Couple donates $2,500 to pool renovations

A very generous gift of $2,500 from Loren and Priscilla Craig of Pitchford's Professional Services of Du Quoin raises the total contributions so far toward renovations to the city's swimming pool to $62,500.

The contribution was presented to Mayor Guy Alongi during Monday night's Du Quoin City Council meeting.

To date, the city has received $10,000 from the Du Quoin Swimming Indians, another $10,000 from Mr. and Mrs. Monte Kuhnert, $10,000 from Wells Fargo Financial and the city's own contribution of $30,000.

Mayor Alongi said he anticipates the total renovation to cost approximately $300,000.

The renovation work is expected to be done either all at once or in two phase.

A rebate of approximately $39,000 a year from Du Quoin Community Unit District 300 is expected to provide the collateral for the balance of the monies needed to renovate the pool, built and opened in the late 1970s.

Mayor Alongi said the company that is working with the city on the renovations was back in Du Quoin in recent weeks to determine if repairs to the stainless steel sidewalls can be accomplished without damaging or having to repace the water-capturing gutters that run around the top of the pool.

Engineers and the contractor are going to try and be as conservative as possible in making the repairs.

The major issues involve bowing of the sidewalls on the deep end of the pool because of underground outer struts that have deteriorated and separated joints in the stainless steel in a half-dozen places. The pool bottom also needs to be replastered. Spot repairs made in late spring last year stopped much of the chronic water loss.