Central swimming pool was result of cooperation

In the mid-1970s, the Cape Girardeau School Board -- Kent Cargle, Judi McBride, Mary Kasten, Jim Hirsch, Dr. C. John Ritter and myself -- began discussing the possibility of a swimming pool for the Central High School campus.

We had room, because we were completing the largest school bond-issue construction in the city's history. The construction included a new gym, weight room, handball court, girls' dance studio, health classroom, wresting complex and four large locker rooms.

In addition, we provided a four-room business-education suite, library, some additional parking and a baseball complex at the northwest end of the campus to replace the baseball diamond on the south side that was partially eliminated for the new construction.

We had another problem. The demographics of families with school-age children had changed. We no longer needed Lorimier Elementary School. So we closed it.

At the same time, the Cape Girardeau City Council -- Mayor Howard Tooke and Councilmen Paul Stehr, Oliver Hope, Bob Herbst and Sam Gill -- were being pressured to augment or replace the Capaha Pool. In addition, the city had outgrown its space in the Common Pleas Courthouse. It simply wasn't adequate for good government administration. And it was inconvenient to the public.

We began discussions about these mutual problems with the council. Mayor Tooke and I sat down and negotiated a deal. The city paid us $210,000 for the Lorimier Elementary School building and converted it into City Hall. The city applied for and received a $1 million federal grant to build the pool. We provided the land and used the $210,000 to purchase and install the bubble covering that enables the pool to be used throughout the year.

It has been said, "It takes a village to raise a child." It was certainly true in this case.

I was elected to the Missouri Legislature, and most everyone else also moved on to new challenges. Art Turner, whom we hired as superintendent, the new school board, Mayor Stehr and city council members oversaw the construction and implementation of the project.

Jerry Ford of Cape Girardeau is a former president of the Cape Girardeau School Board.