Taylor didn't realize the local wading pool had already been out of commission for a year until the Chamber hosted a Lunch 'n' Learn last April to help the Park Board promote its Park Levy.

"We have a lot of young families in town and we need to have recreational opportunities to offer them. We were told at our April meeting that some families have chosen to locate in Shelby and Conrad rather than in Cut Bank because we didn't have the recreational opportunities they offer," said Taylor, who is working hard to make sure Cut Bank has a wading pool or some sort of splash park for toddlers and young swimmers by next summer.

After convincing the Chamber Board of Directors this is a "must do" project, Taylor and Chamber President LeAnne Kavanagh met with the Fund Raising Committee of the Cut Bank Education Foundation and Alumni Association to see how the two entities could "pool" their resources and raise the needed $30,000 for a new wading pool.

The Chamber was hoping to utilize the membership database of the CBEFAA to email alumni about the project and solicit their support. Unfortunately, at this time, no database exists and the cost to mail out information on the fundraiser is cost prohibitive. But that's not stopping Taylor.

"Every time you log onto your computer, fire off an email to a former classmate or old hometown friend and tell them about this project. And then tell them to pass it on. How many jokes and inspirational messages do you forward in a week? If you do this half as many times, think of all the people you'll be reaching," urged Taylor.

"If every alumni just gave $5 to this project, we could raise enough to fix the wading pool and replace the playground equipment in the Swimming Pool Park," she continued. "Parents of alumni who remember what a great asset the wading pool was when they were raising their kids are also asked to kick in $5 or whatever they can afford. I just can't believe we haven't had a wading pool in town for two years," said Taylor.

Taylor said members of the CBEFAA board have offered their individual support of the fundraiser.

Working with Sweetgrass Development grant writer Anne Thompson and City Recreation Director Jennifer Biegler, Taylor helped gather data for a $35,000 Montana Department of Commerce Tourism Infrastructure Investment Program (TIIP) grant to help fund the improvements.

"It's a long shot, but at least we're doing something to get the project going," said Taylor, whose goal is to have the wading pool or a water park operational by June 2009.

According to Mayor Joni Stewart, the City Council is scheduled to discuss its funding strategy for the wading pool at their Sept. 15 meeting. If the city does not received the TIIP grant, it may try for a Fish, Wildlife and Parks grant next February.

"If the TIIP grant is not successful or the council decides not to pursue the Fish, Wildlife and Parks Grant, the city will rely on donations," said Stewart.

According to Stewart, the City had a preliminary study done, which included three options, and the option chosen was total replacement. The preliminary design includes replacing the fill under the pool and clearing the wading pool drain. The total amount for the replacement is $30,030.

Stewart said the city crew will donate some $6,400 in labor costs, leaving just under $24,000 in funds needed to complete the project.

The first donation to the project came in last month from one of the Chamber's newest members. Kavanagh spoke with officials from NaturEner in July asking if they would haul a blade from the Glacier Wind Farm project to Cut Bank during Lewis and Clark Days to be autographed by local residents. The Chamber had planned to provide information on the baby pool project to those lined up to sign the blade and to also solicit donations for the project at the same time.

When it was determined the blade was too long to be parked in the Parkview Senior Center parking lot, NaturEner's Director of Project Management, Klaus Obel, asked if the company could make a donation to the project instead. It wasn't long before Kavanagh received a check for $2,500 for the wading pool project from Jose Maria Sanchez Seara, the CEO of NaturEner USA, LLC.

"The Cut Bank Chamber would like to thank NaturEner for their generous donation to this project and, more importantly, their more than $400 million investment in Glacier and Toole Counties," said Kavanagh. "The positive impact this project has had on our community, our businesses and the Golden Triangle area as a whole is staggering. With the construction phase of the Glacier Wind Farm project drawing to a close, we look forward to the continued expansion of NatureEner's clean and green energy projects in this area," said Kavanagh.

Donations to the wading pool project may be mailed to:

Cut Bank Chamber
P.O. Box 1243
Cut Bank, MT 59427
Donations are tax deductible and should be made out to the City of Cut Bank Park Board and earmarked "Swimming Pool Park Project."

By LeAnne Kavanagh
Wednesday, September 10, 2008 9:51 AM MDT

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