Work on new pool going swimmingly
Work is under way on a new swimming pool at the Dedham Community House, which plans to retire its original, 50-year-old pool in about seven months.
The ceremonial groundbreaking was last Wednesday for the new pool, which, at 30 feet by 75 feet, is 15 feet longer than the current one.
The pool is expected to be ready for next summer, and will include an environmentally friendly pool house with an office and first-aid space, a kitchenette, locker rooms, and a covered pavilion.
Summer recreational activities at DCH, founded in 1922, have always focused on swimming, and Reilly said many can remember learning to swim in “Cox Cove” of the Charles River at the edge of the DCH campus as early as the 1930s. When the Charles River became too polluted for swimming, the current pool was built in 1960.
“I learned to swim in that pool in 1981, and it was old then,” said DCH program and camp director Joshua Walther. “This summer, we held our breath each day that the old pool plumbing would hold up. I’m excited about what this means for summer camp and opportunities for expanded community programs.”
Today, DCH offers a preschool/day care center, summer camp, a variety of classes and workshops for all ages, and several special seasonal events.
Among the new offerings will be adult exercise classes, dedicated lap swim hours, additional swim lessons, and community pool nights.
DCH enrolls 250 children each year with between 10 percent and 20 percent of them reliant on scholarships.
The project will be funded by a combination of existing funds; a loan; and $500,000 in donations from local residents, businesses, and friends; and $50,000 from a longtime Dedham resident who wishes to remain anonymous.
A capital campaign has been launched to reach the fund-raising goal, and more than half has been raised already, Reilly said.
Donors include The Norfolk & Dedham Group, a neighbor to the project, which has offered $125,000 in total, of which $50,000 will be used as a challenge grant to match contributions of $1,000 or more. Other individual donations have ranged from $50 to $25,000.
“We need donors at all levels for this project to succeed,” Reilly said.
“Our entire community will benefit from the addition of this resource, and we need the entire community behind it.’’
