Dear Community Members - 

Construction of a new swimming pool in Eads will be on our November ballots.  Women Empowered, your local civic organization, is asking residents of Eads to vote YES on 2A.

For the past year, Councilmember Justin McLoud has led the effort to obtain plans and grant funding to build a new swimming pool after it was determined that the current pool could no longer safely operate.  Although a new pool is an expensive undertaking--it will cost an estimated $3.5 million--the town has a good plan to pay for it.  The town is pursuing a Great Outdoors Colorado Grant to help with this cost. A temporary, limited sales tax increase of 3% (2A) will pay the loan for the remainder of the cost.  If 2A passes, it demonstrates strong public support of the project and increases the town’s chances of receiving a grant.  It is worth noting that a sales tax increase allows the community to leverage dollars being spent at local businesses from travelers passing through town rather than placing the cost burden solely on community residents.

The reason the original pool was built is also worth remembering.  The pool operated from 1959 - 2019, providing 60 years of cool summertime entertainment for local children.  Perhaps more importantly, the pool also offered swimming lessons, and lifeguards taught hundreds of local kids to swim.  The pool was built through a grassroots community effort following the July 8, 1953 drowning of 14-year-old Louella Richardson and J.M. Lancaster (who tried to rescue Louella) at NeeNoshe Reservoir during a Rainbow Girls picnic.  Through donations, fundraisers, and the sweat of their brows, our community built the pool to teach our youth how to swim and hopefully prevent another tragedy.  That goal is equally important and necessary today as it was in the 1950s.  A pool provides our youth (and hopefully adults) wonderful recreation and health benefits, but learning to swim is an invaluable life skill.

Vote YES on 2A!

Women Empowered (WE)

Jessica Hyman, Kelly Courkamp, Meghan Buck, Kayla McLoud, Jodi Stolzenberger, Kim Harris, Cassie Frey, Debbie Gooden, Shea Johnson, Kailey Meardon, Shealynn McCracken, Claire Prince, Stormi Nash, Claire Lane