By Jon Johnson
SAFFORD – A great deal of work and preparation goes into a successful swim team season. Having a pool to swim in is, however, of the utmost importance.
On Monday, Pima Town Manager Vernon Batty and Vice-Mayor Theresa Bailey were joined by a few Pima Swim Team members in presenting the Safford City Council with an oversized card and a plaque of appreciation for the city’s assistance with the Pima Swim Team this year.
The Pima Swim Team was without a pool to practice for the first few weeks of the season, and Safford graciously allowed the team to use its facilities after hours.
“They didn’t charge us anything, didn’t make us feel like we were imposing, and we were able to do that,” Batty told the council. “We are here to say thank you so much for stepping up and not asking questions – just making sure to get the job done.”
The Pima Pool has been in operation for nearly 40 years, and this off-season it was resurfaced for the first time thanks to grants from the United Way of Graham and Greenlee Counties and an Arizona State Parks grant.
The resurfacing went fine; however, when they went to restart the pool after refilling it, the main pump motor failed, and a replacement was not immediately available.
With the pool inoperable, opening was postponed, which meant the local summer swim team would have nowhere to practice just as the season began.
Pima competes in a summer swim team league with Safford, Thatcher, and Morenci, which lasts about a month and culminates with finals at the Safford Pool on the Saturday after the July 4th weekend.
Due to such a short season, the Pima Swim Team, which has upwards of 80 annual swimmers, was left high and dry. That’s when swim coaches and pool managers got together and came up with a schedule to allow the Pima Swim Team to utilize Safford’s pool for the first couple of weeks of the season.
“The city of Safford is good neighbors with us,” Pima Vice-Mayor Bailey said during the presentation at the Safford City Council meeting Monday night. “It takes a village, as they say, when we’re all so close together to be good neighbors, and I thank you so much.”
The summer swim season culminated with a nearly five-hour finals meet in Safford on Saturday, with the top three finishers in each age bracket and category receiving medals (gold, silver, and bronze) and other finishers receiving ribbons. Racers had to qualify for the finals by posting times at the previous swim meets throughout the season.
