A groundbreaking ceremony was held on May 1st in Sitka to observe the beginning of the construction of an aquatic facility located on the Mount Edgecumbe High School (MEHS) campus.
The facility will provide recreational and educational opportunities to the students who attend MEHS. Most students who attend MEHS are from remote, rural communities along Alaska’s coast or interior rivers where it is difficult and dangerous to learn how to swim. According to the Alaska Bureau of Vital Statistics, drowning is one of the leading causes of accidental deaths in Rural Alaska. The reality is that learning to swim is an important facet to a well-rounded education in Alaska.
The facility will also be available for training purposes by the Alaska State Troopers and the United States Coast Guard. The Aquatic Center will also house a rehabilitation center that will be used by the medical community. In addition, when available the swimming pool will be open for use by the community of Sitka.
In the 2010 general election, a majority of statewide voters approved a general obligation bond package, which included the initial funding of $20 million for this project. In 2012, as Co-Chair of the Senate Finance Committee and working closely with the Department of Education, I was able to include the final $5 million needed to complete the project in that year’s Capital Budget.
I look forward to the grand opening ceremony, which I am told is next August 2017.
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