The eighth and final candidate in Vashon’s race for unofficial mayor is actually a group of swimmers rather than an individual.
Captain Chlorine and the Swim Squad announced their run last week and will be gathering donations for the Seals Swim Team so the Vashon Pool can be covered. Seals swim team board president Karin Choo said the “goggled crusaders” have come “to save the day and bring year-round swimming to Vashon Pool.”
“These unstoppable do-gooders are not only covering the pool with a bubble so that any and all citizens have access to a year-round public pool, but they are willing and able to use their super powers to serve our community as unofficial mayor,” Choo said in the statement announcing the squad’s entry into the race.
Captain Chlorine and his fellow swimmers have set a $100,000 goal that will go toward purchasing and installing an inflatable dome over the pool, as well as paying for other necessary equipment.
Last month, the Vashon Park District board voted 3-2 in favor of covering the Vashon Pool. The decision came six months after the Seals team initially brought a proposal to the board that outlined a plan in which the team would foot the bill for the initial $85,000 cost and the cost of the team’s 10 hours per week of practice time. The park district will be responsible for the rest of the costs, including 22 hours every week of public use, estimated at $55,000 per year beginning in 2018.
The pool bubble is expected to be installed in October and will cover the pool through the fall and winter until the summer swim season begins again next May.
The Seals swim team is one of two competitive Vashon swim teams and provides children ages 6 through 17 with a chance to compete in nationally recognized swim meets. The team currently practices at the Vashon Athletic Club in the off-season and at the Vashon Pool in the summer.
Choo has previously said that the athletic club pool is too crowded and is not a regulation size pool. There are also no starting blocks and new swimmers do not get a chance to practice diving in.
The park board has raised concerns about expenses as the pool is old and increased use could mean increased repairs.
To lend a hand to Captain Chlorine and the Swim Squad, vote by dropping money into donation jars around town. Visit coverourpool.org to learn more.
The deadline for unofficial mayor candidates was June 1, and there are eight candidates now in the running. The number represents the largest unofficial mayor race since 2002, which is as far back as the Vashon-Maury Island Chamber of Commerce’s records go.
According to chamber of commerce Executive Director Jim Marsh, previous races have raised between $2,000 to $20,000. Each candidate chooses a nonprofit to raise money for and “votes” are awarded to the candidates for every dollar they raise in donations. The participating nonprofits receive 85 percent of funds and the chamber receives 15 percent.
— Anneli Fogt
