KAIT-Jonesboro, AR-News, weather, sports, classifieds-Sheryl Crow Aquatic Center Right On Track To 'Soak Up The Sun'
Member Center:
March 23, 2005 – Posted at 3:47 p.m. CST
KENNETT, MO -- Some Region 8 residents in Southeast Missouri are getting ready to spend a summer by the pool. Construction is right on track for the Sheryl Crow Aquatic Center in Kennett.
“We’ve kind of struggled to get a new pool here in town and she stepped up and decided that's what she wanted to do,” said Sheryl’s brother Steve Crow.
When Crow decided folks in her hometown of Kennett needed to soak up some sun, she built a pool.
“Sheryl had wanted to do this as an anonymous donation. She did not want to draw attention to herself; that is not the type of person that she is,” said Jan McElwrath, Executive Director of the Kennett Chamber of Commerce, “But we asked her permission to tie her name in with this to make it publicly known that she was part of the project because that would allow us a marketing tool for the city.”
Her brother Steve is part of a construction crew working to lay the last brick before summer. “She really helps out around here and you can really see the results, so it's pretty neat,” said Crow.
The Sheryl Crow Aquatic Center is scheduled to open Memorial Day weekend. Chamber officials believe that this project could serve as a springboard to breathe new life into downtown Kennett. And a $400,000 downtown revitalization grant the city is applying for could make a difference.
“If that is awarded, we may not be able to get all this construction done by Memorial weekend, but we will start on that project, so that by next summer when people come they will hopefully see a whole new downtown,” said McElwrath.
The Aquatic Center will feature a competition size pool, wading pool and interactive splash pad, and there's even more on the horizon.
“We'll have about a half an acre to develop further eventually into another park,” said McElwrath.
Which is just more reason for folks in Kennett to have some fun.
And here's a little bit of trivia for you: The property the Aquatic Center is located on in downtown Kennett was donated by Keith Mitchell. His son Brian Mitchell was Sheryl's date to the Senior Prom.
