Lovelock pool opens next month

Lovelock’s community pool has faced earthquake damage, dust storms, leaks and a pandemic.  

“It’s been a roller coaster ride getting everything to line up and get the repairs done. We’re still having issues with receiving needed parts, but we’re shooting for a June 6 opening,” says LPD chief and recreation board chairman Mike Mancebo. He swam in the Olympic-sized pool as a child.

The Pershing County summer recreation booklet describes a 2022 season full of swim lessons and family pool days. You can pick up a copy at City Hall, Temptations, Big R, Nevada State Bank and several other locations.

Pat Rowe compiles the booklet every summer. It covers four months of events throughout the county. There’s something to do almost every day on the calendar. And if not, there’s always the pool.

Directors Jim and Pat Rowe opened the community pool on July 4, 1974. Pat started Lovelock’s first swim team and has coached ever since. Jim Rowe fires the starting gun that signals the start of each race. This year’s team will compete against Yerington.

In May 2020, a magnitude 6.5 earthquake hit near Mina, about 180 miles south of Lovelock. Later, workers drained the pool for cleaning. When they refilled it, it leaked. The rec board called in a leak detection company to inspect the pipes. 

“We were able to change out a valve and thought this fixed the issue. The pool was still losing water, but not as bad,” says Mancebo. It opened for the summer amid state-mandated Covid restrictions. To keep the pool open, everyone wore masks except when in the water. They also practiced social distancing.

That’s when the wind blew dust through northern Nevada at speeds of up to 40 mph. 

By state regulations you must be able to see the bottom of the pool from the deep end in order to open.

“The pool became cloudy and had to be drained again. When we filled it back up, it wouldn’t hold water. Terra Firma Construction found cracks in the concrete, possibly from earthquake damage,” says Mancebo. The pool closed early to the disappointment of the town. 

“In 2021, Terra Firma did a ‘patch fix’ on the pool so we were able to open for most of the summer,” he adds. 

Terra Firma said it would cost $217,954 to replace the pool’s surface and chlorine system. Insurance would pay $31, 643, leaving the recreation board with a bill for $186,341.

That sum would have crashed the rec board’s budget, threatening the funding of other activities, including Frontier Days, Lovers Aloft and the Parade of Lights.

The community stepped up with car washes, a 5K, raffles and other fundraisers. The Lovelock Paiute tribe donated $1,500. The fire department kicked in $500. Road and Highway Builders threw another $7,500 in the pot. As of last June, the town raised over $40,000.

That’s when Paul Nelson came to Lovelock from KTVN Channel 2. He interviewed Lovelock residents about what the pool meant to them. Alexa Watson, 11, talked about playing games with her friends to see who could do the coolest tricks off the diving board. 

Khloe Montes, 12, also spoke about good times at the pool with her friends. Elijah Montes, 5, said he wanted the pool for his birthday party.

Maya Renfroe, 17, and Raul Rincon, 17, spoke about their memories of growing up at the pool. Both became lifeguards, like about 400 others in Pershing County over the decades.

“There are not that many jobs for kids in Lovelock. It’s a small community. But for eight to 10 kids every year, this is their first job,” says Pat Rowe.

Nelson’s reporting caught the eye of the William N. Pennington Foundation. They came through with a grant for $178,000. The other donations, fundraisers and raffle money will update the bathrooms and diving boards.

The pool will be open every day but Sunday. On Sundays its available for rental, in time for Elijah’s next birthday party.