(JORDAN, N.Y.)--Assemblyman Will Barclay announced today that he secured $10,000 for the Jordan Veterans Memorial Pool. The money will help the community improve its water splash park and draw more residents to the pool and splash park.

The Jordan Pool Committee has made a series of upgrades over the last three years. It has upgraded facilities, built the splash park, improved drainage for the parking lot and purchased property surrounding the pool in hopes to make it a recreation destination for the area. Over the past two years, Assemblyman Barclay has secured $20,000 in state grants for the Jordan Veterans Memorial Pool.

“I’m happy to support the splash park at the Jordan Veterans Memorial Pool,” said Barclay. “We have a great quality of life in Central New York and providing additional recreational opportunities will only add to that quality of life,” added Barclay.

The splash park was installed last year. It features six giant sculptures that spray water in different modes: a soaking waterfall; a cloudburst of rain; a car wash, which mists bathers; and ground spray near daisies that shower.

The World War II veterans and the Jordan community built Jordan Veterans Memorial Pool in 1949 after a young woman drowned. The residents wanted to make sure the Jordan community had a place where children could learn how to swim. Every year since then, lifeguards and coaches have taught children how to swim. This year, 130 kids from the area participated in the learn-to-swim program.

“Because of the Assemblyman’s efforts, the Veterans Memorial Pool at Jordan is able to provide recreation to a wider group of people,” said Mayor of Jordan Dick Platten. “The kids especially enjoy the spray park. Without the assistance of people like the Assemblyman, we could not provide this kind of recreation to our residents.”

The pool’s annual budget is $60,000, which pays for the pool upkeep, staff and lifeguard salaries. Money for the pool is raised through the annual Jordan Fall Fest and membership fees. The Pool Committee received a Community Development Grant to make improvements to the facility, but the money was not enough to pay for the new splash park or parking lot improvements. Last year, Assemblyman Barclay secured $10,000 for the committee to improve drainage in the parking lot.

“On behalf of the patrons, staff and pool committee, I’d like to thank Assemblyman Barclay for his support of the Veterans Memorial Pool and other quality of life institutions he has supported, such as the libraries, throughout his Assembly District,” said Dick Strauss, member of the pool committee. “His support of our construction of a splash park at the Veterans Memorial Pool allows us to provide a summertime recreational facility in an underserved area of Onondaga County.”