(Photo courtesy of the Mineola Historical Society)
• September 1959-Mayor Stanley Krause appoints trustees John DaVanzo and Harry Rotherham to make further surveys on a $150,000 pool at Thomas H. Wilson Park.
• January 1960-trustee DaVanzo reports encouraging numbers with regard to the pool. He says 989 families voted “Yes” on the pool, 561 voted “No” and 145 voted in favor but not caring to give financial support in a survey.
• In 1960, the plans for the swimming pool called for 1,500 families to subscribe at a cost of $50 each. The use of the 9,000 square-foot pool would be restricted to subscribing families. As of April 1960, 1,015 families were interested.
• July 1960-the village board officially approves the proposed pool. The pool committee, headed by DaVanzo and Rotherham, has over 800 pledges.
•August 1960-DaVanzo and Rotherham inspect the Forest City Pool in Wantagh and the Garden City Pool for research. Membership pledge cards can be obtained from John and Bill DaVanzo, Chris Gannon, Ed Mulvihill and Nick Mortensen.
• Trustee DaVanzo announces at the Friday, Sept. 16, 1960 village board meeting that pool work would start in October. The village board authorized the borrowing of $250,000 for construction. It’s $50 per year for each family. As of that date, 1,000 families joined. The T-shaped pool is 10,000 square feet in area and there is also a 1,000 square foot wading pool.
• Jan. 9, 1961—ground is broken on the pool. The now $273,000 pool expects to see the pool open in June.
• Saturday, June 24, 1961-the pool opens. On Aug. 7, 1961 Mayor Krause officially dedicates the pool.
•Saturday, June 16, 2007-The Mineola Village Board votes 4–0 to name the pool after John DaVanzo.
