Rep. Westerman tours PB’s newest amenities

PINE BLUFF — Fourth Congressional District Rep. Bruce Westerman made a swing through Pine Bluff on Thursday to look over the city’s new aquatic center and to survey the progress on the Pine Bluff/ Jefferson County Main Library construction.

At the library, which is about 85% complete, Westerman was given a walk-through of the site by East Harding Construction senior superintendent Patrick Booth and library director Bobbie Morgan. They pointed out many of the features of the facility that will be the centerpiece of the library system.

Morgan and Booth described the amenities that will soon be available, including a community area, teaching kitchen and computer training lab.

“The idea behind this is that people can come here and get a higher level of training,” Morgan said.

“The word library doesn’t really quite describe what all you’ll have here once this is finished,” Westerman said.

Ann Talbot, a member of the library board of trustees, explained how the board solicited public input during the planning phase to decide what amenities to include.

“A lot of what you see going in here ... what people wanted to see in their library,” she said.

The next stop was the Pine Bluff Aquatic Center, which was busy with all the pools operating despite the 40-degree chill of the outdoors.

“This is quite a difference,” Westerman said as he stepped into the 85-degree building. Smiling, he walked around the lobby, introducing himself to employees and patrons.

At the competition pool, he visited with Troy DeBill, an Amateur Athletics Union swimming coach who coaches the Pine Bluff Sharks swim team. DeBill told him that in the years before the pool opened, the team practiced at a borrowed outdoor pool using whatever equipment was available or could be fashioned or repurposed.

“We’ve practiced with makeshift equipment for about 20 years,” she said. “To go from that to this is amazing.”

After the tour, Westerman gave city leaders high marks for the improvements that have been made to Pine Bluff, the ones that are underway, and those that are still in the planning stages. He said all the economic activity has attracted attention around the state, and even nationally.

“I think we’re going to continue seeing more industry and jobs in this area,” he said. “When you’ve got facilities like this, it’s a big selling point when companies want to come in and invest in an area, to have an aquatic center like this and a library like what’s being built. ... These are the things that, in today’s world, are going to draw businesses to areas, keep them here, and provide a place where people can come to have a job, raise their families, and be proud of where they’re from.”

Later that evening, Westerman attended the 2020 Lincoln-Reagan Dinner hosted by the Jefferson County Republican Committee, where he was the keynote speaker.