BC-ME–Stephen King-Pool, Bjt,350

Dedication held for pool donated by Stephen and Tabitha King

BANGOR (AP) – A municipal swimming pool paid for by Stephen and Tabitha King and named in honor of a local diving star who died of leukemia five years ago was dedicated Thursday.

Tabitha King and her toddler grandson, Ethan King, were the first people into the water at the Beth Pancoe Memorial Aquatic Center when they slid down a winding, three-story water slide and entered the pool with a wild splash. Stephen King, the best-selling horror author, opted against taking a dip because the water was a bit cold for him.

The Kings donated $1.4 million toward the cost of the pool, and the city of Bangor added $385,000. The facility replaces a 40-year-old pool that was half the size of the new one.

The pool, located at Hayford Park, is named for Beth Pancoe, a former star diver at Bangor High School who died in 1999 after a long battle with leukemia.

Dr. Michael Pancoe, his wife Eleanor and daughter Julia, 22, watched as another daughter, Hannah, 16, cut a red ribbon at the dedication ceremony.

“This dedication is a celebration of our daughter’s life,” Dr. Pancoe said. “Our daughter was an extremely energetic person in every way, in terms of her athletics, in terms of her activities.

The Kings first offered to donate money for a new pool after noticing the cramped conditions of the old one.

The new aquatics center includes a building with changing rooms. The pool features a four-lane swim area, a double water slide, a pool for toddlers and a ramp for people in wheelchairs. The pool opens to the public on Saturday.

Stephen King said he hope people will remember Beth Pancoe when they use the pool. The Pancoes and Kings are neighbors on West Broadway.

“She was a wonderful kid, a wonderful young woman, and she was a wonderful swimmer,” King said. “So every now and then, when you use the pool, spare a thought for Beth and remember she was a real person and she was a great person.”

AP-ES-06-18-04 0929EDT