Oversized ribbons and scissors were put on the shelf in Hartley this week. Local kids will have to wait yet one more year to take their inaugural dip in the new pool, and that's a jagged pill to swallow.

More of a gut punch, really. The entire community was buzzing this spring about the new pool's impending opening. If you're unaware of the details that unfolded this week, direct your eyes to our main story on Page 1.

It flat out stinks. According to information shared during Monday's special city council meeting, the development is rather unprecedented. Nonetheless, it is what it is.

Blame does not lie with officials at City Hall, so denizens of the City With a Heart need not waste their breath complaining. The city contracted for a new pool and the specs of that contract were not followed. Now, the only hope is for a timely resolution between the parties involved.

It's almost July. There wasn't going to be much of a swimming season left anyway, as opening day was already pushed back due to delayed delivery of a vital internal part. Now, local residents can only hope issues are corrected without drawn out legal disputes and other pointless battles. The wrong needs to be righted here – that's obvious.

The new pool was forced into existence by the sheer will of local citizens who wanted a better aquatic center to benefit the community for decades to come. It took more than five years, but their never-say-die attitude resulted in the passage of a bond issue to finance construction. 84 percent of voters said 'yes.' This city wanted a new pool.

Hartley will get it someday, too. It won't be in 2022 as planned, but that's how it goes sometimes. To say that recent developments are beyond frustrating would be a gross understatement. This was going to be the highlight of the summer.

Hartleyites and nearby pool patrons will simply have to wait a bit little longer. Everyone involved in this process has been affected – from city officials to pool employees to planning committee members to local kids. There is no sugarcoating this massive letdown.

Let's just hope everything is fixed as fast as possible so the community can celebrate this accomplishment by opening the pool next spring. It's been a long time coming, and unfortunately, it's going to be a little longer.