Public pools offer more than a spot to beat the heat
Public pools offer more than a spot to beat the heat
On a sweltering, humid Wednesday afternoon, Jan Maund 无毛视频� sporting a bright-pink swim top, floral swim pants, white visor and sunglasses 无毛视频� claimed a grassy parcel of lawn at Town Park Pool in Canonsburg.
She sat in a blue beach chair, soaking up the sun.
无毛视频淚无毛视频檝e been coming to Town Park since I was 10 years old,无毛视频� said Maund, 67, a lifelong Canonsburg resident, as she surveyed the Olympic-sized pool with its iconic fountain that her husband, Jim, paints every year. 无毛视频淚 would meet my friends here, and we无毛视频檇 have a great time. Then, when I had kids, I brought my children here, and now I bring my grandchildren. All three of my children became lifeguards, and my husband was a lifeguard here. We love it here.无毛视频�
For thousands in Southwestern Pennsylvania, public swimming pools represent quintessential summer, providing a watery oasis for children, teens, families, and older adults.
Christina Hollandsworth, director of Town Park Pool, said municipal watering holes offer many benefits 无毛视频� among them, a chance to exercise and to make friends.
无毛视频淭here无毛视频檚 no better exercise for kids use up energy, and adults, too. There无毛视频檚 so much benefit, not only just being out in the sunlight, but the community pool offers a lot of socialization that people don无毛视频檛 get elsewhere,无毛视频� said Hollingsworth. 无毛视频淎 lot of times, friendships that are built down here tend to last.无毛视频�
In Fayette County, the Franklin Township Community Pool, which boasts a long, winding double slide and water features, drew plenty of swimmers as temperatures hit the high 80s the week of June 8.
Sarah Harvey, Fayette County Director of Planning, Zoning and Community Development, agrees with Hollandsworth无毛视频檚 view that community swimming pools serve as gathering places where residents of all ages, incomes, and backgrounds can get together in a safe and welcoming environment.
无毛视频淎t a time when many communities are facing increasing concerns about public health, social isolation, and limited recreational opportunities, public pools provide benefits that extend far beyond recreation,无毛视频� said Harvey. 无毛视频淕enerations of residents learn to swim, celebrate milestones, spend time with family and friends, and experience the simple joys of summer at their local pool. These shared experiences strengthen community identity and create lasting connections among residents.无毛视频�
Greene County operates two public swimming pools 无毛视频� the Greene County Water Park in Waynesburg and Mon View Pool in Greensboro 无毛视频� and Ryerson Station State Park Pool is within the county无毛视频檚 borders.
无毛视频淚 think the pools are an asset to our community, and we无毛视频檙e lucky in Greene County to have two public pools, plus Ryerson,无毛视频� said Courtney Hursey, director of recreation for Greene County. 无毛视频淚t seems like today, everybody has a pool or knows someone who has a pool, but with our lazy river and slides and other amenities, we have good attendance. Those features do attract people.无毛视频�
The first municipal public swimming pool was opened in 1868 in Boston, Mass., as a place to socialize and escape the summer heat before the invention of air conditioning.
During the Great Depression in the 1930s, public pool construction boomed, with more than 800 new pools built 无毛视频� including Town Park Pool, where construction began in 1934 无毛视频� and more than 300 pools renovated by New Deal agencies to provide work for the unemployed.
But during the 1940s through 1960s, public pools began closing due to desegregation pressures, with many municipalities choosing to drain, pave over, or defund their public pools rather than integrate.
Today, about 309,000 public pools operate in the United States, but they无毛视频檙e becoming harder to find due to high maintenance and insurance costs, nationwide lifeguard shortages, and the rise of alternatives including residential backyard pools and gated community associations.
Washington Park Pool director DeAnna Martin said the Olympic-sized pool has been an important resource for the community Washington Park Pool since the original pool was built in 1921.
无毛视频淢y fear is that if we were ever to lose an amenity like that, you would never get a pool that size back. The pool is old and it always has little problems every year, but we take steps to make sure we keep it,无毛视频� said Martin, noting that Peters Township and Trinity swim teams use the pool for training due to its size. 无毛视频淥nce you lose something like, the way municipal budgets are today, you would never be able to replace it.无毛视频�
Hollandsworth, too, said the borough is committed to maintaining its swimming pool.
无毛视频淚f you lose a pool, communities won无毛视频檛 replace it. It would be a massive undertaking to try to put one in now,无毛视频� she said.
Public pools also are important because they provide accessible spaces for swim lessons 无毛视频� a life-saving skill.
In the U.S. drowning is the leading cause of accidental death for children ages 1 to 4, but formal swim lessons can reduce that risk by up to 88%, according to the United States Swim School Association.
无毛视频淧ublic pools that offer swimming lessons and water safety play a critical role in public safety, helping children and adults develop skills that can prevent drowning and reduce water-related injuries,无毛视频� said Harvey.
At Washington Park Pool, swimmers must be at least 16 years old to swim without adult supervision, while Town Park requires those 13 and under to be supervised.
无毛视频淭he public pool is a great outlet for teens. They无毛视频檙e not on their devices, they无毛视频檙e talking to other people, interacting with people, and you can无毛视频檛 replace that,无毛视频� said Hollandsworth. 无毛视频淲e have that age group of teens where they无毛视频檙e old enough that they want to be by themselves, but they have to learn how to behave in a social setting without a parent here, and we solve issues on a case-by-case basis. I know how important it is for kids to have a safe place to go. A lot of our kids walk or bike here; if they无毛视频檙e not allowed here, they can无毛视频檛 drive so I don无毛视频檛 know where else they would go.无毛视频�
There are also mental health benefits from swimming, local pool directors say, noting studies that show swimming has been shown to improve mood and reduce feelings of depression.
For Donna Beacom of Canonsburg, public pools offer an affordable summer activity for her and her grandchildren.
She brings two of her grandchildren, Luca Sarbu, 8, and Ezra Sarbu, 6, of Mt. Lebanon, to Town Park Pool at least once or twice a week.
无毛视频淭hey love it here,无毛视频漵aid Beacom, whose attempts to round up her grandsons to leave the pool on a recent weekday were met with pleas to stay longer. 无毛视频淚 got a pool membership three or four years ago 无毛视频� it无毛视频檚 about $200 for the three of us, which is cost-effective 无毛视频� and the lifeguards and staff do a great job here. I don无毛视频檛 see the point in having a private pool.无毛视频�
Pools also create seasonal employment opportunities for lifeguards, concession workers, and maintenance staff, giving local youth valuable work experience and job skills, Harvey noted.
Renee Buckingham of Chartiers Township has been lap swimming at Town Park Pool for nearly 30 years, and often brought her two children.
无毛视频淢y kids kind of grew up here, and both became lifeguards,无毛视频� said Buckingham, who who still enjoys swimming laps. 无毛视频淚 love to swim. When I was growing up near Youngstown, Ohio, I无毛视频檇 go into the (public) pool as soon as it opened and I无毛视频檇 stay until it closed. My kids became good swimmers, too, although they don无毛视频檛 quite have my passion for it. When my son was 2 years old, he无毛视频檇 be jumping off the diving board here and all the big kids would watch him. He was inspirational, and there were kids who saw him jump off the board and it gave them the courage to do it.无毛视频�
Martin said she has enjoyed getting to know the families and people who have become regulars at Washington Park Pool over the years.
无毛视频淚 came here in 2021, and from then until now, I无毛视频檝e gotten to watch kiddos grow. I see people I grew up with bringing their kids, grandparents bringing their grandkids, older folks coming with friends,无毛视频� said Martin. 无毛视频淲e love our families. We love the people who come here. That无毛视频檚 the heartbeat of our pool.无毛视频�