October, 2009

An Open Letter to the Worcester Community,

The announcement over 2 years ago that the City wanted to close our 9 pools angered many in our community. Maybe it upset you. We organized families, teenagers and friends from all Worcester neighborhoods, naming ourselves “Save Our Poolz”. From that beginning, Save Our Poolz worked to teach our leaders how important Worcester’s pools were to our children, families and neighborhoods. We surveyed over 600 neighbors who overwhelmingly (94%) said they wanted pools, not spray facilities. We talked to other cites. We talked to people who build pools. We believe, as so many Worcester residents do, that Worcester’s pools and parks are extremely important and Worcester needed to develop a plan to save them.

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For over two years the Save Our Poolz Coalition has been told that the City Council's Youth, Parks and Recreation Committee would debate and decide Worcester's pool proposal. Save Our Poolz was told throughout the lengthy hearing process that our City Councilors would take people’s thoughts, concerns and ideas under advisement in making their decision.

City Manager O'Brien decided he was above following the announced public process, and decided to throw City Councilor Michael Germain under the bus. O'Brien's proposes only three new pools based on the Taj Mahal grandiose style already rejected by Save Our Poolz.

[Full article]

With the growing possibility that City Manager O'Brien will replace Worcester's nine neighborhood pools with three $2.3M pools, community members continue to look for ways to help save our pools. The following reviews events concerning pools that have taken place over the last year, and the work that Save Our Poolz has done in defense of Worcester's pools. For more information, email saveourpoolz@gmail.com.

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After many months of putting road block after road block in the way of hundreds of Worcester residents trying to open some number of neighborhood swimming pools this summer, City Manager Michael V. O'Brien and Commissioner of Public Works and Parks Robert L. Moylan released two reports at the last City Council meeting saying that NONE of the neighborhood pools are safe to open this summer.

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Worcester City Councilors weighed in with their latest position on Worcester's pools this past week which ran from Councilor Rushton's belief that at least 5 pools could be open to City Councilor Haller's belief that, "It may well be there are no safe pools".

Meanwhile, District 3 City Councilor Paul Clancy took the position that, "waste of time to even think about opening pools".

[Pools discussion starts 2 minutes in, and unfortunately cuts out part of Councilor Rushton]

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Groups organizing in the Green Island Neighborhood recently came together to celebrate a year of accomplishments and to collectively call on City leadership to keep the Crompton Park Pool open.

Green Island Together, East Coast Autowerks and Pernet Family Health all joined together in the organizing effort.

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The Save Our Poolz Coalition is asking for community residents to help them remind Worcester City Councilors of their campaign pledges and commitments to Worcester's nine municipal pools. Commissioner Bob Moylan announced this past week that the proposal he has submitted to the City Manager calls for the closing of 5 Worcester pools!

Automated e-mails can be sent via this link: Send e-mail

More:
City Manager recommends closing more pools
Earlier Indymedia Stories
Watch Candidates' statements at WCCA forum

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Save Our Poolz Coalition Press Conference
12pm, Thursday, August 7th
Tacoma Park swimming pool, 385 Tacoma Street

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Public Works and Parks Commissioner Robert Moylan organized a tour of two city pools for City Councilors the day before this year’s pool season kicked off. Members of Save Our Poolz found out about the tour and joined in, lucky enough to end up crashing a planned media photo-op.

The tour of Tacoma Pool just knocked everyone over. Although Great Brook Valley residents had asked, probably even pleaded that bathroom doors be re-installed in the bathrooms, there wasn’t a single door in either the Boys or Girls rooms.

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City Manager O'Brien and Commissioner Moylan's July 8th, 2008 plan to close Worcester pools.

[This is the City Manager's initial proposed plan]

FULL REPORT (pdf) with charts and shiny photos

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