Sunset Pool

From the Journal.....

Fundraising efforts sink for Sunset Pool, which faces demolition
City has funds set aside to convert area into green space

Didn't hear too much in the way of effort, marketing and advertising to promote fundraising for this from the city nor private groups. Still think that they could have increased the monthly water bill a buck or two to provide enough money to run the pool for a season at a time. Seriously, would anyone have missed that dollar or two per month? Spend that on a cup of coffee each morning at Mickey D's, don't we?

"green space"....as it applies to Middletown is an ecological term used to describe the barren, non-used, once active land that is left after the city leaders have made the decision to tear everything and anything in sight down, sucking the very life out of this once properous community. Just look at the "open spaces" being created downtown to see the result of their game plan. Alot of "green space" down there. Heck, alot of "nothing" down there. A more apt description instead of "green space" would be to use the term "barren wasteland" in step with their planning department agenda of making this the "Australian outback" of SW Ohio.

The city leaders always remind us that tearing down things creates green space and potential re-development sites. It is true, that we see alot of activity centered around the first part of this statement.....tearing down things. But we have yet to see all this destruction yield any re-development. The Roosevelt school site will sit for many years as an empty lot as will most of the empty lots in the downtown area. Nothing's coming in here.....not with the town being run the way it is. Pathetic IMO.

"Gilleland said there is money in the parks acquisition fund from development impact fees that could be used to fill in the pool and convert the area into green space. About $82,000 was set aside in the budget for the demolition, but estimates put the cost at about $70,000."

VV my only arguement would be people live in the outback. I would suggest more like the 30's dust bowl. They left for more opportunity after they ruined the land. (My attempt at humor)

I know the attendance was down but the complex was relatively nice and not too old (compared to many public pools).  It could have been an asset if kept alive for awhile longer.  And how much would it cost to simply "mothball" it?  It couldn't be that pricy to keep it as is.

Spidey....might also be able to flood part of the football field/track area for ice skating in the winter. I remember when we used to skate on Smith Pond and also on the tennis court at Sunset Park years ago.

$82k has been set aside to demolish the pool, yet the city can't find the funds (about $20k if I remember correctly) to operate the pool? Something is rotten in the state of Denmark.

We can buy houses, rehab them and sell them for an average $50k loss.

We can operate the golf course at a loss.

We can bail out the Perry Thatcher estate by buying up real estate and forgiving loans taken out on the the (now closed) hotel.

We can give away real estate and money to bring in new business downtown.

Yet in a city where over 2/3 of the youth can be considered to live in or near poverty level conditions, we can't operate a public pool. And the (tiresome, oh so tiresome) reason is "lack of use." Which was based on attendance during THE COLDEST SUMMER IN RECENT HISTORY.

I am in general a supporter of our city and our council but in this situation I cannot that their preferred course of action is done in the best interest of the residents.