No, not the War Memorial outdoor pool closed two years ago--but town officials decided to think outside the empty pool box and provide a way for folks to beat the heat this summer. The Middle School indoor Pool will be open for the first time in four years to the general public on a limited basis for open and lap swimming. Some of the $65,000 Town Meeting appropriated last month will go to pay the school department to cover the overhead and the balance put towards repairing the War Memorial Pool for a reopening next year. The town will also apply to the state for grant money to help cover the costs, estimated at $175,000.
And speaking of family values, at the very beginning of the three-hour meeting Alisa Brewer made it a point to actually affirm that the Amherst Select Board is officially marching in the privately run July 4 Parade. The past few years some of the five marched as individuals. Chair Stephanie O'Keeffe, and Ms. Brewer are confirmed, Aaron Hayden probably yes and Diana Stein due to "bad knees" will not march. Jim Wald was absent from the meeting.
OK, I am a member of the "general public" and unfortunate enough to be allergic to the sun (seriously -- to the extent others are allergic to Poison Ivy which I appear not to be allergic to - not that I play with fate and try to see how much of that oil I can endure without consequences). But if I am out in the sun, even without a sunburn, I get this really scary rash that truly freaks out the nurses and such...
ReplyDeleteHey, it sucks to be white -- in the 21st Century, it sucks in many ways -- but I digress....
Anyway, I really can't swim outdoors -- and I am a member of the general public -- how do *I* get to use this pool????
They are going to put up a sign: "UMass students need not apply."
ReplyDeleteBut seriously though, the Town Manager said he would make an official/formal announcement later this week with all the details.
Stay tuned.
So Ed, where is your thank-you to Maria Geryk for stepping up and opening the Middle School pool to the general public. Doesn't this show that Ms. Geryk truly does care about the children of Amherst?
ReplyDeleteSo all of a sudden we're going to be able to find the "oh so hard to find" lifeguards???
ReplyDeleteI don't envy anyone who serves in town government here in Amherst - you're damned if you do and damned if you don't.
ReplyDeleteSo the town finds a way to open a second pool for the summer and we get sarcastic comments from the peanut gallery like: "So all of a sudden we're going to be able to find the "oh so hard to find" lifeguards???"
I'm surprised we can still find people who want to run for Select Board or School Committee here. Those folks certainly have thicker skin than I do. This blog is a depressing place because it reveals how deeply cynical the folks in Amherst have begun. Perhaps, though, it's only the blog posters who are that cynical and the rest of Amherst is more like the rest of the world. Hard to know for sure.
Actually, my personal gripe is mostly with Leisure Services, who runs this nice little empire funded with tax payer money. Amherst would be served better using half of their funds to go towards police and fire protection in this town which serves everyone, rather than only a select few.
ReplyDeleteYes, I've had a beef with the select board from time to time as I thought that some members who used to be on there were self serving, rather than serving the greater good. But I believe that for the most part we have a select board that works for the community now. Stephanie and Alisa have done a great job while on there. They have reached out to various groups to end conflicts, while other members fueled the conflicts. We now have a more moderate selectboard than we have had in ages, which is a welcome change.
Yeah, SHE moved to South Hadley (perfect place for her)
ReplyDelete"I don't envy anyone who serves in town government here in Amherst - you're damned if you do and damned if you don't. "
ReplyDeleteYou're not damned if you do your job--as John Musante should have done to comply with TM's vote. I just don't believe he couldn't find a way to open War Memorial. Are we grateful for the Middle School pool, yes! Beggars can't be choosers.
"So Ed, where is your thank-you to Maria Geryk for stepping up and opening the Middle School pool to the general public. Doesn't this show that Ms. Geryk truly does care about the children of Amherst?"
ReplyDeleteOMG WOW!
(???)
Prediction: nearly no one will use the Middle school pool this summer. Flush that money down the (middle school pool) drain. Money that could have usefully gone to fix WM pool.
ReplyDeletePonzitown: I was being facetious with my post to Ed - quoting him when he asked if Maria was going to step up to the plate and open the pool and thereby showing she really cares about the children of Amherst.
ReplyDeleteGotta be on your toes on this blog!
Did Maria offer up the use of the pool BEFORE Town Meeting appropriated money which she will use for "overhead"?
ReplyDeleteShe is a saint.
anon 11:36
ReplyDeleteEXACTLY!
Alisa Brewer did mention how they should start outreach immediately (put a sign on the War Memorial Pool for one thing with notice of the hours for the Middle School Pool) and, ahem, maybe contact the, errr, bricks-and-mortar media for some free press.
ReplyDeleteWhat am I, chopped tofu?
No, Maria does deserve credit for this -- as do the folk who went down to Springfield (and I gotta wonder if some of the cops did unofficially as well).
ReplyDeleteThe point is well taken -- when people do things that are good, they ought to be commended.
Insightful.
ReplyDeleteActually this blog is less depressing than it used to be, because the blogmaster has become a much more positive person in recent months.
ReplyDelete