January 2008
Community News
Activists Make a Splash for New Pools
Christine Larsen, a Capitol Hill mother of three, used to get in line at 5 a.m. to try to get her children into 9 a.m. swim lessons at a private pool in Wedgwood. If she were a member, she’d have no problem, but she’s been on the waiting list for seven years and has five years to go. This past summer, she drove her children, ages 2, 4 and 7, across town to the outdoor Mounger Pool in Magnolia, but wasn’t able to enroll them in swim lessons.
Elizabeth Nelson grew up in northeast Seattle and swam at a private pool in View Ridge. Nelson overcame health challenges and says that “Swimming was a refuge when normal activities were difficult to do, and one of the most important things I did growing up to keep me healthy was to learn to swim.” She now lives near University Village and finds fewer opportunities available: The waiting list for the View Ridge pool she used as a child is 847 people long. “I couldn’t afford it now,” she says.
Sharon Simas was a competitive swimmer, lifeguard and swim instructor, and her two children are involved in swim and water polo teams in Bellevue. They must practice year-round in outdoor pools or rent public swim time at Juanita High School in Kirkland. Her daughter’s water polo team practices at the Samena Swim Club’s outdoor pool even if there’s snow on the ground and ice on the pool deck.
All three cite a dire lack of swimming pools in the greater Seattle/King County area and are spearheading efforts to increase the number – Larsen and Nelson with “Project Seattle Pools” (formerly “Project Splash”) and Simas with “SPLASH for All” on the Eastside.
Project Seattle Pools
The city of Seattle has built only one pool in 30 years and provides only 1.7 pools per 100,000 citizens, far below the national average of three pools per 100,000 residents, according to figures compiled by the Trust for Public Land. Two of Seattle’s pools are outdoors – Mounger, and Colman Pool in West Seattle, both west of Interstate 5.
“Our city has not kept up with the times. Whenever you have long wait lists (three to 12 years) and expensive fees to join private clubs ($2,000-$25,000), swimming becomes an exclusive activity,” Larsen says.
She began an effort to get another outdoor pool in northeast Seattle this past summer, and arranged meetings with representatives of Seattle Parks and Recreation at local community centers this fall. As she researched the issue, she saw a need for outdoor pools in southeast Seattle, as well as other areas of the city. After becoming a parks commissioner later this fall, Larsen turned over leadership of the organization to Nelson, who has broadened the scope of the effort.
“Cost-effectiveness is a selling point for outdoor pools,” Nelson says, pointing to the success of Mounger Pool. “Kids don’t want to go indoors in summer – they want to access swimming through play.” In addition, she says she represents the population that needs more pool space for therapy, noting that there is no public, graduated-entry pool in the whole city. She also cites the need for pool space for swim teams that must sometimes practice at 4:45 a.m. “There is an overall lack of pool space for all ages and all abilities.”
Project Seattle Pools members were able to secure funding for a Parks Department feasibility study this year to assess the need for pools. In addition, the public’s input is being solicited until April 2008 for the Parks Department’s five- to 10-year strategic plan.
Pool supporters can e-mail comments to the Parks Department’s Strategic Plans Coordinator at Susanne.Friedman@Seattle.gov or write to the new Parks Department Superintendent, Tim Gallagher, at Seattle Parks and Recreation, 100 Dexter Ave. N., Seattle, WA 98109. They can also write to Mayor Greg Nickels at P.O. Box 94749, Seattle, WA 98124 or e-mail him at www.seattle.gov/mayor/citizen_response.htm. Visit www.seattle.gov/council/councilcontact.htm for addresses of City Council members.
“The Parks Department must hear a city-wide call for pool space before it will prioritize pools,” Nelson writes.
For more information and updates, visit www.seattlepools.org.
SPLASH for All
The city of Bellevue has not increased its public pool capacity since 1970, and has one public pool. Regionally, Woodinville recently lost its pool; Bothell’s is slated to close in 2011; and other public pools are aging. Most small, private pools were built between 1959 and 1970. Private pools are also out of the reach of many lower-income residents, says Simas, who founded SPLASH for All two years ago.
Beginning with a group of parents and swim coaches, the nonprofit organization has expanded to include representatives of the whole community. It now has a strong board of directors and has been building support among public officials for a multi-purpose, all-season regional aquatics center in the greater Bellevue area.
They envision a recreational facility with room for water volleyball or inner tube water polo, as well as informal family sessions for swimming, splashing, and enjoying water slides, a “lazy river,” rope swing, toddler pool and Jacuzzi. The facility would include therapeutic pools, along with a world-standard 50-meter competition pool and dive area for high school, recreational and club swimming, diving and water polo teams. “Our vision is very, very broad,” Simas says.
The Bellevue Parks and Recreation Department will complete a feasibility study in March, evaluating six potential sites and looking at users and capital needs. SPLASH for All estimates the total cost at $25-30 million and envisions a partnership with the City of Bellevue and the Bellevue School District, as well as corporate, public and philanthropic funding.
Looking beyond the effort to build the Bellevue facility, Simas says the group would like to see an initiative like the huge 1968 Seattle/King County Forward Thrust bond issue, which may include building pools in Snoqualmie, Maple Valley, north King County and other areas that are identified as under-served.
“People with toddlers now are the next advocates. It’s a long process, and if we don’t start now, in 10 to 15 years public swimming will go away,” Simas says.
“We have lots of places to eat and shop on the Eastside, but not enough indoor recreation.”
For more information, go to www.splashforall.org. To become involved, e-mail info@splashforall.org.
Pacific Science Center Discovery Center Receives Grant
Pacific Science Center’s Discovery Corps program received $10,000 from the Motorola Foundation as part of its Innovation Generation Grants, a $3.5 million initiative to inspire young people to embrace science, technology, engineering and math.
“This generous grant will expand and deepen Discovery Corps, a program for high school-age students,” says Bryce Seidl, president and CEO for Pacific Science Center. “This in-depth volunteer program immerses teens from populations under-served in science education in hands-on, inquiry-based science activities while also teaching valuable job and leadership skills and providing one-on-one mentoring by caring adults.”
Students ages 14 or older begin the program as volunteers. They go through a three-day training session to become familiar with Pacific Science Center and start developing job skills in customer service, education and communication with people of all ages. Once a youth has completed approximately 100 hours of service learning as a volunteer, he or she is assessed on skills and performance. Those who meet expectations are promoted to paid positions. The long-term goal of the program is to inspire high school students to consider careers in science, technology, engineering and math.
The deadline is March 14, 2008 for the next training sessions, scheduled for April 12, 19 and 26, 9 a.m. - 5:30 p.m. For more information, call 206-269-2143 or e-mail discovery_corps@pacsci.org.
Spanish Immersion Kindergarten Information Night
A Spanish Immersion Kindergarten Information Night will be held Jan. 16 at 6:30 p.m. at Puesta del Sol Elementary School, 3810 132nd Ave. S.E. in Bellevue’s Factoria neighborhood. This informational meeting is for registration for kindergarten in the Bellevue Public Schools’ immersion program for the 2008-2009 school year. Students are selected for the kindergarten by lottery. Childcare is not available at the meeting.
For more information, call the school at 425-456-6100 or visit www.bsd405.org.
Frontline Presents ‘The Medicated Child’ and ‘Growing up Online’
This month, PBS’s Frontline brings parents two important films about how children are growing up in America.
“The Medicated Child” will air Jan. 8. With more than four million children now on behavior-modifying medications – some starting as young as 2 years old – Frontline investigates the controversial practice of medicating kids. Are the drugs safe? How young can you detect mental illness in a child? Is medication really the answer? Reporters confront psychiatrists, researchers and big pharmaceutical companies about the risks and benefits of prescription drugs for troubled children.
“Growing up Online” will air Jan. 22. Frontline looks at the impact of the Internet on adolescence through the eyes of teens and their parents. The film takes viewers into the private worlds kids are creating online – from kids who are harassed and bullied, to kids who make social connections virtually when they have few friends at school, to those who attain instant celebrity on YouTube.
Local PBS stations are KCTS in Seattle (www.kcts.org) and KBTC in Tacoma (www.kbtc.org). Times were not available at press time, so check local listings. Following every broadcast, Frontline can be viewed online for free at www.pbs.org/frontline.
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