It has come to the eye of the mother and father of Charlestown that the Clougherty Pool is just not scheduled to open this summer season. This is unacceptable.
Access to metropolis swimming pools is not only a enjoyable means for teenagers to cross time on sizzling days; it’s a essential a part of preserving our youngsters protected when many lack the structured supervision the varsity 12 months supplies. Every hour we are able to maintain our children occupied and protected this summer season is one other hour we’re doing our collective job to guard them.
We acknowledge there are different metropolis swimming pools, however youngsters want an outside choice in our neighborhood. Many who’re allowed to stroll to the highest of Bunker Hill Street to swim within the contemporary air don’t have a caregiver to take them to the following closest out of doors pool within the North End.
Navigating that 1 mile, which requires public transportation or a number of site visitors crossings, is just not a viable choice. No out of doors pool in Charlestown means they won’t swim this summer season. How they’ll use that point they may have in any other case been protected and interesting in a wholesome exercise, we can’t know.
More importantly, Charlestown has seen a big rise in gun violence this 12 months. The metropolis of Boston — the Mayor’s Office, the City Council, Boston Police, and each single considered one of our public departments, together with Boston Centers for Youth and Family — must be doing every thing doable to make our neighborhood a protected and nurturing place to boost households.
At a time when Charlestown youth want supervised, accessible and reasonably priced out of doors actions greater than ever, preserving a neighborhood pool closed solely additional isolates a few of our most-vulnerable kids. We must be rising the alternatives, not shuttering services.
If you wish to maintain youngsters protected, give them productive and wholesome issues to do. That means each pool in each neighborhood must be open.
Yes, we perceive that swimming pools are costly to keep up, however that upkeep, or lack thereof, can’t come on the expense of our children. Any issues of safety on the Clougherty Pool can and must be anticipated and budgeted for yearly. The pool was open final summer season. Charlestown households deserve a radical clarification of what has modified in 10 months and what options may be put in place to make swimming out there safely for the very temporary summer season season.
If the problems are in reality too vital to permit swimming this 12 months, what’s being achieved now to organize for subsequent summer season, in order that we don’t discover ourselves, as soon as once more, days away from the top of faculty, with no acceptable out of doors pool choice for the Charlestown neighborhood?
There are so many points going through our metropolis — points that maintain many mother and father up at night time. Looking on the huge image, closing a pool could appear insignificant. But that pool is a crucial neighborhood useful resource that helps the long-term well being, well-being and security of our youngsters.
Please, open the Clougherty Pool. Our youngsters are relying on you.
Sincerely,
The Board of the Charlestown Mothers Association
Source: www.bostonherald.com”