A pool supporter kindly offered to share her strong letter. It’s an inspiration:
Dear Council and Committee Members:
I am writing to strongly urge you to invest in the health and well-being of Seattle citizens by including the development of at least one new warm water therapy pool in the Seattle Parks levy.
Warm water (88-94 degree) therapy pools are in dire need in our community. They are useful for those with mobility issues, for those recovering from injury, for children learning to swim and for seniors maintaining and increasing their health. With the increase in the population of seniors, the need for restorative swim centers that are designed to be barrier-free is critical. No warm water therapy pools are open to the public in Seattle year-round. There are simliar pools in Bellevue and Mountlake Terrace. (There is one warm water (94 degree) pool available in the summer months in Magnolia.)
I am acutely aware of this lack of warm water therapy pools since my daughter has been old enough to learn to swim. Because of her disability, she carries little body fat and can’t tolerate the standard 84 degree pool temperature of lap pools, such as the Seattle public pools. The doctors have told us again and again that swimming is the best exercise for her. We have searched and searched for a place for her to swim locally. She currently swims at Seattle Children’s Hospital weekly and has had a great increase in her muscle tone and flexibility. We are lucky enough to be able to afford to access the Hospital pool but swim opportunities like this should be available to the entire public. This is a form of recreation that is open to anyone and in an inclusive setting! What other sport can say that?
Let’s match or exceed the quality of swim opportunities seen in our neighboring communities — I urge you to add at least one warm water therapy pool to the Seattle City Parks.
Contact information for sending your own letter is included in the post called: Update from SeattlePools.org: Help Put Pools in the Parks Levy. Thank you for your support for pools!
Update from SeattlePools.org: Help Put Pools in the Parks Levy
12 May
Posted by admin as Uncategorized
Dear Pool Supporters:
Now it’s time to remind both Parks and the City Council of your support for pools. Both the final Parks Strategic Plan and the Pro-Parks Levy proposal are being hammered out right now. On top of this, the Council will soon review the prelim pool study. Your participation really does make a difference. Read on for instructions on how YOU CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE FOR AQUATICS, AGAIN!
ACTION ONE: Submit Public Comments to the City Council’s Citizens Committee for a New Park Levy
The committee will advise the Council by June 30 on the pros and cons of asking voters to renew a parks levy on November’s ballot. As part of that process, the Committee will analyze specific parks projects that could be covered by renewal of the levy. Please suggest that funds for pools be included in the proposed levy– email parksandgreenspaceslevy@seattle.gov and be sure to cc the leader of Parks Department Strategic Planning process (mickey.fearn@seattle.gov) and/or the Superintendent of the Parks Department (timothy.gallagher@seattle.gov). Optionally, you can also attend the 3 public forums for the Levy Committee in person (details: http://www.seattle.gov/council/issues/parks_levy.htm#names).
ACTION TWO: Remind the City Council of your interest in the results of the preliminary pool study
Email each of these Councilmembers INDIVIDUALLY:
- tom.rasmussen@seattle.gov -
- richard.conlin@seattle.gov - Vice-Chair Parks Committee & Council President
- jan.drago@seattle.gov - Parks Committee member
- tim.burgess@seattle.gov - Parks Committee alternate
On one of these mails, please cc mickey.fearn@seattle.gov - Leader of Parks Strategic Planning Process
In your brief email to Councilmembers please remember to:
- Thank the Councilmembers for their public service - a little thanks goes a long way
- Mention your support of pools and interest in the draft "Pool Study" to be discussed at an upcoming Parks & Seattle Center Committee meeting
- Request they include aquatics in the new parks levy package
Thank you for your dedicated advocacy for public pools.
