The next time you grumble over Center City parking kiosk prices or cringe sympathetically while watching a rerun of A&E’s Parking Wars, keep in mind where the money collected by the Philadelphia Parking Authority could one day end up. While still a hard pill to swallow, that fine may eventually be put to good use.
On June 18, thanks in part to a $34,000 donation from the PPA, much of the city’s youth will have somewhere cool, and supervised, to spend their time once school lets out. An announcement in early June by Mayor Nutter confirmed that 70 of the city’s 72 public swimming establishments will be open for the summer months.
A New York-based firm, First Niagara Financial Group, came to Philadelphia’s rescue, donating $400,000 to the city’s struggling Splash and Summer Fund. The fund, initiated by the Department of Recreation, was developed last year in the hope that, over the course of three years, donations, either by citizens or corporations, could assist the city’s budget in keeping the pools afloat.
Amos Playground Pool
In the summer of 2009, 27 city pools were not opened due to budget shortcomings.
Amos Public Pool, located on 16th Street near the corner of Berks and directly adjacent to Temple University’s outdoor track, was one of the many pools that did not make the cut. Freshly painted with an expansive mural advocating teamwork and partnership in the community, Amos’ North Philadelphia playground was the only attraction at the park available to the surrounding neighborhood.
Basketball courts and monkey bars can be fun, but do not do much to curb the sweltering city heat.
For many of the local residents, the mayor’s announcement, which preceded a weekend of nearly-hundred-degree weather, speaks to an undeniable need for wholesome distractions for the city’s many children and teenagers.
In light of the recent “flash mobs” on South Street and near the Gallery at Market East that turned dangerous, the need for a positive outlet for Philadelphia’s school-age population has been a topic of concern. Violence during after-school hours and even within school buildings has also served to perpetuate the desire for many Philadelphia citizens to produce more worthwhile activities for their children.
Summer is an especially crucial time for the engagement of the city’s younger population. With many parents at work during the day and unable to afford traditional summer pastimes like camps, children no longer occupied with schoolwork and class can often find themselves getting into trouble.
A portion of the Amos Pool's mural
Paris Lewis, a 16th Street resident, summed up much of the community’s feelings toward Amos’ upcoming opening.
“I think it’s a good thing,” he says. “It gives people more options for something to do at the park.”
At Amos Park with her young son, Victoria Sanabria echoes these sentiments. Sanabria, an 18th Street resident, believes that the pool is a necessity. Though she admits she will not be using the pool herself, her 1-year-old and his father, however, will be sure to partake in the summertime fun.
Longtime resident and Block Captain Estelle Wilson was joined by neighbor Michelle Gibson on the stoop of her 15th street row home. Both women agree that Amos’ opening will provide relief for the neighborhood’s youth, who are not granted many opportunities to exert their energy.
While most of the neighborhood seemed to be of the belief that the money spent on maintaining and opening the pools this summer was being put to good use, Patricia Whitmore, a young mother and former resident who has since relocated, thinks the city could have found more beneficial avenues for the funds.
The playground's basketball courts draws a crowd after school.
“I would [have] put the money in day care centers…shelters, maybe elderly homes,” she said as she played on the swings with her son at Amos Park. Whitmore has seen pools that have not been properly managed and believes the money should be spent on something people of all age groups can utilize.
“You can get wet in your back yard. Just use a hose.” she said, also mentioning that the YMCA offers access to its pool for a couple of dollars a day.
Overwhelmingly, though, Amos’s neighborhood appears to support the pool’s opening and anticipates a summer filled with fun in the water.
As other city budgetary issues threaten the future of many public neighborhood amenities, specifically the wide network of free libraries, it may again fall to an outside organization to come to Philadelphia’s aid.
Be the first to comment