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(SIGN PETITION AT BOTTOM OF PAGE)
Highly Popular Volleyball Court in Danger
For three months, from the end of the school to the return of classes, the pool’s volleyball court is bustling. All afternoon and late into the long summer evenings, cries of “we’ve got next ” echo across the water. “The Pool” just wouldn’t be “The Pool” without the volleyball court.
However Bridgeport Parks and Recreation is planning to dismantle the court and replace it with a children water play area – a “Splash Pad.”
The volleyball court will be “moved” across the parking and over the creek adjacent to the basketball court.
The pool, the court, and Dairy Queen form a sort of triangular trade route. Teenagers spend their entire afternoon shuffling between games at the court, Blizzards at Dairy Queen, and dives in the pool. The close proximity of the three create the fun environment. 2003 Alumnus Gary Spitznogle explained, “It’s a prime location, a minute from Dairy Queen, a second from the pool. You get out of the pool, play a game, and jump back in when the whistle blows.”
Moving the court across the creek will destroy this social system. Moreover, the new court won’t be nearly as popular. Those who want to play volleyball will be a bridge and long parking lot away from the pool. “Nobody will play over there. Its too far away from the pool, from the concession stand, from Dairy Queen. Its too far away and it won’t get used at all,” Spitznogle said.
Providing wholesome, healthy activities for teenagers should be a primary concern for any municipality. But Bridgeport, by removing the volleyball court from the pool area, will destroy a hugely successful teenage attraction.
The new “Splash Pad”, on the other hand, will be for little kids. “It is primarily for younger children.... [teenagers] are not going to run around and frolic [in it],” said Aaron Greenberg, who’s camp in Medford, New Jersey has a similar “Splash Pad”. Chance Suhsun, attendant at a “Splash Pad” in Princeton, Minnesota agreed. “Most of the time [teenagers] don’t want to be seen in there.”
Bridgeport’s plan is bad business. Middle and high school students are the pool’s biggest supporters, and the pool/volleyball court/Dairy Queen triangle is what draws and keeps them. The “Splash Pad” is simply not going to be an attraction for this age group.
Currently, however, younger children can only play in the baby pool. A “Splash Pad” for them, somewhere other than on the volleyball court, is a good idea.
Parks and Recreations is also keen to eliminate the problem of sand destroying the pool’s pump. It costs the city several thousand dollars to replace the pump every few years because of sand brought and blown in from the volleyball court. A resort pool engineer I contacted recommended the addition of a sand trap within the pump/filtration system and/or the substitution of heavier sand on the court.
Now as to the “Splash Pad” – where could it be built? The grassy region beyond the diving boards is large enough to accommodate a scaled down version of such an attraction while preserving enough sunbathing area.
An even better idea is to relocate the volleyball court not across the creek, but behind the Benedum Civic Center. The full size “Splash Pad” could then be built with the volleyball court remaining close to the pool.
Preserving a poolside volleyball court while adding the “Splash Pad” is a compromise that will be good for business and good for the youth of Bridgeport.
However, if an alternate plan is unworkable, the“Splash Pad” proposal should be abandoned. The volleyball court is too special to be moved so far away.
Now, what can you do? First, sign this petition showing your support for the preservation of the Bridgeport Pool Volleyball Court. Then forward it to other Bridgeport residents.
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My name is Alex Weinstein and I am a 2003 BHS graduate. |
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