SAVE YOUR POOL!!

We have the one and only public pool east of US 301 and Manatee County wants to fill it with dirt!

We live in Florida – there is water all around – is your child safe? Don’t you want all our East County children to be safe?

According to the statistics:

·         Florida is #1 in drowning deaths  

·         An average of 10 people drown every day

·         30% of deaths of children under the age of 4 are from drowning (second only to birth defects) and one of the main factors is lack of swimming ability

·         Drowning is the #1 preventable cause of death for everyone under 21

·         70% of children who drown are being supervised at the time

·         Last year between Memorial Day and Labor Day 137 children drowned nationwide

Providing a facility, like the John H. Marble pool, where children can learn to swim which doesn’t require a membership (like at the Y or a country club) is crucial in our community. This pool, commonly known as the “old Y pool on State Road 70”, is maintained by the County and paid for by us, the tax payers.  The County is citing under-utilization as the reason to close the pool yet there has been no effort to publicize that the pool is there and open to the public.

We are asking the Manatee County Commissioners to:

·         Vote to keep the JHM pool open

·         Invest a relatively small amount to heat it making it viable to keep open year round and install a splash ground allowing it to serve more residents

·         Offer programs and activities similar to those offered at other County-owned facilities, partnering with an organization to manage the programs if necessary

This would allow the existing pool to be used for swim lessons, lap swimming, high school swim team practices and competitive swim events, and potentially support a club swim team (i.e., USA Swimming). Without the JHM pool, East County residents will have to drive nearly 30 minutes to a public pool for lessons and at least one public high school will be without a practice facility.

The tax base is bigger in District 5 than most other districts and we have no public pool amenities to show for it – here’s what the other parts of the county enjoy:

·         GT Bray’s large aquatic center with swim lessons available for infants through adults, a stroke school, lifeguard training and year-round swim team

·         The East Bradenton Aquatic Center (near Tropicana) with 25 meter pool, diving board, kiddie pool, and 3,000 square foot Splash Ground

·         Pride Park Splash Ground has a 2,500 square foot splash ground with 21 spray features and  no admission fee (9th Street East at 63rd Avenue East, Bradenton)

·         Lincoln Park Splash Ground has a 3,500 square foot splash ground with 14 spray features and no admission fee (Palmetto)

What is the cost of not funding JHM pool?  World renowned Olympic swimmers, Nicole Haislett, Dara Torres, Ryan Lochte hailed from the great state of Florida.  Our very own 2-time Olympic Swimmer Tripp Schwenk was born and practiced in Sarasota, Florida.  All of these swimmers have one thing in common…..they all started with their first lesson.  Some may have even started in a Town Pool. 

Please show support for your pool!  You may be helping a future Olympic Swimmer!

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