Let’S All Preserve Clean Fun For Kids

These are the “dog days” of summer. Hot, dry, and parched by midafternoon. For the children of Spokane, city and county pools provide the best relief from the heat. They also provide a place to go for some anti-boredom activities.

Boredom in children in the summer often leads to the nagging of adults which leads to irritated parents which exacerbates for everybody an already hot day.

Community pools serve a larger function beyond cooling off bodies. They are also good for family harmony. So anytime a pool closes for the day, it’s bad news. Last weekend, some yahoos hopped the fence at Comstock Park Pool after hours.

They didn’t just enjoy a clandestine swim, they “did their business” in the pool, polluting it with stuff meant only for toilets. Yes, it’s gross.

This resulted in the closing of the pool last Monday, the hottest day of the year thus far.

Community pools close periodically due to the presence of feces and vomit.

Every time a pool closes for cleaning, a child loses out on an hour or two of fun and refreshment. It shouldn’t happen.

Community members can help prevent unforeseen pool closures. If you live near a pool, or are driving by one at night, and the pool is supposed to be closed and yet someone’s swimming in there anyway, call the cops.

Parents can help by teaching their children some pool etiquette, starting with the very young. The polite version of the lesson: “Kids, don’t use the pool as a toilet.” If you need to get more specific in your instructions, parents, go for it. The swimming community will be forever grateful.