Open Swims’ Future Depends On Public

Sat., June 24, 2000

By Fern Christenson fernc@spokesman.com

Do you think one person’s voice doesn’t make a difference? Timothy V. Swartout, whose letter to the editor was published on Wednesday, may challenge that notion.

Swartout’s very legitimate complaint addressed a cutback in the hours at the city of Spokane’s swimming pools. The hours cutback eliminated evening open swim at Comstock, where Swartout had enjoyed swimming with his young granddaughter after work. As a direct result of his protest, new evening hours have been added at Comstock and Shadle pools.

Beginning this Tuesday, those pools will be open for general swimming on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. Open swim is also available at Cannon, Hillyard and Liberty pools from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m.

City Recreation Division Manager Hal McGlathery explained that the initial cutback was a budget-saving measure. Last year, the Parks Department experienced a $600,000 shortfall. This, he said, was largely the result of an increase in the minimum wage and other operating costs. Whittle-type trims were made to park operations across the board. Since 1997, evening free-swim time at city pools has been reduced by a half hour each year. This year, that would have resulted in a relatively worthless half-hour session, so it was tacked onto the popular afternoon slot.

The City Parks and Recreation Department offers a boggling array of public recreation opportunities. It’s understandable how the department might have overlooked the repercussions of this cut: no opportunity for typical families to swim together after work. Bravo to them for rectifying this mistake.

McGlathery admits that adding the hours is a gamble. Continuation of this opportunity next year depends on whether enough paying adults support the program. Logically, increased demand may result in increased opportunity.

The Park Department once tested the idea of charging kids a nominal pool admission fee but public outcry doused the concept.

In addition to the evening hours, open swim is available at each of the six city pools Monday through Friday from 1 to 5:30 p.m. and on weekends from 1 to 4:30 p.m. Kids swim free, adults pay $2. The four Spokane County pools are open Monday through Friday, 1-2:30 p.m., 2:45-4:15 and 4:30-6 p.m. The Valley Mission pool is also open on Saturday, 1-2:30 and 2:45-4:15. Admission to county pools is $1.

Whichever pool you choose, that’s just $4 for a family of four. Come on, parents. Dig out the swimsuit and cool off with your kids. Quality family fun doesn’t come any easier than this.

Local journalism is essential.

Give directly to The Spokesman-Review's Northwest Passages community forums series -- which helps to offset the costs of several reporter and editor positions at the newspaper -- by using the easy options below. Gifts processed in this system are tax deductible.

Meet Our Journalists

Jesse Tinsley

Meet Jesse Tinsley. As a certified drone pilot, this veteran Spokesman-Review photographer often can be seen capturing beautiful aerial photographs of our region. Sometimes though, the job requires getting down with the dogs.
Jim Meehan

Jim Meehan is no stranger to Zag Nation. As the lead writer covering the Gonzaga men’s basketball team, he tells the stories behind the game and gets fans a bit closer to their favorite players.
Molly Quinn

There is no artist in Spokane like Molly Quinn. Her whimsical style is instantly recognizable to readers of The Spokesman-Review. She has painted gorgeous illustrations that instantly elevate the journalism accompanying it. She brings to life the stories that defy photography. She makes our pages better.
Rob Curley

Spokesman-Review editor Rob Curley loves to talk with people and learn about their lives, whether it's a best-selling author or a stranger he meets downtown on his walk to lunch. It's that inquisitive nature combined with a playful sense of storytelling that helps make our newspaper different than most.