BY NINA MCCOY
On May 31, a required “public meeting” was held to see what Martin County citizens thought about filling in the county swimming pool and then using the space and $122,787.00 of the taxpayers money to match a $122,787 grant from the Land and Water Conservation Fund from the National Park Service to put in a “splash pad.”
It seems that splash pads are the going thing in cities and parks throughout the country, and they are cute and look like fun for the little children. However, we have to think about whether it is a wise move to pay to fill in a pool that would cost somewhere between one to one-and-a-half million dollars to replace in order to spend county money to match a small grant.
In years past the pool has been under-utilized and probably overstaffed. There is no one person or group who is to be blamed for that. And no one person or group is going to be able to help to fix the problems with being able to properly use this valuable asset. It is way past time for everybody in this county to stop pointing fingers at everyone else and start joining hands to make our county a better place for all.
Let’s get a consortium of folks together who can make use of this pool in so many different ways that may have never been considered before.
When the public meeting was held on short notice very few people showed up. (I only found out about the meeting the night before.) But even with short notice and a sparse crowd there were some amazing ideas of how to more properly utilize the pool.
One idea was to cover the pool so it could be used by the schools and other groups year-round. Everyone agreed a splash pad on the side where the mini golf course had been would be an excellent idea.
Perhaps churches with vans would like to offer to help out kids who can’t find their own rides to the pool. Other groups could help to get swimming lessons and the much-needed lifeguard training.
UK has been working with Martin Countians on a five-year grant from the Center for Disease Control regarding healthy choices, food access and physical activity. I believe some of the money went to add a reading trail. If there are still moneys, this is the perfect activity for children to learn a skill that will lead to a healthier life.
The Senior Citizens might be able to offer a time for swimming for their folks and some type of pool exercises. My yoga teacher at the community center said she would love to teach a pool yoga class. Silver Sneakers will cover many of these costs to keep senior citizens active.
Perhaps Addiction Recovery Care can help since getting kids active in the summer would have the added benefit of keeping them out of trouble and possibly away from an addictive lifestyle.
There was some discussion at the meeting about the pool being run well as a business. But the splash pad will not be able to charge money at all, so it is not a business alternative.
It must be remembered that the pool is a park for the good of the community. Public parks in most municipalities or communities are not considered businesses. They are an addition that beautifies or makes the area more inviting and livable for all the citizens. They add to the overall value of life, not the bottom line.
While there are some in this county who can afford their own pools, and some can go on vacations where they can visit the beach or the pool. However, as my friend said when I told her about the pool closing, “There are many kids for whom the only vacation they might get is at the Martin County Pool.”
Nina McCoy is a retired science teacher and chair of Martin County Concerned Citizens. She lives in Inez.
Editor’s Note: The Martin County Fiscal Court will host a public meeting at 2 p.m. June 21 to take public comments on the court’s proposal to fill in the Martin County Swimming Pool and install a splash park.
Residents can also submit written comments until June 21. Mail comments to Martin County Fiscal Court, P.O. Box 309, Inez, KY 41224.