Worth Another Look: “SAVE OUR POOL!” Or deal with that “white elephant” at the Beach once and for all?

Some questions:

• Our City Commission knows they, “Can’t keep kicking the can down the road.” But will they? Like previous elected officials did in 2010–2012 when there was money to fix the pool.
• The Lake Worth Beach is actually a “regional beach”. Should our electeds be asking, “How can we afford to keep the pool open?”, when so many that use the pool are not City residents?
• Are there better options for the City than a pool at the Beach? An outside theater maybe? Sell tickets to concerts, plays, or movie night at the Beach?
• When the pool was still open, do you remember taking your family or a group of friends to the pool? Or did $4 to park and the price ($4/adult and $2/child) seem a little steep?
• Do you think another location in the City would be a better idea for a “community” pool?
• What about “Engaging Youth to Create Community Spaces”?
• What do Millennials want?
• Time to seriously consider a parking garage that will actually make money and provide better access for the elderly and disabled?

People carrying pool noodles keep marching to City Hall and Commission meetings with the message “SAVE OUR POOL!”. But for you and your family, is the pool at the Beach really just a “white elephant whose time has passed”?

Now for “Worth Another Look”:

Who first came up with the words “white elephant” about the pool at the Beach? Find that out below.

That same person wrote wrote these words:

“There has been a lot of talk about turning Lake Worth’s liabilities back into assets . . . when it comes to the City Swimming Pool at the beach the Commissioners need to take a hard look at the economic realities of our pool and the national trend towards municipal aquatic parks.
     Stand alone ‘rectangular pools’ are a thing of the past . . . older municipal pools are being shut down, often replaced by aquatic parks that cater to whole families. No amount of ‘out of the box marketing’ can succeed in bringing people to a facility that is no longer viable in today’s recreation market.”

Who said this and when? A recent comment or observations from several years ago? Take a few moments. Play the “Jeopardy Theme Song” if you need more time:



The quotes above are from the inimitable Tom McGow, from the blog “Tom’s Page”, back in March of 2010. Seven (7) years later is it finally time to start a new conversation in our little City of Lake Worth? Or just keep on rehashing the same old arguments from yesteryear?

Below is another quote from Mr. McGow:

“The Olympic sized pool at the beach is a white elephant whose time has passed. Let’s view the entire beach property with 21st century eyes and stop clinging to the past and install features that will attract people and revenue.”

Pay special attention to the comments in this blog post by Mr. McGow from people you may remember and know: Loretta Sharpe, Joanne Kelly, et al.

Question: Would the pool at the Beach really be just a distraction from other crucial issues in our City? A “wedge issue”? Shouldn’t the big issue be our Casino complex with a solid business plan going into the future?

How many who chant “Save Our Pool!” actually used the pool when it was open?