The two most popular approaches to building pools at the town level is one large complex in the center of town or smaller pools addressing the neighborhood concept; Salina was perfect for the latter because it was divided into four wards.
In my first full year, I thought it important to demonstrate to the town board a need for a learn-to-swim program free of charge for every youngster in town. I canvassed area hotels and those that could were gracious enough to provide pool time in their non-busy morning hours. This created an awareness at the town board level that made it easier to propose our very own aquatic program In the near future. Through grants and local funding, sister pools were built at Electronics and Richfield Parks simultaneously. Through the magic of politics, it was near impossible for councilmen in those wards to deny wards one and four when their time came.
Sehr Pool was arguably our best pool complex because 100 percent federal money allowed for more features. For example, walk-in steps leading to a wading area compared to cumbersome pool ladders. Steps also made access convenient for younger children and those with mild handicaps… more fed points! It featured lockers for patrons and the more efficient gas chlorine vs. liquid chlorine. Both of these features turned out to be unsuccessful — lockers because of lost or stolen keys and gas chlorine because of the danger.
The challenge at Sehr was the proximity to the city of Syracuse. Unwittingly or by design, non-residents over-crowded the pool, the result of which meant Salina residents were often outside looking in. On the days when we were maxed out — and there were many — it was necessary to evacuate all swimmers every half hour to allow access for those waiting in line outside the pool fence. The half hour in and half hour out did not seem fair to residents. I then developed a residency policy, in effect, making the pool exclusive to Salina.
I felt pretty darn good about that decision until a few days later, when I received a phone call from my friendly NYS Office of Parks and Recreation regional office acting on behalf of the feds. I was advised that since fed money was used to build Sehr Park, I was in violation excluding non-residents. Now what to do, especially given my parochial feelings of protectionism for Salina residents? Moreover, it was Salina taxpayers’ dime that paid for chlorine, maintenance, staff, utilities and security. I initiated a call back to the regional office and was to learn I could, indeed, charge non-residents a user fee as long as it was in keeping with fees around the county. Believe it or not, the $1 fee per visit solved the problem. Salina residents swam from that point forward, for all intents and purposes, unencumbered. As an aside, non-residents told me even though they had to walk past Schiller Pool in the city to get to our pool, they did so because we ran a tighter ship.
Duerr Park was our last pool once we finally acquired land in Ward One through the tireless efforts of First Ward Councilman Richard “Ace” Ward. Ace later became town supervisor. He and his wife, Marlene, were good friends; she was to become mayor of Liverpool. How fortuitous to have a working relationship by day with the mayor and town supervisor and friends by night! The pool was a special challenge because it was a gravel pit as a result of excavation to build part of the adjacent NYS Thruway in the 1950s. The water table restricted pool depth to five feet. This precluded a diving board but of no consequence as eventually insurance companies became reluctant to cover such a high-risk activity. There came a time when diving boards from all pools were removed.
Next week: Tiny tot swim lessons.
