Fewer city swimming pools will open this summer

    Philadelphia’s city pools are set to start opening on June 23rd. But 27 of the city’s 73 pools aren’t scheduled to open this summer, and that has some neighborhood leaders splashing mad.

    Philadelphia’s city pools are set to start opening on June 23rd. But 27 of the city’s 73 pools aren’t scheduled to open this summer, and that has some neighborhood leaders splashing mad.

    Listen:
    [audio: 090608ddpools.mp3]

    Only a few months ago, Mayor Nutter said the city’s budget crisis meant that only 11 pools would open this summer. A fundraising campaign has since raised almost 430-thousand dollars in donations, and 46 pools are scheduled to open by the second week of July.

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    But the neighborhood activists who successfully fought Nutter’s effort to close libraries are unhappy that several popular pools won’t open this summer.

    Point Breeze community activist Betty Beaufort says kids and the community will feel the absence of the pool at the Chew Playground.

    Beaufort: They won’t have nothing to do. Plus they need to cool off if they need to. Just knowing that the pool is there is a plus for kids. They say well I can go to the pool and take a dip or whatever, just knowing the pool is in the neighborhood. And once it’s not there, it’s a minus for the community.

    Also not scheduled to open are pools in Fishtown, North Philadelphia, Lawncrest, Grays Ferry and others.

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