Boston residents disappointed by closed pools, splash pad
BOSTON - It's never a good sign when there's a chain link fence surrounding an empty pool on a hot summer day, leaving Ursula Nickerson with few options near Clougherty pool in Charlestown. "It's been a disappointment, it could be such a beautiful space but has been closed for some time now," said Nickerson.
It's one of 10 city of Boston pools closed on a day when the sun is blazing due to staffing or maintenance issues, even as the city declares a heat emergency.
At Ronan Park in Dorchester even the splash pad was closed to the surprise of Jamessa Brito. "That's why we walked over here, we thought we could use it. It's kind of sad because there are a lot of kids here and it's really hot," said Brito. By mid-morning a maintenance person was seen taking a look at the piping, but no immediate repairs were made.
The issue of closed pools and pads, and where they are, has frustrated city councilor Erin Murphy. "Some neighborhoods have a higher use rate and deploying more staff made sense on the surface, but we have to dig deeper," said Murphy.
Beyond the city, high bacteria levels at Houghton's Pond in Milton are keeping swimmers out of the water, even as they arrive for what they thought would be a beach day. "I didn't know and it's disappointing," said Joy Nystrom. "It's almost 100 degrees today."
It left the lifeguards with little more to do than post the warning flag which didn't sit well with those who could only bake in the sun. "I love the water, it's just so hot and humid," said Steven Emerson.
Wenda Alusma agrees as she walks away from the closed Clougherty pool with her daughter. "I think it's always a financial excuse. In reality this will sit here for another year or two," she said.