Hearst Park pit, er pool

[Anonymous]

DC built a new pool at Hearst Park. While a pool can be useful, it's not very useful when it doesn't open until late in June (and then closes by Labor Day). It's a shame that DC deforested much of what was once a green shady park to build the pool, which unfortunately sits as a concrete pit for 10 months out of the year. Given the high price paid (both in terms of impact on the park as well as taxpayer $$$), can't DC at least open the pool for a full summer season?!

[Anonymous]

They took out weeds and scrub that had been un-maintained for decades.

And DPR always opens after DCPS lets out and closes at Labor Day. None of this was unknown.

[Anonymous]

Hold on...the pool is not opening Memorial Day weekend...in two weeks?

[Anonymous]

The pools usually open on weekends at Memorial Day but not during the week until after school gets out.

Lots of pools nationwide, not just here, had been having trouble hiring lifeguards, so if they're not opening as planned, that might be why.

Wish the Hearst pool were larger, but apparently that wouldn't have worked to placate the insistence of the people who didn't want it to open at all.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The pools usually open on weekends at Memorial Day but not during the week until after school gets out.

Lots of pools nationwide, not just here, had been having trouble hiring lifeguards, so if they're not opening as planned, that might be why.

Wish the Hearst pool were larger, but apparently that wouldn't have worked to placate the insistence of the people who didn't want it to open at all.

I always wondered why DCPR does not conduct a huge summer hiring of high school students for the various DC park events that are always understaffed during the summer. Train the kids the second semester of school, and then pay them to keep parks open during the summer. At the end of the summer print all of the kids a specified resume with any of their education and licenses that they earned over the duration.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:DC built a new pool at Hearst Park. While a pool can be useful, it's not very useful when it doesn't open until late in June (and then closes by Labor Day). It's a shame that DC deforested much of what was once a green shady park to build the pool, which unfortunately sits as a concrete pit for 10 months out of the year. Given the high price paid (both in terms of impact on the park as well as taxpayer $$$), can't DC at least open the pool for a full summer season?!

Done and dusted, OP. You can put down that bone and dig up something else to worry over.

Better to complain about how long Wilson pool has been closed. What’s the deal with that?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The pools usually open on weekends at Memorial Day but not during the week until after school gets out.

Lots of pools nationwide, not just here, had been having trouble hiring lifeguards, so if they're not opening as planned, that might be why.

Wish the Hearst pool were larger, but apparently that wouldn't have worked to placate the insistence of the people who didn't want it to open at all.

I always wondered why DCPR does not conduct a huge summer hiring of high school students for the various DC park events that are always understaffed during the summer. Train the kids the second semester of school, and then pay them to keep parks open during the summer. At the end of the summer print all of the kids a specified resume with any of their education and licenses that they earned over the duration.

Ward 3 is full of kids who are strong swimmers who could pass the lifeguard training test but DPR has made zero effort to do any recruiting because DC Government jobs are meant to go to people with connections to current DC Government employees.

I'll never forget the scandal at the Wilson Pool about 10 years where the lifeguards were doing all kinds of illegal thing afterhours at the pool and got arrested. All of the folks who were arrested were in their mid to late twenties and lived in Woodbridge.

A competent city would find those staffers from the ranks of city residents.

[Anonymous]

Why not take High School kids to Wilson pool, give them a swim test and teach/brush up their rescue strokes and techniques. Teach them all CPR and first aid. Teach them how the DC emergency management system works and how to get help. Teach them how to care for industrial hygiene and then pay them to work the local pools all summer for extended hours. This is how communities across America get their lifeguards.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Why not take High School kids to Wilson pool, give them a swim test and teach/brush up their rescue strokes and techniques. Teach them all CPR and first aid. Teach them how the DC emergency management system works and how to get help. Teach them how to care for industrial hygiene and then pay them to work the local pools all summer for extended hours. This is how communities across America get their lifeguards.

The summer jobs program is not run in a manner that allows the director to plan ahead. They don't know until the last moment if it is even going to be funded. It is really an afterthought. If you wanted to actually turn it into some sort of summer training/employment/work skills "thing" it would need to be a standing department running with adults with maybe recent grads running it during the off season and recruiting summer hiring companies and managing licensing. Fantastic idea, but we live in DC.

[Anonymous]

The MAYOR MARION S. BARRY, JR.
SUMMER YOUTH EMPLOYMENT PROGRAM, only runs five weeks of the summer. It is a complete charade and serves only to move money to cronies.

Answer this one question. Why can't the Youth Employment Program run all year with a special focus on expanding during the summer. But why can't you intern for some DC bureaucracy for a few hours a week after school or on weekends?

In the example above, can't a high schooler from Wilson or whatever it is named now just walk down the hall and work on certificates and/or lifeguard in January just as easily as July...well except for the fact that the Wilson Aquatic Center will be closed this July.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Why not take High School kids to Wilson pool, give them a swim test and teach/brush up their rescue strokes and techniques. Teach them all CPR and first aid. Teach them how the DC emergency management system works and how to get help. Teach them how to care for industrial hygiene and then pay them to work the local pools all summer for extended hours. This is how communities across America get their lifeguards.

One reason is that the Wilson pool is closed for the foreseeable future. The lifeguards would have to be certified, but this is otherwise a good idea.