Sink or Swim

It must be tough to be a kid, especially here in Baltimore. With the announcement that 13 archdiocesan schools will be closed this upcoming fall, along with the city government's plan to close rec centers and city swimming pools all over town, kids must be asking, "What are these adults thinking?" Well, young child of Charm City, I can't tell you for sure what they are thinking, but it is becoming all to apparent for whom they are not thinking, and that is, you and all your friends.


Among the pools that have been projected to be closed by the city is the Ambrose Kennedy pool, located about 2 blocks up Chase St. from the Community Center. Each summer, we bring kids from our Peace Camp to this pool to get some good ol' fashioned aquatic fun, and it is a staple of the summer scene for those kids and families who aren't involved in our summer camp as well. Tell me, Madam Mayor, where are these kids going to have their biggest cannonball contest if the city shuts the pool down? Certainly not in your bathtub!


When a crisis like this arises, it's nice to have a guy like Mr. Moore lead the response. With his many connections to people in the city, we have been able to make some noise voicing our protest against the closing, and I believe we are making some progress. Last week, we were part of a press conference given by City Councilman Carl Stokes, who represents the district where the pool is located. His main call was for an audit of the city's Parks and Recreation Department, whose budget is apparently harder to lay eyes on than that guy the Beatles were singing about (a wooden nickel for anyone who gets that reference), after which he predicts that he will find enough funds to keep the pool open. So, Mr. Moore and I sounded the call and rounded up a bunch of the most reliable and energetic neighborhood kids we could find, made up a few innocently-demanding signs, and raced over to the pool for some camera time. You can watch the video (and see me in the background!) here:

Fox News- Ambrose Kennedy Pool

Last night we stirred up the pot of justice a bit more. Again, with the same group of ultra-reliable neighborhood kids, we went down to the War Memorial Building for Taxpayer's Night, which was just a bit more exciting than it sounds. Basically, it's a town hall type meeting where someone can sign up and speak his or her mind to the mayor and city council president for two minutes. Well, since Baltimore is slightly larger in population than say, Pittsgrove, NJ, there were a lot of people looking to get their two minutes' worth. After a while of waiting (and after giving out all the breath mints in my pocket to the kids so they would stop fidgeting), we finally got our turn. With the kids standing in front of us, facing the mayor, signs held high, Mr. Moore addressed the panel about the need for greater transparency and responsiveness in city government, and I spoke on behalf of the Johnston Square neighborhood about our respectful insistence that the Ambrose Kennedy pool remain open this summer. And all the while, the kids looked up to the wielders of Baltimore's political power with looks in their eyes as if to say, "We want to swim!"


As exciting as this is to let our voices be heard to the people in power, it's a shame that communities like Johnston Square have to do this song and dance every year just to keep open a pool. This neighborhood has little as it is; it would be outwardly dangerous to take away something so safe, healthy, and inexpensive from the kids because, frankly, the devil makes work for idle hands. Come on, adults, I understand that Baltimore is a city with expenses and budget concerns, just like anywhere else. But, as Mr. Moore likes to say, "Don't balance the budget on the backs of the children."


So we'll see what happens. Hopefully we've already stuck a thorn in enough peoples' sides to keep our pool open, but if we have to go to press conferences, town hall meetings, or write letters, then we will continue to do so. Or, if we have to drag a garden hose up two blocks every night to fill the pool, that could work as well. Either way, we will make sure that the kids are swimming this summer, and that the cannon ball contest will be the best one yet!