Save The Bryson Pool
By Dave Schmidt of THE MERCER COUNTY OUTLOOK
2-25-10
It is hard to believe that I am writing yet another editorial. What is going on in Celina? Who does the council and city administration work for? Apparently not the members of the community. My email lit up the pass several days on the subject of “Saving The Bryson Pool”. The city is going broke and they have to make cuts and the pool continues to lose money. So let’s close the “pool” and save the city! We’ve tried everything and it just doesn’t work. Let’s see the City of Celina can’t operate a business at the pool, well that’s quite a shock. It is just to hard to run and operate. Other towns are having the same problems, so see it’s not our fault. Poor, poor Celina we have it so tough.
So how much money did it cost to build the new pool several years ago? Now we want to close it down and let it sit empty and fall apart. How much money will that bring in? Let’s throw up our hands in the air and just give up.
The City of Celina can find money or work to get money to:
Build a million dollar boardwalk that up to now the geese get more enjoyment from
Buy an old building on West Warren Street and pay the man that owns it to tear it down
Plan to spend $100,000 to build a new entrance to West Bank Road at Sugar Street Hill
Use eminent domain to purchase the old Versa Pak building on Lakeshore Drive
Purchase the Heffner Building to put the electric department in
Dig two water wells that never had a chance of working
I’m sure I missed a few things, it really is hard to keep up with all of the issues that happened over the recent years.
Poor Mr. Bryson his estate has done so many wonderful things to help the recreation needs of the folks in Celina. This gift he gave continues to help, but now where is it when you need it. The pool named to honor him may now be closed. If city council and the administration want to do something positive, do a complete look into the Bryson Estate. How much money is in the fund, what did the original trust state for how to use it and why can’t it be used when needed. Who actually controls the Estate and would Mr. Bryson approved the way it is being handled. (See our editorial below from 2007 for more what can be done with the Bryson Estate.)
The City of Celina must be in really bad shape if they want to take away a pool from children and adults who enjoy it. I have a few suggestions on how they can cut cost if they really want to in the future, but that is another editorial.
What can you do as a citizen of Celina to help…flood the next council meeting with your concerns, call your council members, call the city administration and most of all get the word out that they want to close the pool. Call tv, radio stations, send a note to newspapers for Letter to the Editors. Celina is your town and the pool is your pool. Turn this into a positive, don’t go down without a fight. Maybe Celina could do like the school system in Rhode Island just did…fire all the council and city administration.
updated 2-26-10
Email recieved from Mayor Sharon LaRue -
I am very happy to say that through the generosity of the Bryson Trust, the Bryson Pool will be open this summer.
Sharon LaRue, Mayor
updated 2-25-10
WCSM Radio has confirmed a report with Celina Mayor Sharon LaRue that the Bryson Estate will help with the operation budget of the Bryson Pool. This will allow the pool to open this summer.
JOIN THE FACEBOOK GROUP - Save The Bryson Pool
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Celina-OH/Save-The-Bryson-Pool/339105239184?ref=ts#!/pages/Celina-OH/Save-The-Bryson-Pool/339105239184?ref=mfRead an editorial on the Outlook from 2007 -
Celina w(REC)cks Board http://www.mercercountyoutlook.com/editorial/wrecks.htm