Saving Jury Pool is important for residents AND businesses.
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I hope the people of New Haven come forward and approve this renovation. The Parks Department used to be one of the integral selling points for new residents AND new businesses. MANY people were impressed with the parks system and the abundance of quality of life. Some people have forgotten the importance of small community quality of life, where they raised their children. Businesses value community amenities when they are looking to relocate or open new facilities. Many young adults have moved back to New Haven when they started raising children so they could partake in this community because they felt it was such a great place to grow up. Some of the naysayers should actually participate and view the activities that take place,view the excitement of children and actually listen to the parents AND children. If the naysayers actually grew up or raised their children in New Haven, they need to reach into their memories and think back what it was like to be a child or young parent. What was exciting and enjoyable to them? Did they or their children go to Jury Pool? Did they take swim lessons at Jury Pool? Did they join the swim team or have birthday parties at Jury Pool? Our past leaders had the vision to grow the parks and recreation so residents could actually stay in New Haven to enjoy these activities. This is a very unique community and the progress made now will go a long way to secure the small-town flavor with big-town vision.
Jayne Bailey
I hope the people of New Haven come forward and approve this renovation. The Parks Department used to be one of the integral selling points for new residents AND new businesses. MANY people were impressed with the parks system and the abundance of quality of life. Some people have forgotten the importance of small community quality of life, where they raised their children. Businesses value community amenities when they are looking to relocate or open new facilities. Many young adults have moved back to New Haven when they started raising children so they could partake in this community because they felt it was such a great place to grow up. Some of the naysayers should actually participate and view the activities that take place,view the excitement of children and actually listen to the parents AND children. If the naysayers actually grew up or raised their children in New Haven, they need to reach into their memories and think back what it was like to be a child or young parent. What was exciting and enjoyable to them? Did they or their children go to Jury Pool? Did they take swim lessons at Jury Pool? Did they join the swim team or have birthday parties at Jury Pool? Our past leaders had the vision to grow the parks and recreation so residents could actually stay in New Haven to enjoy these activities. This is a very unique community and the progress made now will go a long way to secure the small-town flavor with big-town vision.
Jayne Bailey
What about New Haven Pool? What about Meadowbrook Pool? What about all of the parks in the New Haven area? The Parks Department is more than Jury Pool or Jury Park for that matter. Let's remember all of the citizens of New Haven, not just the ones who live near Jury.
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Have you been to New Haven pool lately? It is starting to deteriorate in spite of the efforts of the Parks Department making repairs to it. You can only repair swimming pool concrete just so much. It is getting to the point that just slapping a concrete band aid on the cracks is not going to work. With the exception of the surrounding neighbors, it is not convenient to get to. Meadowbrook is nicer and ADA equipped because it got a major renovation so that it could be handicapped excessible. It is kind of a little off of the beaten path like New Haven Pool. Jury's big appeal was not because the Highland Terrace could act like it was their personal pool. Jury was off of a major street (930), has other amenities (ball diamond playground and tennis courts) surrounding it and probably the best place to advertise it's existence at no cost by being located within a ball's throw of a school (Highland Terrace Elementary). Meadowbrook Pool is also beside a school. My high school was on a lake (Warsaw High School was on Winona Lake before the new one was built). In May, my thoughts were on being able to swim in the lakes soon. In May, those kids will think about those pools that they see from their school's windows and playgrounds. And a lot of those kids are not residents of those neighborhoods that the pools reside in. There are more people fighting for the life of Jury Pool that do not live in Highland Terrace or in a 1 mile radius of that pool. I have people in a neighborhood that is 5 miles away asking about the fate of Jury. And guess what, they are in Adams Township and have a say in the fate of that pool that is not in their neighborhood or their town (their mailing address is Fort Wayne). They don't have kids and they have their own pool, but are willing to make sure that there is a pool and a fun place for those kids and families that don't have the luxury of a backyard or neighborhood pool. It's not about the here and now. It's about 20 years from now when my daughter is an adult and maybe married with children of her own. She will have great memories of swimming in that pool and would want to have the same advantage for her children. The other parks you mentioned will benefit too with the families that come to New Haven. We need to have something to pull and invite families to invest in this community by living here, working here and taking advantage of everything that New Haven has to offer. Why not offer the best pool that we can along with one of the best Parks Department I think in the state. People love a community that is willing to fight for its existence. My small town did not when the township decided it did not want to allow swimming in the town's lake (it was costing too much to upkeep the beach). We lost a lot of lake residents, then lost the elementary school. Businesses and families have left the area too. I don't think it will be that drastic, but New Haven will lose if Jury loses.
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I couldn't agree more! I have been a resident of New Haven since 1998. Before that - I lived in Fort Wayne. But, guess what.... where do you think I brought my kids to swim in the summer? Jury Pool! The pool was fun, the guards were strict and I knew my kids were in a great environment. The cost - .50 or a $1.00! Very inexpensive. The reality is - the cost should have gone up incrementally over the years - due to a variety of increasing expenses, but, it didn't and so here we are today - it may be sticker shock to have to pay $3.50 each, or get a family membership, but - my goodness - the value you get - compared to what you'd pay at a Fort Wayne Parks pool - no comparison! I'll repeat - The City of New Haven will lose - if Jury Park loses. It is a diamond in the rough - if only everyone would recognize it! New Haven has grown - our parks are trying to grow with the new needs we have. Moving into a great tomorrow for our citizens -young and old - is a step we need to take - by voting "yes" for Jury Pool.
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Jayne, I couldn't have said it better!
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