The gate is locked at Stanford Skate Park.
If residents want to beat the summer heat at one of two Hickory public pools this summer they are out of luck, too.
It is wrong that the city has allowed these facilities to deteriorate to the point where they have to be closed to the public all of the time or part of the time. We understand that in these tough economic times maintaining recreation facilities may not be a high priority, but they should be in good enough condition for the public to use in season.
City officials are not the only folks dealing with the recession. Many Hickory residents are struggling to make ends meet and are looking for inexpensive ways to entertain their families close to home, such as public swimming pools and parks.
Mechanical issues are to blame for the city's decision not to open the George Ivey and Ridgeview swimming pools. Both pools have working pumps, but the pumps do not circulate the water quickly enough to satisfy federal requirements, forcing officials to close the pools.
The pumps in both pools will have to be replaced to correct the problem before the Catawba County Public Health Department's Environmental Health Division will permit the pools to operate. City staff estimated it would take about four to six weeks to have the pumps delivered and another two to three weeks for them to be installed. It would have been the second week of August before people could go swimming in the pools. By that time, the pools are normally closing for the season.
Why was this situation not handled at the end of last summer?
Meanwhile, the skate park opened in December 2003 and regular maintenance has been performed on the obstacles. But the truth is, barricades and orange traffic cones block half of the skate park's obstacles today. Repairs at the park are expected to cost about $7,500, and there is no timetable for when the work will be done.
We think city officials should consider a regular maintenance schedule on the pools and skate park to avoid situations where it is too costly or time consuming to make the needed repairs to keep them open to the public.
One of a city's responsibilities is to provide residents access to safe recreation. Closing the only two public swimming pools for the summer and not making sure the skate park is safe seems like a harsh penalty for residents to pay.
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