So many people have asked about why the Peru Swimming Pool has become such a hot button issue. Maybe because the swimming pool has become the only surviving building to which so many people can relate. If you are very young, you may remember having fun at the pool and if you are older, you may have had generations of your family enjoying a hot day at the pool. So in one way or another we relate to this institution. I recently had a conversation with a gentlemen nearing 80 who spoke of all the good days he spent at the Peru Swimming Pool.
Our theatres have changed, schools have changed and our Library has moved, we have changed the manner in which we utilize our city parks and our shopping areas resemble any place USA but we still had the same wonderful swimming pool but now we are finding out that maybe it was not cared for in a prudent and safe way. Kind of like a slap in the face to the people of Peru who trusted our government to always do the right thing.
Money was wasted constructing buildings we didn't need in an attempt to make the town look "perfect". And now a mere 15 years or so later, all that money spent could not keep businesses in downtown Peru, even the bank stands empty as does the Mirror building. And it is not hard to visualize several of the long time businesses in Peru ceasing to operate due to lack of business.
My point is that many years ago, common sense should have told us the Pool needed to be replaced but it wasn't on the previous administrations list of priorities and now as we deal with the 45 millions dollars of debt left to the people of Peru, we wonder how all this could have happened. In reality we all know how it happened, it was because we were not a vigilant community, asking questions and demanding answers. It was easier to say, they (mayor and council) surely know what they are doing. But in reality they did not.
3 comments:
I agree with you totally Lois but I would still like at least one of our aldermen to step up to the plate and tell us what we have to show for our 45 million dollar debt.
I totally agree with Lois and what is the personal vendetta against the pool? All of sudden now the pool is fine but the building is not up to code.. Come on.. The City of Peru surely has bigger issues than the opening and closing of the pool. It has been an icon for many of us in the Illinois Valley area, for many years. So think before you close you decide to close it.
2:13PM
I didn't mean to imply the pool was safe. That post was written before I had access to the first report written by Williams. I now know that there are problems with the entire facility.
Just think it was build in 1928 and although we could comfortably live in a house built at that time, we would probably do a lot of updates. For example a more modern kitchen, probably a better heating and/or cooling system with new safety precautions, new storm windows etc.
At the time the pool was built there was not an ADA law or a Virginia Grahame Baker law or other numerous new compliances that were enacted by the state of Illinois and for the disabled among us we know must now provide access to public buildings and facilities as the swimming pool(and we do not). The other safety violations are more involved and cover many areas. Get a copy of the report from the city clerk.
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