A North Sound community is in danger of losing one of its only public pools, unless voters pass a levy that already failed once. The North Whidbey Park and Recreation District says at the very least they’ll have to drop the temperature and operate with a skeleton crew.
John Vanderzicht Memorial Pool in Oak Harbor looks pretty much like your standard indoor pool—removable lap lanes to make way for water aerobics and swim lessons, a lifeguard, and your typical swimming accessories like kickboards.
But this is more than just a community pool; it’s a community pillar.
“It’s just nice talking to people, you swim with them,” explained Joseph Gonzales. He comes to the pool for the comradery almost as much as he does for the conditioning.
“Lot of good stories, I met a lot of war vets,” Gonzales told us.
He’s Air Force; the pool on the base doesn’t have many open-swim opportunities and he just learned John Vanderzicht Memorial Pool may close to swimming altogether.
“When I showed up today I kept seeing all these signs like ‘save the pool,’ so I asked the lady at the front. She told me.”
In August voters failed to approve the continuation of the levy that costs the average household about $46 a year and supports the pool, as well as the rest of the North Whidbey Park and Recreation District.
The John Vanderzicht Memorial Pool is the only pool on the north side of the island and one of the only pools open year-round on the entire island; the district operates one of the only off-leash dog parks on Whidbey and its playfields serve groups from Little League to adult softball.
So executive Director Steve McCaslin says they have no choice but to go back to the voters again in November because their reserve fund won’t last long -- and the pool is expensive.
“My boiler alone back there just to keep the pool temperature at the temperature that I’m directed to keep it at by the commissioners is $68,000 a year,” McCaslin explained.
If the levy fails again, McCaslin says, they’ll likely have to cool off the pool if not close it and cut staff.
The deepest cut, though, may be to the people who depend on this place.
“It would hurt the town, it really would. It would be like taking something away from the town,” said Gonzales.
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