The Fountain Pool Of My Youth

While I've been involved in many issues in Allentown over the years, defending the park system of my youth is the one I find the most rewarding.  It's not my personal memory lane I care about, but rather an iconic park system that was in itself a designation. 

I remember the picture postcard racks in the dime stores on Hamilton Street.  They were full of postcards of the Allentown parks,  including the rose garden, and along the different creeks. The card shown above is the former Fountain Park Pool, now closed for many years.  Although most of my swims took place at Cedar Beach Pool,  our gang would visit the other four pools when one of us could borrow the family car.

Although budget and staffing concerns have closed several of the pools, wanton destruction now ruins the remaining.  Cedar Beach had to close because of broken glass in the pool. The spray park at Bucky Boyle closed because of a contaminant dumped into the drain. 

We're now in an era when we need police in the schools.  I suppose we'll soon need them at the park pools as well.