LIVINGSTON — After 77 years of serving as a summer gathering place, Livingston’s outdoor pool closed Aug. 12. But one longtime resident is asking the city to give it one more year.
WATCH THE STORY HERE:
Melanie Maganias, who has lived in the Livingston community for more than three decades, began collecting signatures after learning the pool would close.
“If you’d like to have the pool open one more year, you can take the poll!” Maganias told people at the Livingston Farmers Market.
Her campaign has taken her from the farmers market to city meetings, where she has urged city leaders to listen to residents who want to keep the pool open.
“I do believe, and I am hearing it from my friends and your constituents, that they want the pool open,” Maganias said during Tuesday's meeting.
City leaders have said the aging pool has reached the end of its lifespan. According to the city, the facility loses an average of 1,000 gallons of water every hour because of leaks. Its gutter system, which is designed to recirculate water, is also no longer functioning.
When Maganias first learned the pool would close, she said her reaction was immediate.
“Well, my first thought was I have to save the pool, like truly,” she said.
For Maganias, the pool represents more than a place to swim. Her children grew up in Livingston and learned to swim there.
“My children were raised here in Livingston and learned to swim in the pool,” she said.
Now, she is bringing that history to her campaign.
At the weekly Livingston Farmers Market, Maganias has been hard to miss. She has been gathering signatures while wearing a swimsuit beside a kiddie pool and her red Miata, which features a large sign urging residents to save the pool.
The unique display has drawn questions from children and other marketgoers.
“Some of the kids have asked if we are trying to save this pool [the kiddie pool],” Maganias said. “Other kids have asked if I am giving away my Miata for free!”
Despite the lighthearted approach, Maganias said the effort has a serious purpose: showing city leaders that residents still want an outdoor pool.
“I believe that the city commissioners and the city manager have to listen to what the people are saying, and that's why I am doing this,” she said.
So far, Maganias said more than 320 people have signed her poll. She collected those signatures in 10 days.
Her goal is not necessarily to keep the pool open indefinitely. Instead, she wants the city to reconsider and allow it to operate for one more year so the community can demonstrate how much it is used.
“If we have enough numbers then we can either fundraise... [or] try and pass a levy to fund it,” Maganias said.
The Livingston Wellness Center, about two miles from the outdoor pool, is expected to offer multiple indoor pools.
But Maganias said an indoor facility does not replace the experience of an outdoor community pool, particularly for children.
“The pool has been an imperative part of our community for 77 years. In order to see if people want to be able to swim outdoors, we need to keep this open for one more year to get the numbers.”
To sign the poll: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSe1s2dH6ENGUTc5GPaMybBk9W7hiHhDlpFk7HytriYGbIDhZw/viewform
