Albany Pool Vandalized, Shut Down Friday

bobbi zechar October 31, 2012 at 05:36 pm

the timing of this report could be confusing, perhaps it would be better to have included actual dates like Thursday Oct 25, glad it was open when the kids went on Sunday

Laila Kearney (Editor) October 31, 2012 at 07:58 pm

Thanks for the feedback, bobbi. I added a date in there and hopefully that will be less confusing to readers.

Barbara Segal October 31, 2012 at 08:22 pm

Perhaps someone needs to check the articles before they are submitted for the web-site. "Chairs and pool covers were THROUGH into the deep end....." (Don't you mean "thrown?) Also, I believe that it would be correct to say that the bottles were "lying" not "LAYING" around.

Dawn Daro October 31, 2012 at 10:01 pm

Picky,picky,picky. Who is going to contribute when they fear the grammar/spelling/detail police?

Gary Tang October 31, 2012 at 11:18 pm

I am not afraid, and I am going to write with very heavy accent. Peace to Albany. Lets work together for Albany and for our pool.

Stephanie Travis November 1, 2012 at 04:27 am

I agree with Ms. Segal. This very short article was written by an adult who is a professional writer. She is also a newswoman. I doubt she was traumatized by Ms. Segal’s critique. As to others who may not contribute articles because “they fear the grammar/spelling/detail police“; I don’t think I have seen any comments submitted to Patch by five year olds.

Tatter Salad November 1, 2012 at 05:27 am

If throwing bottles in the pool 'closes' the pool, we have more issues here than teenage drinking.

Marsha Skinner November 1, 2012 at 11:56 am

Tatter:
Such as - Perhaps we need an alarm?

Laila Kearney (Editor) November 1, 2012 at 07:02 pm

Hi guys, thanks for the comments. I have more information from pool staff about the vandalism incident:
The chairs thrown into the pool were "Lifeguard Chairs," which weigh about 150 pounds. Cover Reels were also thrown into the deep end of the pool. They weigh well over 500 pounds. The combined price of all the equipment thrown into the pool is over $15K.

Laila Kearney (Editor) November 1, 2012 at 07:04 pm

Here is more on the bottles from pool staff: Bottles were found on the pool deck. Had bottles been thrown over the pool deck and shattered, the pool would have been closed much longer. If shattered glass is found on the pool deck, the pool must be completely drained, dried and swept before we can refill it. For the outdoor pool this is over 360,000 gallons of water. This process would take us at least 48 hours to complete however it must be done - for patron safety. Due to the invisibility of glass in water, you can not simply ignore it, someone will get injured.

Peggy McQuaid November 1, 2012 at 07:20 pm

I hope any easily moved item is now chained down on the pool deck. Do the items that were thrown into the pool need to be replaced? Otherwise why is the price important?
I worked at an outdoor pool many years ago and retrieving items from the deep was always a challenge so I am interested in knowing how the staff removed the items from the bottom,

Tatter Salad November 1, 2012 at 09:00 pm

Laila:
You are talking to Ex-Live Oak Pool guard. If there is a law specifying that a pool be emptied for possible glass on the bottom: please reference it. Masks and snorkels, and a vacuum cleaner was 'standard stuff'. You do have this equipment, and skills, right? Broken glass as the result of improper contriband in the pool (masks) used to happen monthly; we never dumped the pool as a result. The outdoor pool, as I'm to understand it, is a lap pool, not a kiddy pool, isn't that right? If 500 pound chairs can easily be tossed into the pool, you need address the attachment of the those chairs IMHO. The combined price of the items tossed in the pool means nothing to your argument for closing the pool down for 48 hours while you pull your stuff from the pool, now does it.

AMC November 1, 2012 at 09:54 pm

Lighten up tatter salad. Laila already said the pool was only closed 4 hours. The follow up post was simply explaining a worse case scenario vs this incident.

Karen Nierlich November 1, 2012 at 10:31 pm

My thoughts exactly. Let's be respectful of our new reporter. I, for one, am happy we have news coverage. If you want more info...ask if there is more information available.

Gary Tang November 1, 2012 at 10:53 pm

I think that the designer of the pool complex was inadequate on forecasting vandalism issues. The pool management should get the designer to revisit the project for retrofit design, in remedying the original design solution.

Sqail November 2, 2012 at 12:52 am

I wouldn't doubt it being one of the pool staff who let the kids in. I used to work at the pool before the remodel and other staff members would let kids in for parties at night all the time.

JW November 2, 2012 at 01:56 am

Letting kids in to party? - that's an automatic firing offense in my book. Wonder if there were fingerprints, or did the perps steal liquor while wearing gloves? Sounds like bad behavior all around. Why blame Albany for not nailing down the lifeguard chairs and cover reels? Instead let's focus on the perps and their parents (and the staff who let them in) and get some restitution going.

You Enjoy Myself November 2, 2012 at 05:51 am

¡ɹǝƃɐɹ ɐ ǝʞıl spunos

Gary Tang November 3, 2012 at 12:53 pm

The pool has cameras. Check the file.

Tatter Salad November 3, 2012 at 05:08 pm

Hi Peggy:
There's no diving here, it ain't a deep pool. (It's a 'regulation' short pool MINUS 7 feet!?) It's as wide as it is long; great for practicing closed turns; not advisable for butterfly, or distance swimmers with a view toward competitive swimming.

Tatter Salad November 3, 2012 at 05:09 pm

Opps, Am I bad.
( I thought she was the counter girl...) I apologize.

Tatter Salad November 3, 2012 at 05:20 pm

Does seem 'fishy' doesn't it? Throwing everything IN the pool EXCEPT beer bottles?
The adjacent Veterans Memorial building has had an 'easy' rear access for kids 'up to similar activities' for eons. Just in the past 6 months the access (to that roof) has been fenced-off. A 'root cause' scenario pushing kids towards invading the pool area comes to mind. Too bad for them... I'm sure NOW the Albany PoPo will increase surveillance in those areas, and the mid-night dog walker(s) will have their cell-phones ready.