Open The Peter Pan Pool!

Many Emporians have great memories of swimming in the wading pool at Peter Pan Park as a child. Today, the wading pool sits empty and quiet. It is sad to see the wading pool being wasted. It does not have to be that way.

There is nowhere in town to take very young children swimming unless you want to pay an arm and leg to get into the Aquatic Center clear on the outskirts of town. Many people don't have the time, transportation or money. The majority of the population of Emporia lives on the South side of town, so this does not make sense. It would be nice to have one option where kids can enjoy a swim on a hot day other than the well-known “centrally located” Aquatic center. Why close the wading pool? Unless you really want to spend money and its burning a hole in your pocket that is not an option.

At one time there were two shade trees over the wading pool that provided protection from the sun, they have since been cut down as well. It seems that there are not many options to take a young child for fun swimming. Even if you take your child to the Aquatic Center there is not a separate wading/baby pool. This is a safety issue as well. You must constantly be on the lookout to make sure your child does not go back into the deeper end. My experience with taking my toddler to the Aquatic center was anything but fun. He wanted to run around the deep pool and get into deeper water. I even tried the sprinklers but all he saw was the big pool and would not play in them but run again to the deep unsafe pool. It was a nightmare!

There needs to be a place where parents can enjoy watching their young child swim and not constantly worry about stopping them before going back into the deeper end. The recreation center is not an option either, it does not have a baby pool. Re-opening the Peter Pan pool could draw people from surrounding communities and be a great place for visitors to the city of Emporia. We as a community can work together just like the volunteers that built the playground at Peter Pan Park beside the pool. That play area of the park is now in constant use. Why not make Emporia a better place visit and live??? We owe it to our children and grandchildren. YOU can make a difference by signing now!