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| Construction Ambridge Borough Pool circa May 1941 credit: Edmund Silla photo courtesy of Jay Silla, used with permission |
If you had told me when I started to go to the pool by myself in the late 1950s that the pool was less than 20 years old, I would have been very surprised. Even then, the bathhouse looked dated and worn. But it didn't matter to the kids who swam there day after day, summer after summer.
Problems at the pool started surfacing in the mid-1970s, and things were never quite the same:
1975: Pool renovations are scheduled for September, but a council member wants the pool closed and repairs to the electrical wiring and bathhouse roof made immediately. Reportedly, extension cords are sitting on rusting metal ceiling beams below a leaking roof that is so rusty it might cave in.
1976: Despite citizen protests, the borough council votes to close the pool for the summer for major renovations financed by federal funds. The decision results in the resignation of long-time pool manager John Zivic.
The state allocates $95,000 towards pool renovation; HUD supplies $91,000.
1980: A council member works as an unpaid pool manager.
A letter to the editor in the Beaver County Times complains that pool management allows people to eat wherever they want and food, wrappers, gum, and cigarette butts litter the pool area. The writer also says that garbage cans aren't emptied or never placed out for use. The water is reported to be murky and the rest rooms and showers, dirty.
The pool ends the season with a $39,546 deficit, $1,965 unaccounted for.
The pool is vandalized in September.
1981: The council argues over the number of employees at the pool in 1980. Allegedly, 21 were originally hired, but 18 more were added because of "political machinations" of a council member.
Pool admission fees are raised by the council despite objections.
An investigation is begun into alleged financial mismanagement of the pool by the councilman who worked as an unpaid manager in 1980. He is later cleared.
There is controversy in council over who will run the concession stand.
Council plans to close the pool for major renovations during the summer, including deepening the diving tank and connecting it to the main swimming pool using money from a $140,000 grant. Because the council didn't plan on opening the pool, it did not budget for pool operations. Citizens protest.
The council later drops its major renovation plans after a consultant recommends against combining the diving and main pools and says the pool can be opened after some minor repairs. The consultant reports that the pool lost thousands of dollars in operational costs and damage to the physical plant due to "ignorance and gross mismanagement."
The pool does open, but late, after some minor repairs are completed with the help of citizen volunteers.
The water line to the pool breaks, but is not repaired.
1982: In July, the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Resources cites the pool for 13 safety violations, some serious, including a broken vent in the chlorine gas storage area, lack of proper drainage in the shower and toilet rooms, and lack of hot water in the showers. Reportedly, if the pool isn't closed, it will end the year with a large deficit. The pool stays open after repairs are made.
Council fights over pool finances. The pool is consistently losing money, as much as $20,000 this year. $7,500 was budgeted for supplies; by mid-July, $12,500 has been spent. $55 was paid for a push broom. A council member says, "If politicians would just keep their noses out of the pool, it would be run a lot better."
John Zivic is discouraged from applying for his old job as manager; a different manager is hired.
1983: The state awards the pool $10,000 to serve as a model for other pool operators. $5,000 is spent for pool improvements; $5,000 for a manual on how to operate a pool.
Council fights over hiring a nonresident (from Harmony Township) as a lifeguard.
John Zivic is rehired as pool manager.
1984: A council member proposes closing the pool. Another objects predicting, "If we get rid of the pool...we really will need more policemen."
A member of the council's recreation committee says that the pool is in better physical and financial shape than it's been in years, but the pool will continue to operate at a loss.
1986: The Pennsylvania Department of Community Affairs offers a $37,500 grant for pool repairs. Ambridge must match funds.
1988: Ambridge claims it doesn't have the required funds to match the 1986 state grant money for repairs including a roof over the "promenade deck," new bathhouse floors, handicapped ramps and toilets, updating the chlorine exhaust system, and improving the heating and plumbing systems.
1989: The pool loses $33,000, $785 from the concession stand. Attendance for the season is 12,031.
1990: The pool loses over $15,500 despite cutting its payroll by eliminating maintenance workers and dressing room attendants. Lifeguards do maintenance. The concession stand is replaced with vending machines. The price of admission is increased. Attendance falls to 8,340. Opening in 1991 is said to be "very, very questionable."
Ambridge, now officially a "distressed community," obtains an economic recovery plan to make the town financially solvent. The final plan does not recommend closing the pool, but does recommend changes to its operation.
This turns out to be the final year the pool is open.
1991: The pool is not opened because of "the expense of numerous repairs that it needs."
1992: The pool remains closed for the second year because of the need for extensive repairs. A $188,000 state grant for renovations is put on hold until the council receives a cost study of the work needed which includes new mechanical and pumping systems.
1997: The borough manager finds a $17,000 checking account that he didn't know existed. The funds turn out to be $14,000 received from the state in 1990 that was supposed to have been spent on operation and improvement of the pool, plus $3,000 interest. The state demanded the return of the money in 1995, but the money was never returned.
The Sewickley YMCA expresses an interest in operating the pool, but the idea fizzles.
The empty and neglected pool building suffers the indignity of being converted by a theater group into a "house of horrors" for the Halloween season.
1998: Council considers the possibility of reopening the pool.
1999: There is a brief flurry of excitement about a citizen's proposal to open a wave pool and water park in Panek Park, but borough officials are skeptical that the plan is financially viable because of the number of similar parks in the area and the fact that residents would have to pay as much as $17 per person for admission. The plans never come to fruition.
Ambridge wants to restore the main and baby pools and fill in the diving pool for a sundeck. $87,000 is needed to resurface the pools which also need a new pump and filter system, plus electrical work.
The borough asks for $100,000 from the state towards the $350,000 project. Ambridge also asks for financial help in reopening the pool from neighboring communities, but they choose not to help.
The council gives up on pursuing grant money for pool repairs.
2000: Council approves reopening of the pool, but it never reopens. The mayor seeks donations towards the reopening from residents and businesses, but collects only about $800.
The mayor and council argue about whose responsibility it was to apply for grant money for pool repairs.
2006: The abandoned pool is extensively vandalized with graffiti including obscenities against the police, Confederate flags, and crack pipes. The damage to the bathhouse, concession stand, plus other areas of Panek Park is estimated to be over $5,000. Four young male Ambridge residents are charged with criminal mischief and institutional vandalism.
2009: The pool is razed.
The photos below from Joanne Trella show the condition of the pool buildings at that time and the demolition in progress.
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| Vandalized bathhouse, Ambridge pool, 2009 credit: Joanne Trella, used with permission |
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| Vandalized bathhouse, Ambridge pool, 2009 credit: Joanne Trella, used with permission |
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| Vandalized bathhouse, Ambridge pool, 2009 credit: Joanne Trella, used with permission |
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| Concession stand Ambridge pool, 2009 credit: Joanne Trella, used with permission |
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| Ambridge pool demolition, wading and main pools, bathhouse 2009 credit: Joanne Trella, used with permission |
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| Ambridge pool demolition, main pool 2009 credit: Joanne Trella, used with permission |
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| Ambridge pool demolition, diving tank 2009 credit: Joanne Trella, used with permission |
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Ambridge pool demolition,
main pool
2009
credit: Joanne Trella, used with permission
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The house of horrors took place in 1995 not 1997...I was a big part of it and remeber it was my freshman year of high school
ReplyDeleteMy information came from The Beaver County Times of October 12, 1997. Is it possible that the House of Horrors was run for more than one year?
Deletehttp://news.google.com/newspapers?id=FMQiAAAAIBAJ&sjid=0LYFAAAAIBAJ&pg=1607%2C2550851
Well I volunteered at the haunted house in 1997 or 1998.
Deleteremember
ReplyDeleteTragic. What's more saddening is how much of the underlying problems can be simply dealt with committed and focused maintenance. Most especially the electrical wiring, which worries with its constant contact with water and all. Good thing there are ways out of that, starting with more careful or top-line circuit breakers and materials. Thanks for sharing!
ReplyDeleteEleanor Roy @ Douthit Electrical
going waaay back to early 1940s, started going up the long steps, that was fun, never knew who you would meet up or down. learned to swim & dive on all 3 boards 2 lows & high dive facing the 2 lows. some good divers & bad ones to, if anyone recalls this short blonde kid doing a perfert 1/2 twist dive off the high, tried the 1 1/2 off high, stopped when i hurt too much. the best part of that hill further up on top of next hill, were the weekly ethnic picnics & girls to pickup & drink a little beer off the cuff. ambridge area, fair oaks had the best picnics around firemans FO was tops for pig roast & corn on corn & cold beer, & the lines of men playing the old daigo numbers hand game mora , played by mostly 1/2 drunk polaks, czechs (me) daigos & anyone else who could buy winners a beer. great memories, sad to see the pool look so bad, it was so well run, by I think a hlista guy, right? any comments will be answered
ReplyDeletejd aka john domansky above & here.
Deletenever heard it called the diving tank, always diving pool.
someone should have made it about 3ft longer to the wall off the high dive, so many bigs guys w/a lot of spring & weight, found out the wall & steps came too fast, when going off the high board, tag was the game of choice, you stood on board, if guy went up 2 steps, he had to come up after you. couple of falls not serious tho. spent many times & summers up there, learned how to swim, by myself, off days, the ohio river was fun at 12th st, just south of the waste pipe.someone always put up a diving board & tag was on here too. some days the water was clear & open eyes was OK. older guys came for a total body tan. i always burned.