Latest news with #communityrecreation
The Herald
23-05-2025
- The Herald
Maintenance of city's public swimming pools should be a priority
For many in Nelson Mandela Bay's northern areas and townships in particular, public swimming pools offer the only entertainment and relief from the heat during our blistering summers. Yet many of the facilities in these areas have been vandalised and left to deteriorate, some to a point where they are now beyond repair. Take for instance the derelict pool in Schauderville which has been out of commission for years. During a recent site visit, public works & infrastructure minister Dean Macpherson called on Eastern Cape MEC Siphokazi Lusithi to relocate the pool to a new site, citing the facility's vandalised and irreparable state. Stripped of infrastructure and left derelict since the Covid-19 lockdown, the facility posed a direct threat to residents, particularly children, according to DA northern areas constituency head Yusuf Cassim, who formally requested the relocation in a letter to Macpherson's office. 'There is an urgent need to relocate the long-abandoned pool, which has become a hotspot for criminal activity, illegal dumping and gang violence,' he said. A new site — on land opposite the Moore Dyke sports precinct and owned by the provincial public works department — has already been identified. And now it is up to the relevant officials and authorities to act to ensure a suitable facility is erected for those in this area and its surrounds, those who cannot afford transport to and entry fees at more expensive facilities or the Bay's many beaches. Because our public pools provide a safe space — in the areas where they live — for our children and teens to play, stay active and avoid negative influences such as drugs and crime which are rife in these communities. In addition, in a country where nearly 30% of drownings occur in children under the age of 14, these pools offer a space in which to host swimming lessons, a much-needed life skill. So it is imperative that municipalities, working with the other necessary arms of government, prioritise building and maintaining public swimming pools in disadvantaged communities and that they do so in partnership with NGOs, private sponsors, schools and surrounding communities — all of whom will then have a vested interest in ensuring the safekeeping of these facilities. The Herald
CBS News
16-05-2025
- General
- CBS News
Structural issues cause Aurora's first recreation center to close after 55 years
Aurora's first recreation center will be closing at the end of the summer. For 55 years, the Beck Recreation Center in northeast Aurora has given the community a place to learn and play, but due to significant structural issues, the city has decided to shut it down. CBS Brian Green, the director of Aurora Parks, Recreation and Open Space, said it all started in 2024. "We had a gas line that failed, so we were in the process of fixing that. We started looking at other systems in the building, including the pool, and found that there were some leaks in the pool. There were other issues with the mechanical system that runs that pool," said Green. CBS There was also a leak in the roof, which was destroying the concrete and cinder block wall in their gym, and rotten support beams on their deck. When Aurora Parks, Recreation and Open Space received a quote to see how much it would cost to fix these issues, it wasn't good news. "It came to between $31 and $52 million, which is equivalent to the replacement cost of one of these facilities," said Green. Aurora Parks, Recreation and Open Space decided to close the Beck Recreation Center for good. CBS Aaron Sibs has been coming to the Beck Recreation Center since he was a boy. "I learned how to swim here. I learned taekwondo first, like, one lesson here, and then I learned how to play badminton," said Sibs. And he isn't alone. Opened in 1973, it was Aurora's only recreation center until the city renovated the Moorehead Recreation Center in 2017. Aaron said that for how old it is, it was still a great place. Beck Recreation Center "I mean, this is like the only recreation center within, like, 10, 12 miles. And I think it's one of the better ones," said Sibs. Brian Green said deciding to close the center was not easy. "There's so many emotional attachments to this building, to this site," said Green. "It's like you have a sense of loss." But Green said they want to build another one. It won't be on this site because it's too close to Buckley Space Force Base and isn't zoned for new construction, but Green hopes to find a location somewhere nearby. He said in the meantime, memberships will be honored at Aurora's three other rec centers. Aaron said he appreciates the gesture, but it's hardly a consolation. "Yeah, I guess it's good," said Sibs. The pool at Beck Recreation Center is closed now. The gym will close at the end of May, and preschool will stop at this location on July 31. The doors will close for good on August 1st. Those who want to have input about the future center or any projects the city has planned can go to their website and take the infrastructure task force community survey.
