We gotta talk about the pool.
This unending warning advisory for Lacamas Lake had me drifting back to conversations from when I first moved here. Chats filled with nostalgia, sorrow, and a touch of anger. The old Camas pool, long gone, but certainly not forgotten.
Take a walk through Crown Park, past the pickle ball courts, and you will come across a patch of grass. For those in the know, that seemingly innocent albeit random stretch is ground zero for our community's lost treasure.
The tales I've heard from locals, especially those living around Crown Park, are more than just wistful memories of their bygone pool days. Their voices reveal a deeper, lingering hurt. A community still coming to terms with the loss of a 60+ year-old pool, a hub that witnessed countless childhood memories and where generations learned to swim. Today, it stands quiet, hiding its once glorious past.
Dig a little, and the plot thickens: The Lions Club. Our community owes this pool's existence to these unsung heroes. Back in the 50s, driven by the joy of giving, they built this iconic spot for Camas and the folks who lived here.
Yet, as time pushed forward, it was allowed to decline. And this vibrant cornerstone slowly lost its luster. By 2017, the pool was at a crossroads. The city, unsure of its next move, sought public opinion. Should they renovate? Rebuild? Replace? The community roared back with hundreds and hundreds of signatures, and pleas, and lemonade stands, and even a symbolic pool-less pool party.
The people had one message:
Save our Pool
But in a stunning act of defiance, the city went in with bull dozers and demolished it. No discussion, no warning. One day, it was just... gone.
If this shock wasn't enough, not long after the next twist came.
In the dead of summer an audacious $78M pool bond was hurriedly proposed to be added to ballot. Thankfully Camas united and made history, with a staggering 90% of voters in the community rejecting it. But that’s a story for another day.
So here we are.
Surrounded by water with nowhere safe for our kids to swim. Unless we want to drive into another city. An ironic predicament, given swimming's importance— especially when it's the leading cause of death for children under the age of four.
Now I’m left with a mountain of questions, and I’m determined to find answers. This journey isn't just about unearthing the past. It's about understanding where we went wrong to ensure history doesn't repeat itself.
Let’s embark on this deep dive together, unraveling the story of our pool.
OK, that’s it. I’ll talk to you later.
And please send anything you find interesting my way.