In Syracuse we seem to go from 55 degrees to 85 degrees virtually overnight. That is our spring. Few days settle in the 60s or 70s. No sooner do we turn off the heat when we reach for the fans and AC.
The Old Erie Canal through Clinton Square
With temperatures spiking the past few days, I was delighted to drive through downtown and see the reflecting pool at Clinton Square filled with happy youngsters wading and splashing. I knew the water wasn’t chlorinated for swimming and certainly not for drinking, and no one was doing either in water 6 inches deep. They were just splashing around and enjoying the expanse of water as the playful fountains rose and retreated like choreographed silver dancers in the background.
I wondered how long it would be before the city of Syracuse cracked down on this happy scene and I got my answer tonight. With record-breaking heat expected tomorrow comes word that patrols will be stepped up to prevent children from wading into that water.
Our city grew up on the water of the Erie Canal, water that flowed right where the reflecting pool sits today. People boated and swam and some even drowned, and in the winter they skated at the foot of the most beautiful buildings we have in Syracuse; the old Syracuse Savings Bank and the Gridley Building among them, and the people glided and laughed and they hurt themselves and through it all the city and its people prospered.
Even though our city leaders filled in the canal to create a paved road nearly a century ago, there’s something about that location that begs for more water. It still draws our citizens on the coldest of days to skate upon the frozen ice rink and to splash around the fountain in the summer heat. The spring heat even.
By the time the Canal was filled in near the turn of the last century it had become an open sewer, a public health nuisance. Penicillin had not yet been invented down the road at Bristol Myers and so avoiding sources of infection was critical to survival. No one wants a return to the rat-infested muddy waters of what the Erie Canal had become in downtown Syracuse.
Syracuse in 1906
But can’t we add just enough chlorine to allow for splashing around in the reflecting pool? Can’t we post signs absolving the city of liability in the unlikely event someone gets badly hurt or drowns in 6 inches of water? When I drove past the other day, mothers sat catching ten minutes of rest while they supervised their little ones at play. Must we proudly declare we will beef up patrols at the reflecting pool on the eve of record heat and do nothing more with the water than just watch it? That’s about as satisfying as not touching the presents under the Christmas tree.
Or can’t we just look the other way? Better yet, why not watch? You can’t see these kids kicking water as if it’s the first time they’ve seen it, without a smile spreading on your face. What do you think?
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{ 17 comments… read them below or add one }
Good Mornin Maureen, Maybe the city should hirer a life guard,with a life boat and build a tall beach seat for them to sit on. They will have to pay the Policeman alot more than a qualified high school kid to watch this highly dangerous water area all summer. Now that you brought it up, my summer parties that the kids wade in the creek right in front off The Swamp Hollow establishment, I my need Sheriff Boat Cruiser in the event of a attack fresh water clam !
What a perfect topic, Maureen! Our office overlooks Clinton Square. Most of us can see everything from my window. Our concern all along is that someone will get injured or sick from the water. The fountain has become a destination, complete with beach towels, beach balls and refreshments. The sad truth is that some who come here do not have anywhere else to cool off. It’s quiet out there right now, but by afternoon, there will be 100 people or more. You’ve given me something to think about. I’ll let you know about the patrols! Police have not patrolled the area at all so far!
Denny entertaining as always, and with a good point stuffed in there for good measure.
Thanks for your fine observations Pat. It’s true Clinton Square was never meant to become a “beach”, but if everybody tries anyway, we are missing something. We have beautiful parks with pools that are not open and in locations not convenient for everyone. As Denny says, it’s cheaper to hire college kids out on break to watch over the place, than to send cops in there.
Here’s an update. The traffic is down slightly today. The police are here now, as is Channel 3 News. They haven’t done anything yet. There are 3 police cars about about 80 people in the pool.
You can boot this one since it is not about the subject at hand.
Just curious if I saw you leaving Syr. Real Food Co-op back on May 7th. We shop there but prefer the Greenstar co-op in Ithaca. That may change when Syr RFC moves to new site off Fellows Ave @ Genessee St. in a year or so. I still don’t like the area.. but a bigger place which should allow for much more items in stock, and more elbow room. The proximity of the new place to the crime-ridden zones off Fayette, Columbus, and even on one end of Allen and Fellows, is a problem that will only get worse. I was a Syracusan, but no more. OK to use posted email, or no answer is OK too. It is good to see people shopping for organic food. I cannot consume anything that has artificial contents, and I rarely shop for natural foods and stick with organic or go without. I am in mid-70s and in good health and am off all but two heart meds (am a bypass survivor). The doc will not like it, but doctors are in a box and will not approve of natural remedies, raw milk, free-range chicken eggs, stuff like that.
I’m sorry but I have to disagree with you Maureen. The Clinton Fountain was never intended to be a wading pool with people bring beach towels and picnic baskets. The water is nasty and any parent that allows their children to play in it should be ticketed. Whatever happened to running under the sprinkler to cool off? Someone is going to get hurt or sick and then there will be a lawsuit, the fountains will be turned off and no one will be able to enjoy it.
Hi Maureen,
I am going to the Dollar store and going to buy all of the plastic $1.00 alligators and snakes and sneak down there one night and release them into Clinton Square.I think it will help the taxpayers save money,Therefore they can do away with the lifeguard at $15.00 /hr. and maybe if City installed a meter there for wading in 6 inches of water(something like $1.00/hr. and they collected $2,000.00 a season it highly doubt it would be an issue and maybe our taxes would go down a little.
They turned the fountains off this morning.
Hi Fred, No it wasn’t I you saw leaving the co-op. I live near there, but haven’t gone in, though I know many of my neighbors love it. I was unaware they are moving and hope people aren’t scared away by the fear of crime. Anyway, about the doctors, my doctor says he doesn’t argue with what works, so I think he might agree with your methods to remain in such good health. I’m always around the neighborhood, so please introduce yourself if there’s another “sighting”.
Kelly, thank you for speaking up! I surely don’t want people to just agree with me, even though I am always right. Just kidding. We joke about that at home.
Anyway, I think you are in the majority and you make a good argument. I appreciate your thoughts.
Mike that is great creativity!
Oh Pat, that is a shame. Thanks for sharing.
Last I knew this was a city park… so the issue shouldn’t be whether people can bring beach towels and lawn chairs and coolers, of course they can. The bigger issue is why would you build a pool in a city park, one that is used in winter for ice skating, without even thinking about what people will naturally do with it on a hot day in summer? Or is the problem that the wrong kind of people are the ones splashing in the fountain?
Redlami sounds about right. I suppose I don’t think of beach towels when I think of a city center but all urban areas must reinvent themselves these days. Thanks for the input. You raise a good point.
I’m just glad you’re bringing some good sense to this issue. I was pretty upset when I first found out about it. And the city’s answer — turn off the water in the fountains, turn on sprinklers somewhere else — just smacks of wanting to sweep a problem under the rug to me. So thank you!
No Redlami, thank YOU for caring so much about this issue!