LEXINGTON, Ky. (LEX 18) — As Lexington marked the beginning of the summer, there was one pool that remained silent over the weekend.
"It was a struggle as a child and it should not be a struggle now," said Nietta Gerton.
Gerton teaches water safety and fitness at Douglass Pool. It's close to her heart.
"This place means everything to me. I grew up here, being from St. Martin's Village," she said.
When Douglass Pool didn't open as expected this weekend, she and a lot of other people in the neighborhood were upset. A lot of them showed up at the Douglass Park Neighborhood Association meeting tonight.
"It's an afterthought. We should be included. We want to be included. It should be an equitable situation and it's not," Gerton said.
Chris Ford, Lexington's commissioner of general services, said workers found two leaks at the pool before it opened. They anticipate opening Tuesday. Ford also said this will be the last year for the old Douglass Pool before building a new one for next summer.
"We wish we were able to financially do it sooner, but we're definitely excited that we're here now on the verge of bringing a much-needed amenity to the West End," Ford said.
They're taking public input on what kind of amenities people would like at the new pool. In the meantime, Gerton will do everything she can to get people into the water now.
"Because of water safety, African-Americans have a higher risk of death in the water because of lack of education, so I brought it upon myself to teach those classes five or 10 years ago to bring water safety back to Douglass Pool," Gerton said.
It's a personal mission she's been carrying for years and plans to keep it up as long as she can.
