With the best of intentions, I got a temporary membership at the YMCA when I was back in Flint this June. The place is exactly the same, and I mean that in a good way. Same gym, same locker rooms, same weight room, same immaculate pool where I learned to swim as a kid. One morning I went in and realized I was probably a little dehydrated after a night at The Torch, so I forced myself to drink about two gallons of water from this fountain. I went info the gym to embarrass myself on the basketball court, and when I came back this sign had been taped up. The torrential rains that flooded Kearsley Park had apparently caused some concerns. I lived to write about it, so it must not have been too bad.
I remember going to a sleep over party at the "Y" in the early '70s. We were a bunch of 10 year olds, racing around, playing basket ball and dodge ball at 10pm, and watching bad horror movies and eating ice cream until 1am. Great times for a kid.
ReplyDeleteI also remember jogging on that tiny wooden track they had on the roof. During the winter, the entire oval would be surrounded in heavy plastic wrap to keep the elements out.
I do not miss the Flint winters...
The most polluted water in Flint is the kiddie wading pool at the YMCA... or is that the YWCA? The e. coli count in that shallow tub has to be off the charts.
ReplyDeleteWhere I live now (Gloucester, MA) we've been ordered to boil drinking water for the past two weeks. Not just a Flint phenomenon.
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