No vote on Woodberry Swim Club open membership; issue tabled

NEW HARTFORD, N.Y. - Members of the Woodberry Hills Swim Club could find out if their exclusive pool is going to be made available for people who live outside their neighborhood.

[bernie1603]

I have to say, we moved to Woodberry Road about 18 months ago and looked at joining. 1,200.00 for the first year (600.00 non-returnable initiation fee) and $500.00 a year for 2 1/2 months of swimming and I thought (THEY ARE INSANE). and all they got is a pool and a tennis court. In this economy?

You could get much more from the "Y". So who are they gonna open it up to? and who would pay that much to join.

How about the increase in traffic up Woodberry Road. I predict that as thier prices rise membership will drop (along with the population in New Hartford as stated by the Utica OD) then they will close permanently.

[13413sam]

I think the 500/summer is a bargain compared to the cost of having and maintaining a pool in my own backyard.

We are members at the Woodberry pool and love it. It's a relaitively low-cost option to keep the kids cool, and they get to hang out with their friends for the summer. The alternative is arranging playdates and schlepping them from place to place. The pool offers tennis lessons, a summer camp and a swim team. Frankly, I'm not sure what folks are looking for if you criticize that.

I'm all for opening it up to whomever would like to join - it's a fun, friendly place to spend the summer.

[JgL_13413]

And unlinke some snobby rich people that live in new hartford, we actually have bills to pay and important things to save for. Let me tell you, 500 dollars a year is NOT a bargain. Why cant your kids go to the Y, or SUNYIT's pool. If more people would do that, SUNYIT could actually keep it open, and your supporting your local state university. Let me guess, "everyone else goes to the exclusive swimming pool, only lawyers and doctors can afford to go to". Get real, ITS A POOL!!! By creating such an exclusive swimming pool, you create a negative stigma amongst people who can afford to go and people who cant. It's a shame is has to be that way. If I was in the position, I would open a big pool and have it be free to all the members of new hartford. Donation would fund it for the entire year, not fuel excess spending and greed like "woodberry". I am getting sick of new hartford, small towns, small minds.

[guyinnewhartford]

The beauty of New Hartford and Woodberry is it prices out the undesirables. Been a member of Woodberry for years, and 500 is certainly a bargain. I feel it is not for everyone, so thank goodness the City of Utica has public pools what a dollar and a dream. As for snobby rich, certainly many of us do enjoy a certain level of privilege. Believe me, we all have bills to pay. This is a fine example of a different social economical situation. Jealously gets you know where, great you know your place.

JgL_13413 wrote:

And unlinke some snobby rich people that live in new hartford, we actually have bills to pay and important things to save for. Let me tell you, 500 dollars a year is NOT a bargain. Why cant your kids go to the Y, or SUNYIT's pool. If more people would do that, SUNYIT could actually keep it open, and your supporting your local state university. Let me guess, "everyone else goes to the exclusive swimming pool, only lawyers and doctors can afford to go to". Get real, ITS A POOL!!! By creating such an exclusive swimming pool, you create a negative stigma amongst people who can afford to go and people who cant. It's a shame is has to be that way. If I was in the position, I would open a big pool and have it be free to all the members of new hartford. Donation would fund it for the entire year, not fuel excess spending and greed like "woodberry". I am getting sick of new hartford, small towns, small minds.

[guyinnewhartford]

If you are "getting sick of new hartford, small towns, small minds" that statement clearly demonstrates you are one of them, small minds and small wallet. If it were not for the charity the residents of New Hartford shows on the surrounding communities the utica area would be very different.

JgL_13413 wrote:

And unlinke some snobby rich people that live in new hartford, we actually have bills to pay and important things to save for. Let me tell you, 500 dollars a year is NOT a bargain. Why cant your kids go to the Y, or SUNYIT's pool. If more people would do that, SUNYIT could actually keep it open, and your supporting your local state university. Let me guess, "everyone else goes to the exclusive swimming pool, only lawyers and doctors can afford to go to". Get real, ITS A POOL!!! By creating such an exclusive swimming pool, you create a negative stigma amongst people who can afford to go and people who cant. It's a shame is has to be that way. If I was in the position, I would open a big pool and have it be free to all the members of new hartford. Donation would fund it for the entire year, not fuel excess spending and greed like "woodberry". I am getting sick of new hartford, small towns, small minds.

[13413sam]

JgL - relax. Trust me - I'm paying for SUNY IT's pool in the form of taxes. I'm not sure what your argument it. That if everyone can't afford something, no one should have it? I believe they call that communism.

We all have bills to pay - regardless of the income. And if you spent 5 minutes at the Woodberry pool, you'd realize that doctors and lawyers are in the minority - most of us are hard working people who have managed to become a little successful as a result - I can't understand why you'd then criticize wanting to enjoy some of the things that hard work affords.

And snobby rich live all over - just as working class live all over.

I don't agree with much that "guyinnewhartford" says, but it is accurate that progressive taxes like property taxes, sales taxes and income taxes insure that the greater tax burden falls to those with greater income - so it is true that our success provides a great deal for the town and county.

I'm real about this being a pool, and only a pool. You're the one who's extrapolating it as representative of an entire community. I just enjoy a place for the kids to hangout in the summer.

[bernie1603]

Me thinks JgL_13413 just could'nt make it through college, probably works at Wendy's......seems likes he or she is a bit jealous but isn't Obama gonna fix that? I thought all the poor people were gonna get tax breaks.....hmmmmm wonder what JgL_13413 is gonna do with his extra 13 bucks a week.....I believe Ft. Schuyler beer is about that price for a pallet.

[hay now]

if Ft. Schuyler beer was made anymore!

[New Hartford mom]

I agree with 13413sam. JgL needs to relax.$500 per summer might not seem like a huge bargain to many. But for our family, it is a huge bargain, especially since there are 3 lifeguards on duty during pool hours, a great safety advantage besides the financial advantage over installing and maintaining a pool on our own property. We have small children and come to the WB pool just about every day each week during the summer for swimming lessons & just to relax and have fun.

We live around the corner from the Woodberry Pool and can walk to it, carrying our pool bag filled with swim stuff and packed snacks. JgL has suggested that instead of joining Woodberry Pool, everyone in the area should join SUNY-IT's pool. SUNY-IT is 7 miles away from our house. If I had to pack up all my kids in the car and schlep them across town just to swim and have fun, we would not go nearly as often. Partly because of the inconvenience, but also, I would not want to waste that amount of gas, just to let my kids swim and play every day during the summer. If the SUNY-IT pool is more convenient for you, then you should use it. I'm not sure why JgL wants to mandate us all to that one pool, though.

Also, JgL states that "only doctors and lawyers can afford to belong to" the Woodberry Pool. That is just not true. I am a teacher and there are lots of other members at the WP who are "regular" folks like me who don't walk around with $500 cash in our pockets, but see the $500 fee as a bargain since it allows our whole family to enjoy fun times at a pool close to our homes for the entire summer.

I feel sorry for people like JgL who are afraid or offended by the thought of socializing with people who might have more money and/or a more prestigious job title than s/he does.

[13413sam]

New Hartford mom - I'm sure I've seen you at the pool, then!:)

[bernie1603]

If you can afford it thats fine, but there is a REASON that they are considering opening it up to the public....I think that MOST people either can no longer afford it as a luxury or as I do think that it is a ridiculous price to pay for 2 1/2 months of swimming (not to mention an unreturnable 600.00 initiation fee whatever thats for.) And as for the THREE lifeguards and safety didn't they just a few years ago have a major incident there where a young girl almost drowned? We walk by there almost every evening, the place looks clean enough but answer me this....since your a teacher and have summers off...how does a person who works get to use a pool at letsay 8am...the pool is open from 12-7pm....or someone who works until 5 or 6, gets home cooks dinner etc....Dont feel sorry for anyone, try to see thier point of view.

[13413mom]

Has anyone noted that SUNYIT's pool *isn't* open to the public? Neither is UC's. Certainly the City of Utica has great pools (yea!), but the Woodberry Pool is a great community asset.

Like one of the other commenters, we also live around the corner and can walk or bike to the pool. We get great swimming lessons, tennis lessons, a lap-swimming lane, and a partial-day day camp, in which the kids are able to hang out with the kids from their neighborhood and school.$500 is a lot, but with young kids, that money would certainly be poured into other activities--or simply day care for the same amount of time.

Maybe the point shouldn't be how awful it is that NH has the Woodberry pool, but rather how sad it is that there aren't more in the area and in all communities.

P.S. I also heard the reputation of the Woodberry neighborhood as snobby, but haven't found it to be true since I moved here. I think that's the opinion of people who don't know the community.

[New Hartford]

I totally agree with you, 13413mom. People who assume that the folks at the WB Pool are snobby would be surprised at how unsnobby and "normal" almost everyone there really is if they were to check it out in person.

I also agree that instead of throwing insults and assuming that everyone at the WB Pool is 'snobby', people in other communities should work on building a local community center with a pool local to them if they don't already have one.

bernie1603 - the pool is open until 7pm right now while scool is in session, but through most of the summer it is open until 8pm.

Also, the lifeguards did everything RIGHT last year when that girl nearly drowned. That girl was 11 or 12 and had never had a swimming lesson in her life. The girl's mom reported to the O.D. that she was normally very overprotective, but decided this one time to let her daughter have a little freedom and dropped her off to a Pool Party at the WB Pool to celebrate graduation from 6th Grade unsupervised. I think it's weird that she didn't even stop in to tell a life-guard or another parent that her daughter does not know how to swim. All the girls' friends had years of swimming lessons and she wanted to fit in and hang out in the deep end with them. The life-guards acted immediately when she went under. That girl would not be alive if it weren't for the quick actions of the WB Pool lifeguards.

[New Hartford mom]

oops. I didn't mean to misspell "school", LOL!

13413sam - I'm sure you're right!

[valleyman]

I feel the woodberry pool should only be open to residence of New Hartford. We do not need any derlics from the surrounding communites coming into new hartford more then they already do.

[13413sam]

valleyman - give me a break. I'd be happy to see the pool open to anyone.

As far as the pool needing additional members the reason is two-fold: first, the price of maintaining the pool has gone up significantly since it was built decades ago -things are more expensive and an aging pool requires more maintenance- secondly, the neighborhood simply does not have the same number of kids it once had. While the neighborhood is turning over from our parent's generation to ours - there are still many homes that don't have kids or are owned by older adults with no interest in the pool.

I really enjoy the pool and so do my kids - and I appreciate the efforts of everyone who is working so hard to keep it up and running.

[noname]

I still think it should be woodbury residence only. Who wants the people from the manor swimming here

[OHPLEASE]

noname - stop stirring up trouble. You don't live there, or you'd know the correct spelling is Woodberry - the pool is great, the kids are having fun. Leave it alone.

[KAHHH]

I am outragedat thecomments that you made. You clearly sound like a person that really can only skim the surface. I don't think that you are capable of going any deeper than that. Frankly my friend, you are DENSE. I was born and raised in New Hartford and was well off growing up. I had the best of everything and my parents always taught me that just because we had money does not mean were better than anyone else. $500.00 is alot of money for anything, rich or poor. IF you don't think so than maybe you have no concept of money because now a days EVERYONE is suffering through these hard economic times. EVERYONE. Everyone has to monitor their spending these days. Your comment ...to me.... was extremely ignorant an it's people like YOU that make New Hartford look bad. I'm embarassed.

[BB1c]

LIGHTEN UP KAHHH.....Its just a discussion about a pool