TODAY'S NEWS
A campaign in Philadelphia brought in $620,000 to keep pools open.
(By Matt Rourke -- Associated Press)
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Fundraising for Pools Goes Swimmingly
-- What would you do to save your swimming pool?
The difficult economy this year is making it harder for local governments to pay for many of the services people are used to having. In some cities, tight budgets have forced the closing of public swimming pools because they are expensive to maintain.
But neighborhood groups in some places are fighting back by raising money to pay for the pools. In Philadelphia, for example, a campaign for private donations brought in $620,000, enough to keep half of the city's pools operating this summer.
In Cranston, Rhode Island, donations from residents and businesses are keeping the pools open through most of August.
Some people say swimming pools are the last thing cities should close during hard economic times, because residents are looking for inexpensive ways to have fun.
There are no reports that public pools in the Washington area are being closed, but if it were to happen in your neighborhood, now you know what to do: bake sales and lemonade stands!
