I got this message from Dave yesterday, and we spoke about it again this morning. PLEASE read this and spread the word about the need to keep the ladders intact during the year!
*** RED ALERT ***
As we all know all too well … The summer of 2009 never arrived as promised and very very soon the Chicago Park District will pull all of the swim ladders at Oak Street Beach…. With a lot of phone calls I was able to find the new and improved person who is in charge of them, Mr. Larry Moser. His phone# (312) 746 5561Seeing that he has yet to return my calls, I have left a message trying to convince him to leave them in.
1) If someone one slips and falls in this winter, it’s a long cold swim to try to get out
2) Many people continue to swim in the fall, winter, and spring
3) The fire and police scuba squads use the area for training and rescues, and they use the ladders
4) The city can save money by not removing the ladders and re-installing them the next year
5) The winter ice has not damaged Ladder #1 over the last 10 years, and it has stayed in year round
6) The new ladders at Montrose are welded in and cannot be removed*** Hopefully if all of us call to plead our case they might leave in the ladders…
Call now and do not wait or you might show up for a swim next Tuesday and find all of the ladders gone….Diver Dave
Ladder #1
Oak Street Beach