Fifty-eight years ago, Mary Pohlman — who along with her husband, Scott, coaches the award-winning Newton Bluefish swim team — watched the excavation for the original Gath Memorial Pool.
Last Friday, she was there for the groundbreaking for the new one.
The reasons for a new pool are many – aging infrastructure has caused leaks on the pool’s sides, and the decks do not meet ADA requirements. But the long and the short of it was that a new, modern pool was in store for Newton.
So, at 6PM on September 22, several dozen people converged on the south side of the Gath Pool – right by Albemarle field – to celebrate with the people who led and facilitated the project, alongside some shovels and a ceremonial pile of dirt.
Mayor Fuller spoke about the historic moment, saying “It took everybody weighing in, all of us listening to each other, sometimes figuring out if we had different opinions, what the best way forward was, and we did it. We’ve got two amazing pools and a splash pad going in and some upgrades to the building that are going to serve all of us.”
Mayor Fuller went on to thank many of those assembled for their contributions to the pool, and she particularly noted the accomplishments of the Department of Parks, Recreation, and Culture, the Community Preservation Committee (CPC), and the Department of Public Buildings.
Acknowledging the presence of about ten residents holding signs protesting the City’s use of artificial turf fields, the Mayor said, “I also just say thank you to our people who have come out to help us think about synthetic turf fields. I happen to have a different opinion than them, but this is the way Newton brings forward ideas.”
City Council President Susan Albright thanked the Department of Parks, Recreation, and Culture for their efforts and praised the Mayor for her leadership of Newton.
Massachusetts State Representative Kay Khan spoke at the ceremony, recalling her efforts in the Massachusetts House of Representatives regarding fundraising for the project. “There was an economic development bill going through the Legislature, and I put in for $440,000 for this project. We have to thank the whole delegation, because we don’t do any of this alone,” Representative Khan noted.
Jen Molinsky, the former CPC chair, echoed praise for the planned pool and expressed gratitude for the CPA’s existence – as did Mary Pohlman, the Bluefish Coach.
All expressed pride in the progress that had occurred with the new Gath Memorial Pool and excitement for opening day – estimated to happen in about nine months.
The architect of the project, Tom Scarlata of Bargmann Hendrie + Archetype, said that it would take some time to implement the project’s expansive changes. He noted, “Newton went above and beyond in terms of being universally accessible, where they’re above and beyond what the code required, so that everyone can use the pool and have full access to the bathhouse.”
When it came time to stick the shovels into the earth for a groundbreaking photo, Newtonites young and old joined in.
