On Saturday morning, July 20, Harry Gath Memorial Pool hosted a ribbon cutting ceremony to welcome community members once more to the fully renovated pool, now finished with a new “splash pad” play area. This ceremony concluded the year-long Gath Pool Project.
Newton Parks, Recreation and Culture began the ceremony with opening words from Commissioner Nicole Banks, who expressed the need for the renovations and thanked the many people involved in the project.
“For recreation and culture, this project was very unique for us, really a once in a career opportunity,” she said, “…We didn’t want to scare everybody but the facility was really in need. We were losing quite a bit of water and [were] wondering if we’d be able to open, so being able to present this this summer is just an amazing opportunity.”
Gath Pool project (photo: Bella Ishanyan) 
Parks, Recreation & Culture Commissioner Nicole Banks speaks, accompanied by City Council President Marc Laredo, Mayor Ruthanne Fuller, Rep. Kay Khan, and relatives of Harry Gath, Jr. (photo: Bella Ishanyan) 
Mayor Ruthanne Fuller prepares to cut the ribbon for the hew Gath Pool with other officials and relatives of Harry Gath, Jr. (photo: Bella Ishanyan) 
Mayor Ruthanne Fuller celebrates the Gath Pool ribbon cutting with other officials and relatives of Harry Gath, Jr. (photo: Bella Ishanyan) 
Relatives of Harry Gath, Jr., for whom the Gath Pool is named (photo: Bella Ishanyan) 
Mayor Ruthanne Fuller, State Rep. Kay Khan celebrate with everyone on the new Splash Pad. (photo: Bella Ishanyan) 
Newton’s new Splash Pad. delivers. (photo: Bella Ishanyan) 
Synchronized swim performance at the ribbon-cutting for the new Gath Pool (photo: Bella Ishanyan)
Following Banks, Mayor Ruthanne Fuller shared in the commencement with a short speech, firstly introducing the history and the family of the pool’s founder, Harry Gath, Jr.
“[There is] a lot of joy and happiness here today. It was 76 years ago, there was a person here at Newton who had an idea and began advocating for a community pool in Newton. And some things don’t change in Newton, because 76 years ago, it took 12 years to get the Harry Gath community pool built,” she said. “It was his idea, his advocacy, and then an amazing, generous donation from him, and commitment from the City of Newton that we opened the Gath pool in 1965. And I am so pleased that to my right and to my left, we have Harry Gath, Jr.’s relatives here to help us celebrate.”
Furthermore, Fuller thanked the many people involved in the project, and also the municipal representation attending the event, including current and former City Council members, State Representative Kay Khan, the State Representative candidates, and others — many of whom proceeded to join Fuller, the Gath family, and young community members in the ribbon cutting shortly thereafter.
Following the ceremony, Fuller, Banks, and other members of the ceremony tested out the new splash pad and enjoyed the “Gath Pool & Splash Pad Community Celebration” that ran until 2PM that day. The festivities included free entry and swim between 9:45AM-2PM, an artistic swim exhibition, available snacks and treats, an interactive “Touch a Truck” visit from the Newton Fire Department, music and games, and a Flying High Dogs Show.
Bella Ishanyan is a Fig City News intern, Massachusetts High School Journalist of the Year, and off to UMass Amherst in September.
