DOVER, New Hampshire, May 3. ACCORDING to media reports out of New Hampshire, pools and programs in Dover and Portsmouth both face the possibility of extinction due to budgetary issues.
WMUR-9 has reported that "city pools in Dover are at risk of running dry" including one named after Olympic gold medalist Jenny Thompson. The report states that the city is currently planning on shutting down its pools to reduce its budget. The plan threatens the Seacoast Swimming Association, a USA Swimming club team, that uses the pools as well as other high school and Masters programs in the area.
The City of Portsmouth continues to assess the possibility of shutting down its indoor pool according to a report by the Foster's Daily Democrat. If this pool winds up being shut down, USA Swimming club Portsmouth Swim Team would also be impacted as well as the Great Bay Masters, which uses the pool as one of its facilities.
A pair of Facebook pages have been setup to help organize support for the Dover and Portsmouth swimming communities.
Help Save Dover's Pools can be found here.
SIPP – Save the Indoor Portsmouth Pool can be found here.