The Lawson/Hudie Family
People always say Dearborn is a city of families and the
Lawson/Hudie family shows they are right. Parents Melanie and Mac Lawson have
been proud to raise their kids in Dearborn, and to give them the opportunities
this city provides. Mac grew up near Ten
Eyck pool and spent many summer days there with his older brother, Jeff. He
fondly looks back on his days growing up at the pool.
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Conner and Keenan Painting the Fence at Ten Eyck |
"I remember my
brother and I riding our bikes down the street to the pool to get there as soon
as it opened because it didn't take long before it got packed with kids. After
a few hours in the water, we’d ride back home to get something to eat and then
we’d ride back to the pool again. We always stayed until it closed. Back then,
you could swim until eight o’clock in the evening and we made sure we didn't
miss any minute of it! Since our mother was raising us by herself, I’m sure she
was thankful we had the pool so close to home to keep us busy during the
summer."
Even though Mac's job is nearly 25
miles away, he chose to raise his family in Dearborn because he believes they have
opportunities and advantages here that they would not be able to find in other
cities. The two boys, Conner, age 8 and Keenan, age 6, attend Long Elementary School
near Crowley Park pool. Kelsey, the oldest, attends Edsel Ford High School.
This family truly embodies the idea that the Dearborn
neighborhood pools are everyone's pools. When the kids are at home, they can
splash into Crowley pool. Keenan took swimming lessons there and loves to show
everyone how he can swim like a "jellyfish."
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Older sister, Kelsey, gathered petitions to save the pools. |
When they visit their Aunt Beth Ann Michel, President of
Snow Woods Neighborhood Association and
active SOP member, they are within walking distance from Ten Eyck pool. Conner learned
to swim at Ten Eyck. He says Ten Eyck is his favorite pool because
"the shallow end is really
shallow."
They also enjoy making friends and hanging out at floatie
nights at Summer Stephens. In addition, Conner and Keenan play Dearborn
Baseball, go to the outdoor summer recreation program at the park, and spend a
week at Camp Dearborn every summer.
When they learned the pools were in danger, this family
mobilized. Conner and Keenan helped to paint the fence surrounding Ten Eyck
pool, and met another family getting involved, the
Gillerans.
Kelsey said the idea that the outdoor pools might close was
really upsetting because she and her friends loved going to the pool every
summer. So, she got to work and circulated a petition around her school. She
believed the petition would show the city officials just how
important the small pools are to kids. After collecting hundreds of signatures
of kids at Edsel Ford High School, Kelsey turned them into the City Council
office.
To Kelsey, the choice was simple. If it weren't for the
outdoor pools, she believes her younger brothers would never have learned how to
swim. She said the pools helped her brother Conner gain self confidence once he
learned how to swim. So she fought back to make sure she and other kids would
continue to have that opportunity, and gain that confidence every year.
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Mom, Melanie, has encouraged her family to get involved. |
Mom, Melanie, gathered nearly 20 pages of signatures to help
the pools. She set-up a table at the Long Elementary Fun Fair and talked to
families about the pools while they signed the petitions. She also went door to
door in the hot summer months at the Crowley Park neighborhood gathering
signatures and support to keep Dearborn’s pools open.
The impact of pools closing is felt differently, but felt
nonetheless across generations.
To Keenan, it's practical, “now what are we going to do to cool off on really hot days?”
To Mac, it's life-changing, "it’s great to be a kid growing up in Dearborn but if these
opportunities aren't around in the future, then I don’t see how it’s going to
be much of an advantage anymore to live here."
SOP is committed to
fighting to keep Dearborn a city for families and opportunity for our
children's futures. Join the movement today and be heard!
Are you a member of the SOP family? We would like to feature
you on our blog! Please email us at saveourpools@yahoo.com with your information and tell us
why you love Dearborn's pools! You can also join the SOP group on Facebook now!