Faces of SOP - The Lawson/Hudie Family

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.

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."

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.

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!