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!

Faces of SOP - Sara and Luke Gilleran

Sara and Luke Gilleran

My husband’s family moved to Dearborn in 1991 when he was in high school at St. Alphonsus. They lived right across the street from Ten Eyck Park.  We started dating in 1994 and spent many great evenings walking around the track at Ten Eyck. My brother-in-law John is much younger than us and he spent most of his summers as a Ten Eyck “pool rat.” I remember John would run between the supervised recreation box to the pool just about all day long during the summer. I know he has fond memories of his days at the pool.

Fast forward several years and many life changes, and my husband and I bought our home in Dearborn, just a few blocks from Ten Eyck. We had our son, Luke, in 2004. One afternoon, I was pushing Luke in the stroller and I was amazed when I saw that Ten Eyck Pool is STILL open. From then, we spent a lot more time at the park and the pool.

Looking back, I realize that moment became the day that I wanted to make sure the pool stays open for Luke, my younger son Colin and all kids in our neighborhoods.

As soon as I started seeing stories about the city’s plans to close the small pools, I started to do what most people do; I got angry and started complaining. I drove my husband, mother, sister, and neighbors nuts talking about the reasons that the pools were closing and why they should stay open. Then I decided I needed to do something besides complain. I began to attend neighborhood association meetings, budget meetings, and city council meetings. I also emailed city council members and joined SOP and Dearborn Residents for Accountability so that my voice could be heard.

My son, Luke, has been with me every step of the way. He has attended many of the meetings with me, and has addressed the mayor and city council during both budget and formal city council meetings. His favorite activities have been the swim team, pool clean-ups in the spring and floatie nights all summer long.

Ten Eyck pool has led us to a love of swimming. Luke now swims for the Dearborn Dolphins and plans to continue swimming as his main sport. We love our park and pool and are extremely hopeful for the upcoming election this November. We are praying that the new city government will realize how important these pools and all recreation are for children. We look forward to a time that we can enjoy our pool without the worry and fear that it might not be there next summer.

- Sara Gilleran

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!

Faces of SOP - Alison Drzinski

Alison Drzinski

Alison has been a Dearborn resident her entire life. A self described "pool rat," she took swimming lessons at Hemlock as a toddler and grew up splashing around Ten Eyck after her family moved to the West End in the late 70's. Alison remembers admiring and respecting the lifeguards she and her friends considered "theirs" because of the time they spent together every summer.  She and her sisters were members of the synchronized swim team at Ten Eyck and her two daughters have followed in their shoes, joining the Whitmore-Bolles synchro team when they were old enough.

Her daughters lived at Whitmore-Bolles all summer, arriving at 11am for synchro practice and staying until the dinner bell rang, every summer until it closed in 2011. Alison was glad the pools were there to teach her daughters the same lessons she learned growing up, and that it offered a safe and fun activity for them each summer.

On how the closing of Whitmore-Bolles impacted her family, Alison said, "I see my younger daughter spending a great deal more time on her iPod, computer or in front of the TV during the summer months. The team practices at the pool would get her out early and keep her out enjoying the sun and fresh air."

Alison also recognized the pools closing has an impact on Dearborn as a whole. "The pools along with the libraries were a big draw to staying in Dearborn and raising a family here.  Sadly, that draw is not always there for new young families seeking out home-ownership for the first time," she said.

One day, SOP hopes Alison will get to see her daughters jump back into their pool and soak up the sun at Whitmore-Bolles.

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!

Faces of SOP - Michael D. Albano

Michael D. Albano

Michael Albano has been a resident of Dearborn for 37 years, and fondly remembers the days he spent at the original Seashore pool. He is currently running for a seat on the Dearborn City Council, but has been involved with Dearborn's pools and neighborhoods long before he announced his candidacy. Michael has been involved with SOP since it originated. One of his first tasks was to scrape and paint Summer Stephens pool to prepare for opening day. He worked on this project for nearly two weeks, and spent the first day of the pool season still working on an unfinished area of the pool. When he finished, there were just 15 minutes left for him to enjoy the pool before it closed for the day. 

Even though Summer Stephens is his neighborhood pool, Michael has also helped cleanup and address issues at Ten Eyck and Lapeer pools, further embodying SOP's mission "One Dearborn, One Team, One Family." In addition, Michael was instrumental in SOP's fundraising efforts by selling large numbers of t-shirts and advertising for the SOP t-shirts you see all around town.

During the day, Michael works as a wireless consultant for research firms that cater to brokers and investors. In his free time, he supports Dearborn's pools, is running for Dearborn City Council, and has served as a member of the Dearborn Federation of Neighborhood Associations, the Dearborn Rental Task Force, Commissioner of the City of Dearborn Telecommunications, and many other valuable service positions to improve the lives of Dearborn residents throughout the years. 

When asked about the future of Dearborn's pools, Michael stated, "if we can afford a new City Hall, we can certainly afford to keep all of Dearborn's pools open. The pools keep families in the city and encourage new families to move here." 

SOP is proud to support Michael D. Albano in his campaign for Dearborn City Council, as a longtime friend to the pools and to the continuing vitality of Dearborn's neighborhoods. You can learn more about his campaign here.

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!