King County closes Si View Pool

Published 1:01 pm Thursday, October 2, 2008

NORTH BEND – Larry Rhule thinks it is a shame Si View Pool has to close.

His views are shared by many in the Valley, but as the aquatic facility operator for King County Parks and Recreation, he has an understanding of the bond between public facilities and the communities they serve.

“When you look at all the people who have come here over the years, it is sad to know that it is going to close,” Rhule said. “It is a shame.”

Last Saturday was the final day of swimming at Si View Pool, a facility that has been open since the 1930s. For almost 70 years the building that is home to the pool and community center has hosted generations of activities and events.

The last couple of years brought ominous warnings from King County, which operates the facility, that the money needed to run the center might not come through in its budgets. That warning became a reality this year when the county, dealing with a more than $50-million budget deficit for next year, announced it would shut down the Si View Community Center by Jan. 1, 2003.

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His views are shared by many in the Valley, but as the aquatic facility operator for King County Parks and Recreation, he has an understanding of the bond between public facilities and the communities they serve.

“When you look at all the people who have come here over the years, it is sad to know that it is going to close,” Rhule said. “It is a shame.”

Last Saturday was the final day of swimming at Si View Pool, a facility that has been open since the 1930s. For almost 70 years the building that is home to the pool and community center has hosted generations of activities and events.

The last couple of years brought ominous warnings from King County, which operates the facility, that the money needed to run the center might not come through in its budgets. That warning became a reality this year when the county, dealing with a more than $50-million budget deficit for next year, announced it would shut down the Si View Community Center by Jan. 1, 2003.