Commissioner Jon Howard takes first dip in East Albany pool

ALBANY — Several years ago, after being dressed down by one of his East Albany constituents, Ward I Albany City Commissioner Jon Howard made a vow.

“I told that lady, ‘Before I leave office, rest assured, the kids in East Albany will have a place they can come swim,’” Howard said.

Howard, the City Commission’s longest-serving board member, was able to say he kept his word Tuesday morning as he and other city officials took part in a ribbon-cutting that marked the opening of the swimming pool and splash park at the Club at Thornton.

Appropriately enough, Howard took the first dip in the pool, telling a gathering for the opening that he was “going to slip on my bathing suit” after his remarks. He was admonished by City Manager Sharon Subadan, “No Speedos.”

Howard praised Subadan for her efforts in making a reality of the park, which will be managed by the Boys and Girls Clubs of Albany and become part of facilities that include the Thornton Gym, which is currently being remodeled.

“We got a little off track there for a while,” Howard said, noting his sometimes frustrating, almost decade-long effort to make the park a reality. “But Ms. Subadan came in like a racehorse and got it done.

“This pool is so important because, like a lot of communities, minority individuals can’t swim. That’s devastating, it’s a public health issue. That’s why I’m going to challenge Mayor (Dorothy) Hubbard, who says she can’t swim, to take lessons.”

In remarks before the gathering, Subadan said the SPLOST-funded project “demonstrates the investment the city is making in the future of the community.”

Boys and Girls Clubs Director Marvin Laster told city officials they could relax knowing “this facility is in great hands.”

“This is an opportunity to ensure that every child in the community has an opportunity to learn to swim,” Laster said.

Following the ribbon-cutting, Howard took his dip, and kids from the Boys and Girls Clubs soon followed.

“This project involved a number of city departments, from Engineering to Public Works to Procurement to the Fire Department …,” Subadan said. “The question became what is the recipe for building a facility like this? You take 2 teaspoons of government, 4 tablespoons of nonprofits, 1/2 a cup of community and private sector, and mix it with a pinch of prayer.”