Last week, Wallingford neighbor Greg Flood alerted us to Ask.com’s promotion “You Asked, We Answered” in which Seattleites were asked which of the three requests would they like to see fulfilled: 1) Getting a free cup of joe during a morning commute; 2) minimizing stadium traffic; or 3) saving our citywide wading pools from the budget chopping block this summer.
In a surprising little twist, Ask.com announced this week that all three requests will be fulfilled this summer. So not only will morning commuters get a free cup of coffee at select Park & Rides, but Mariners fans will be treated to free pedicab rides during certain home games; and most importantly, our beloved wading pool here in Wallingford will be open one extra day of the week on Saturdays (so long as the temps are above 70). In addition to the Wallingford wading pool, Ask.com will also fund the East Queen Anne and the Powell Barnett wading pools. Ask.com also has something special planned for the wading pools during one of the Saturdays.
For those interested in how the voting played out: 58% of the voters were in favor of saving the wading pools, 22% voted for some sort of morning commute perk, and 20% voted for reducing stadium traffic.
“We’ve seen such an enthusiastic response to the campaign, both while talking to locals directly and as evidenced by the traffic to our dedicated SeattleAsks site,” said Valerie Combs, spokesperson at Ask.com. “Seattle residents are clearly passionate about their city, so we thought making all three projects a reality would enable us to benefit more people, as opposed to limiting it only to the request that got the most votes.”
The Wallingford wading pool season kicks off on June 27 and runs through August 17. The hours/days of operation are Wednesdays, Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays from 12:00PM – 7:00PM. Check Seattle Parks and Rec’s Wading Pool Hotline for up to date information: 206-684-7796. Click here for more information.
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Anyone know how much we’d have to raise to keep the wading pool open through Labor Day? Or if Parks and Rec would let us do that?
I believe this came up last year, and Park and Rec will not allow funding of an individual amenity.
Thanks so much to Greg Flood for bringing this to our attention! Love the wading pool, long may it wade!
And actually a huge shout out to Greg for Wallingford Playfield, our community park-called-a-playfield, in general! It would not be the wonderful park that so many enjoy without the years (and I mean nearly two decades) he selflessly devoted to the park and the community through Friends of Wallingford Playfield (FoWP) and the Lincoln Liaison Committee for long range planning regarding park use as it relates to nearby or adjacent public schools. Upgrading the park was more than a full time job for Greg and it simply wouldn’t have happened without his heroic dedication and attention to every single detail from the size of gravel in the path to his own redesign of the play area after the architects told him the swings and the arch wouldn’t both fit. They were wrong. The documents he reviewed, created, and distributed could fill (actually they do…) his house, grants and fundraising, his hours spent in meetings (in Wallyhood eateries that no longer exist), would probably add up to several years, and don’t get me started on the virtual space occupied by emails. Countless days Greg spent weeding in the rain, along with the others he recruited (you know who you are!), fighting the no-win battle with horse tail. Greg’s dedication kept all of us going when we were exhausted by the endless wrangling with the City, the Parks Dept., Seattle Public Schools, landscapers, soil and rock deliverers and more! We just wanted to improve our park and might have given up had Greg not made it his crusade. He started when his kids were in pre-school. His eldest is in college. While we had our kids in mind when we worked on the park, we all knew that true beneficiaries would be those who came after ours. If you enjoy Wallingford Park, you have Greg Flood to thank! Thank you Greg. You made a lasting and significant contribution to our neighborhood and city!
What if the sun never shines this summer? It ain’t looking so good so far. Wade in wet suits?
Thank you Greg and all the Friends of Wallingford Playfield for work and play that really made a difference. It is nice to see something get accomplished around here and a renovated park with swell features is great.
That the Seattle School District and Parks and Recreation were able to destroy the community garden at the south end is both unbelievable and tragic and that what got planted there is not maintained is a true waste of dedicated money, and shocking.
But all that doesn’t matter to happy kids on the swings or the playfield, it is a great park slated for new use for the festival that follows the Kiddie Parade this July.