At 83 years old, NE Salem resident John Garrison isn’t holding anything back.

He’ll spew his political opinions including his unfavorable opinion of the president and don’t ask him about school funding unless you’ve got hours to spare.

So when the city of Salem decided to suspend its operating agreement with the Salem-Keizer School District and close the indoor Olinger Pool near his NE Salem home, he was livid.

“This is just stupid to let a perfectly good pool sit idle,” Garrison said. “It was being used by a lot of folks.”

On August 29, the city closed Olinger Pool and outdoor Walker Pool in NW Salem. Mark Becktel said there simply wasn’t enough money to continue funding the pools year-round and still maintain other recreational areas.

“We held a series of citywide public forums regarding the budget,” Becktel said. “The pools were brought up and there certainly was some disappointment.”

In the joint agreement, the city physically operated the pools and staff and paid approximately 50 percent of maintenance costs. Although he didn’t know the exact age of each pool, Becktel said they needed significant repairs.

“Do they need significant maintenance,” Becktel asked. “Heavens yes.”

Olinger suffers from cracked roof trusses and moisture problems and Walker Pool needs new concrete among the list of issues.

The Olinger Pool is still being used by the Salem-Keizer School District for school related activities.

Garrison said he was skeptical about the timing of the closures and the recent opening of the Kroc Center.

“It seems suspicious to me,” he said. “They knew that new pool was coming and they suddenly have no budget for pools.” Garrison said he has no interest in using the Kroc Center pool or other options such as the YMCA pool or ones through Courthouse Athletic. He cited costs and public transportation as he biggest limitations.

While the timing may coincidental, Becktel said the Kroc Center’s opening didn’t factor into the budget process.

“I think there are a number of city councilors who would like to see the pools reopened,” he said. “There are also some concerned citizens. I know the West Salem Neighborhood Association has talked about ways to possibly reopen Walker Pool.”

Because the agreement is suspended and not canceled, Becktel said there is an opportunity to later reopen the pools if funding becomes available.

“I think there would be a lot of public and political support for at least summer usage,” he said.

This is little consolation for Garrison, who said his favorite form of low impact exercise with people his own age has been compromised.

“If I wanted to spend my time swimming with a bunch of children, then yes, I’ll pay the damn fee and swim there,” he said. “But the fact is the city should never have closed a perfectly good pool that a lot of us senior folks used.”